6 ways to enliven—or replace—a boring press conference

The executive or politician standing awkwardly behind a podium, reciting watered-down talking points just doesn’t work anymore. Media loathe attending press conferences, and if they must attend, the stories merit no more than a brief mention.

Look at it from the media’s perspective. Outlets are understaffed and facing more competition. They need to distinguish their coverage from that of the other outlets, and covering the same thing everyone else is covering just doesn’t move the bar. Remember, exclusives sell and show their audience why they are better.

For PR firm clients, passing on a press conference is not an easy sell, particularly to in-house communications staffers who see the press conference as a way to showcase their work to executives. But more and more it is having the opposite effect, as fewer members of the media are showing up. There’s nothing worse than a CEO on a soapbox with no one listening.