What a Press Release Is Really For (And What It Can't Do)

Press releases are often called outdated or ineffective. In reality, they're usually judged against expectations they were never designed to meet.

A press release is a precision tool. It has a clear role in corporate communications, especially for listed companies. Problems begin when companies expect it to build credibility, create investor conviction, or generate media attention on its own.

Understanding what a press release can and cannot do is the first step towards using it effectively.

What a Press Release Is Actually For

A press release exists to communicate verified information to the market.

For listed companies, it serves four essential purposes:

• Creates the official record. It provides the company's authoritative, timestamped version of events.

• Meets disclosure obligations. It supports compliance with MAR and ad-hoc disclosure requirements by ensuring material information reaches the market fairly and simultaneously.

• Ensures equal access. Investors, analysts, journalists, and other market participants receive the same information at the same time.

• Provides the basis for coverage. A clear release gives journalists and analysts reliable source material to work from.

These are fundamental responsibilities. When judged against them, the press release is still one of the most valuable communication tools a listed company has.

What a Press Release Cannot Do

A press release is powerful but it has limits.

It cannot create credibility simply because the company is speaking about itself. Independent validation comes from journalists, analysts, and other trusted third parties.

It cannot build an equity story on its own. Investor confidence develops through consistent communication over time, not through a single announcement.

And it cannot guarantee attention. Distribution only means information was published - not that the right audience read it, understood it, or acted on it.

A press release delivers facts. It doesn't replace strategy, relationships, or ongoing communication.

How to Get More Value From Every Press Release

Many companies measure success by asking whether a press release was published.

The better question is whether it changed perception.

A release creates value when it becomes the starting point for broader communication.

That means:

• Writing for journalists, analysts, and investors - not just for compliance.

• Connecting every announcement to the company's broader equity story.

• Following MAR and disclosure rules before any supporting communication.

• Pairing the release with earned media that provides independent credibility.

A published press release makes information available.

Earned media helps make that information matter.

Final Thoughts

The press release is not obsolete - it is simply misunderstood.

Its purpose is to distribute facts, meet disclosure obligations, and provide the market with reliable information. Expecting it to build credibility or generate attention on its own is asking the wrong tool to do the wrong job.

The most effective communications programmes don't stop at publishing the release. They use it as the foundation for the conversations, coverage, and credibility that follow.

About Junicorn

At Junicorn Consulting, we help CFOs and Investor Relations teams turn corporate announcements into earned media coverage that strengthens the equity story while remaining fully aligned with MAR and ad-hoc disclosure requirements.