Headshots

Obviously there are plenty of examples of big orgs having an image gallery, often monetised. Smaller companies, too, can add useful images to their press centre, for example, headshots of some of your ‘staff that speak’.

The Econsultancy press room has pics of some of our staff, so if your mother says ‘bring me the head of Ashley Friedlein’, you can darn well make her happy.

 

Logos

Everyone has logos somewhere, and quite a few have them on their press pages. But how many make them as captivating as TFL? Alright, your agency logo mightn’t be iconic enough to wear on a t-shirt, but a chance to combine colour, pride and a helpful download should be one taken.

  

Fact sheets

PDFs for the win! The Blue Peter in me was delighted with the Royal Collection press pages and their freely available fact sheets. Great information for the curious.

Could you do the same for your org’s relevant subject areas? You’re probably not as boring as you think.

Numbers

US National Park Service press page is not flashy, but it makes the most of text with this lovely list of numbers. Any organisation can tot up some interesting figures like this, perhaps though without the cheesy ‘1 mission’. 

 

Annual Review

More generally on an ‘about’ page, but useful for setting your stall out to the press, if you’re on the path to change. The Science Museum makes this clear as crystal.

Find an expert

Not every org (any?) has experts as numerous and weighty as those at Oxford University. Never-the-less, maybe you can copy their ask the experts page, even if only with a small list in your contacts?

Calendar of events 

Below you can see a nice concise calendar tucked in to the St Paul’s Cathedral press pages. No excuse bar the alarm clock for missing mattins.

The White House, obviously a much busier than average place, has a calendar in its briefing room, with the added touch of being able to add events directly to one’s iCal. I really must get a Mac, and a job in Washington.

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Decent contacts list

Here’s London Zoo’s media page. No doubt who to contact for what. Make yourself clear and accountable. 

Press release archive

V&A has a lovely searchable press release archive with downloadable PDF press releases back to 2004. A classy touch.

 

Sign up, follow, share

The British Museum press page does this simply and ergo, effectively.

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If you’re big enough, and admittedly we’re talking pretty big, have your own press twitter account and embed it in your press room, a la itv, below. If you’re not big enough for a press twitter account, why not embed one of your main streams of branding consciousness.

 

Video

itv again, using video this time. A great tool to explain more complex aspects of your business, such as the rationale behind itv’s rebranding. Also helps in larger orgs to disseminate information internally, too.

Definitions/Glossary

Again, a great resource internally and externally – get your acronyms and complex definitions in the window. The Bank of England pages for reporters is a great example.

Books / bibliography

If you’re proud of your staff members’ publications, share them with the world. Here’s another lofty example from academia – Oxford University’s book list.

Opening times / out-of-hours

Here’s one from Cambridge University’s media page for balance. Knowing opening times and out-of-hours contacts can be very important.

Trivia

It’s nice to get some facts into your press room. Londoneye goes one further and labels up a snippet of trivia. This helps to creating a warm atmosphere for all those tired hacks logging on.

 

Media Guide

More PDF action perhaps. Here’s one from the Historic Royal Palaces. Great for visitors with little time, who want to read offline. 

Sound

I hate noise, but I loved the option on this page of the Golden Gate Bridge website (admittedly one step away from the press room) to play the sound of the bridge’s own foghorns.

A picture of some newspapers

For those pining for the lost Britishness of inky fingers and tea in the conservatory at breakfast.