The 5 Most-Read Press Releases in March
As we made the move into spring, a diverse set of releases captured viewers’ attention in March.
Here are five stories that generated the most interest on our site in last month, based on release views:
1. Crown Royal Launches Highly Anticipated Flavor Innovation Crown Royal Blackberry Flavored Whisky
Source: PRNewsfoto/Crown Royal
Crown Royal’s launch of a new summery whisky took the top spot in March.
What Works: Food and beverage announcements always generate high engagement, but those that manage to tap into a mood or season truly stand out. Here, Crown Royal uses a photo that captures the essence of warm weather – sunshine, lemonade, fresh berries – and drops readers into a sunny release where they can picture themselves mixing fun cocktails.
Crown Royal utilized a Multichannel News Release, a popular option for major brand announcements. An MNR automatically generates a call to action link after the first paragraph, taking readers and journalists to a custom landing page with more multimedia and interactive functionality.
More for Journalists: Need multimedia for your reporting? View the multimedia gallery for releases sent via PR Newswire that include images, video, logos and more.
2. Monster Energy Ultra Launches New Fantasy Ruby Red in First-Ever Augmented Reality Reveal of a Beverage Can
Source: PRNewsfoto/Monster Energy
Another high-profile beverage debut garnered the second most views last month.
What Works: Like Crown Royal, Monster Energy used an MNR to maximize its visuals and really lean into the shades of red and pink included in the product launch.
A 30-second video (an ideal length for videos embedded in a release) captures the vibe of the new beverage and AR experience, transporting readers from their screens to the immersive art-centric product unveiling.
More for Journalists: As we said, food and beverage releases are regularly among the most-read announcements on prnewswire.com. Catch up on the latest food and beverage headlines and set up a custom newsfeed to make sure you never miss a big story idea.
3. 3M introduces a world’s first innovation to help redefine shipping and packaging
Source: PRNewsfoto/3M Company
3M came in at No. 3, highlighting a new, eco-friendly packing product.
What Works: 3M does a number of things very well in this release, and we’ll start at the top. The headline is succinct and – most importantly – addresses the “so what.” Thousands of companies distribute new product announcements each day. Including the “so what” and target audience ensures your headline stands out amid all the chatter. The bulleted subheadlines highlight key product details, stats and industry keywords.
3M includes a variety of multimedia, starting with a short video that walks the audience through the lifecycle of this product, including ease of use and how it could smoothly fit into their professional and personal lives. Three product shots accompany the video, and the standouts there are the captions, which are informative and tell the product’s story sequentially.
More for Journalists: Looking for press releases about eco-friendly products during Earth Month? Create a newsfeed with PR Newswire for Journalists and narrow down results by keywords to ensure you’re being alerted to the headlines that matter most to you and your coverage area.
4. Hyundai’s “The Drop” Marketing Campaign Unveils the New 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Heralding Sneaker Culture
Source: PRNewsfoto/Hyundai Motor America
Another top-performing release was Hyundai’s multicultural campaign tapping into a very specific kind of anticipation.
What Works: A hardworking headline incorporates diverse keywords and phrases, resulting in a cohesive and intriguing sentence. As a reader, you want to click and learn how Hyundai is meshing a new SUV model with sneakerheads.
Once into the release, the new ad is front and center, in both embedded video and link form. A quick click introduces you to the new Santa Fe, as it moves from the city to the golf course, accompanied by a photo showing the SUV “in the wild” (as opposed to a warehouse or lot shot). Putting this level of thought into your multimedia is crucial for product launches – anything that connects your product to diverse or specific audiences on a personal level works in your favor.
More for Journalists: 2024 model debuts were a big topic in the first few months of the year. To help you stay on top of it all, we put together our latest transportation trends recap and posts covering industry trends for several other verticals.
5. EQT Announces Transformative Acquisition of Equitrans Midstream
Source: PRNewsfoto/EQT Corporation
A modern acquisition announcement rounded out our Top 5 for March.
What Works: The vast majority of acquisition announcements still follow a tired template: long blocks of text that can be daunting for even the very knowledgeable to sift through.
EQT breaks the template here, including a bulleted list of key highlights, dual logos and bolded section headers (including more easily digestible bullets).
Simple adjustments to a cut-and-paste format make it easier for key audiences to find the information they need, whether it’s shareholders who want to know about the financial benefits or journalists who need the conference call information. Fine-tuning the formatting also shows an ability to adapt to what audiences need.
More for Journalists: Stay up-to-date on all the latest A&M news from PR Newswire. And if you’re gearing up for the big financial reporting season, here are a few steps to set up a custom earnings newsfeed.
Want to see more news like this? Keep up with the latest news in your coverage area with a customized newsfeed. Click here to sign up now or email us to fine-tune your existing profile.
Sarah Roberts is Director of Customer Content Services. In a previous life, she was a newspaper reporter in the Midwest before permanently retiring her snow shovel and moving to the Land of Enchantment. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, exploring the craft beer scene and petting all the dogs.
