To embrace or not to embrace the exclusive?
Giving an exclusive to media can be a complicated process. Depending on your unique circumstances and how you define success, it may or may not be appropriate. There are two common types of exclusives:
Pure exclusive
Only one media outlet gets the story. Often, traditional media throw around the term exclusive when they get an interview that no other publication has.
Exclusive first run
One media outlet runs a story first, and then others follow. Just because you do an interview with the first outlet doesn’t mean you can’t converse with another, the first outlet is just “breaking” the news (be sure to make this clear with the first run journalist).
Here are five things to consider when determining if a media exclusive is right for your brand.
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Importance:
If your news isn’t meaningful enough to draw significant eyeballs from the publication’s audience, no journalist will agree to an exclusive. Being “meaningful” is subjective.
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Angle:
A good PR team can shape a compelling story by tying it to trends, but they can’t guarantee top-tier coverage just because the news matters to you.
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Disclosures:
Are you willing to share the details required to land an exclusive? For funding news, this might require overall valuation. For product news, it might be a brand name customer that’s willing to speak with the reporter.
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Metrics:
Is one top-tier article better than 30 in mixed-tier outlets? There’s no right answer, but exclusives may sacrifice broader coverage that could drive customer traction, partnerships, or board perception.
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Success:
An exclusive may land you a short summary instead of the in-depth feature you expected. If you want a full article, ensure you provide background, industry impact, and time for the reporter to develop the story—confirm expectations upfront. Exclusives require commitment. Be prepared with executive buy-in, assets, data, and references. If your news is compelling and deserves a top-tier debut, exclusives can be powerful—but be ready for the ride!
