An exclusive report is news coverage that doesn’t go out to other media outlets. It can be a great way to garner attention and get your brand noticed in a busy media landscape, especially when there’s something big going on. But, Noah says, it’s important to think carefully about what deserves an exclusivity before committing. “You don’t want to mislead journalists and be the boy who cried wolf,” he says. In fact, it’s often better to pitch the story to a broader group of outlets, rather than to exclusively target one. That way, you’re more likely to find an outlet that’s interested in the story, and it’s unlikely that two different outlets will run the same story at the same time, which could damage your credibility with both outlets.
To determine what kind of story warrants an exclusive, it’s crucial to think about the type of news that would grab journalists’ attention — like a round of funding that just closed with interesting investors or a partnership announcement that has the potential to reshape your industry. A big launch is another good candidate for an exclusive, as it’s a unique opportunity for you to share the story of how you partnered with other brands to create something special for your customers.
Once you’ve decided to move forward with an exclusive, Kirk recommends clearly defining the terms of the story in your pitch and working with the journalist or media outlet to create clear agreements for how the story will be shared. He also suggests planning ahead, allowing the appropriate amount of time for thorough research and quality storytelling, and not pitching other outlets at the same time.