Are executive quotes killing press releases?

Do the words of wisdom from higher-ups anchor the company’s announcement, or just make it sink?

Press releases are an important way for organizations to share information with key audiences, but too often, executive quotes are throwaways.

You know the ones I mean—with executives saying “how excited they are about a partnership” or “how pleased they are to be selected for a project.”

Who cares?

The idea behind including an executive quote in a press release is to provide additional information or give reporters a quote for their stories, in case they don’t have time to schedule interviews. But too often, the quotes are a lot of hot air and puffery and weaken the credibility of the news release because they remind the reader that the release is not about sharing news, but about creating buzz.

Here some things you can do to make your quotes more memorable:

Don’t blow hot air. Make sure your quotes actually say something. If the press release is about news, then the quote is where you can express your opinions. Go back to your key messages, and find statements that help put your news into context.

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