You are just itching to release the news of your company’s merger with that other big name company. So when the time comes you enlist the press release services of your assistant, draft up a press release and send it out in an email blast to every reporter you can think of. Then you get a call from that other company asking you to hold off on an announcement for another few weeks. You can’t unsend an email. But you are not sunk.
Depending on the reason why you need to pull the press release, it might not be too big of a deal. It can actually work to be a benefit.
The first thing to do without wasting a minute is to contact everyone who got the press release in the first place. If you invested in press release services go back to the company and ask if they would try to retract the press releases they submitted. There will likely be a charge, but it will be much easier than trying to do it yourself.
Consider having a press release written that retracts the first press release. This would be a professional press release that in fact announces something else that is similar. You may say that you are “in talks” with the other company or you may want to announce that you are “expecting” a merger to be complete soon. So in essence now what you are submitting to the media is a “corrected” version, not a “premature” version of a press release. Reporters are sensitive to printing correct information, because no matter whose fault it is if incorrect information gets printed, there usually needs to be a retraction published also. So we’d rather avoid it, therefore a corrected press release, if timely, isn’t looked at in a bad light.
If possible, also follow up with a phone call to everyone who received it. Even if all you are able to do is leave a voicemail, it will alert the reporter to look for the corrected version of the press release. Be sure to briefly highlight the correction to avoid any confusion with the two press releases.
When you got the reporter on the phone, thank them, then quickly ask if they are the right contact for future press releases on the topic. If they seem willing to chat, ask what their preferred method of recieving press releases is and any tips for getting stories published. Crisis averted and you’ve got a new contact now for future press releases.