An exclusive report is a story that is pitched to one media outlet before being shared with other outlets. It can be an exciting opportunity for PR pros to share impactful news but also create a sense of exclusivity that makes the announcement more compelling for journalists and readers alike.
It can be easy to get caught up in the hype of an exclusive but it is important to think about how it will benefit your audience and brand before pitching. In order for a story to be an exclusive, there needs to be something unique about it that hasn’t already been covered. This could be an insight from an interview with a subject matter expert, data that has been released for the first time or even information obtained through public records. It is important to thoroughly research and conduct interviews in order to find this information and create an original angle to the story.
Another thing to consider before offering an exclusive is how it will affect your media relations strategy moving forward. By sharing your story with one journalist and denying other journalists that same opportunity, you may burn bridges that will negatively impact your relationship in the future. If you have a broader media strategy that includes several outlets, you can allow each of them the opportunity to publish their own angle on the story.
It is also important to only use this approach for genuinely newsworthy moments and be transparent about the exclusivity with journalists. Avoid labeling every single pitch as an exclusive, as this will mislead and irritate journalists.