From Inbox to Headlines: How a Great Press Release Can Grow Your Brand

In today’s digital world, social media, email marketing and other online strategies often take centre stage and for good reason. They are powerful tools for reaching your audience.

However, at Companion Consultancy, we have never forgotten the value of a well-crafted press release. Since our founding 23 years ago, press releases have been one of our core strengths. With professional copywriters, extensive press lists and trusted media relationships, we know how to get your news in front of the right people.

What Can a Press Release Be Based On?

Press releases can cover a wide range of company news: from staffing changes and new product launches to congress updates and awards. They’re an excellent way to gain exposure to fresh audiences, but the story must be newsworthy. Just like with social media, your content needs to engage and be relevant to readers.

Not sure if your news is press-worthy? With our extensive experience, we can advise you on whether a story is likely to perform well in the media or if it would be better promoted through other channels, such as paid advertising, a blog article, or direct marketing. We know the industry, we know the audience, and we know what works. We won’t recommend investing time and money in a press release if your story is too niche to gain traction.

Need some inspiration? Browse our Press Releases tab to see the types of stories we successfully promote at Companion Consultancy.

The Importance of Timing in a Press Release Strategy

Timing plays a crucial role in the success of a press release. If your story is time sensitive, such as one linked to a seasonal campaign or a product launch, it is important to give publications enough notice to plan their coverage properly. Being strategic around major industry events is also essential. For example, if you are targeting veterinary media during a large congress, it may be more effective to send your release early or wait until after the event to avoid it being lost among the volume of news. Poor timing, such as sending a release just before a bank holiday, can also reduce its chances of being picked up. The same careful planning that goes into social media and email marketing should be applied to press releases to maximise their impact.

Who is your audience?

Another essential ingredient for success is knowing exactly who you want to reach. We maintain detailed press lists across a range of sectors, including veterinary, pet owner, equine, regional publications and more. With so many options available, it is vital to define your audience clearly from the outset. Are you targeting businesses through a B2B approach, or are you aiming to reach consumers directly with B2C communications? Even the best written and most engaging press release will struggle to deliver the desired results if it does not reach the right audience.

What results can you expect?

When your story, timing, and audience targeting are spot on, you can achieve impressive results. Coverage can span print publications, digital editions, online news sections, social media, and newsletters – offering significant exposure for your brand.

Still wondering what’s possible?

Take a look at our case study on HT Vista’s series of press releases sent to the UK veterinary press and see just how many eyes your company news can reach.

If you’d like support crafting or distributing your next press release, get in touch with our experienced team today.

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Tibbie Lamb | DIGITAL MARKETING EXECUTIVE

Tibbie joined Companion Consultancy in 2021 as an Administrative Assistant while completing her A-level studies. Since then, she has progressed into the role of Digital Marketing Executive, combining hands-on marketing experience with her Digital Marketing degree studies at Anglia Ruskin University.

In her role, Tibbie supports a wide range of digital marketing activities, with a particular focus on social media management, email marketing, content creation, and project coordination. She enjoys helping clients communicate effectively with their audiences and ensuring campaigns run smoothly from start to finish.

Outside of work, Tibbie enjoys going to the cinema, trying new recipes, and spending time with friends and family.

Lucie O’Brien | DIGITAL MARKETING EXECUTIVE

Lucie joined the Companion Consultancy team in March 2023, and is currently in her final year of study to earn her Digital Marketing degree.

As someone who likes to be challenged, Lucie enjoys getting stuck into a variety of digital marketing disciplines, but is at her happiest when she is copywriting, web designing or being creative (even more so if it involves looking at pictures of cute cats!).

Alongside this, Lucie assists Jenny as an Editorial Coordinator for Veterinary Woman, a role she enjoys for its ample spreadsheets!

In her spare time, Lucie enjoys baking her favourite sweet treats (brownies, of course!), travelling, organising events and days out with her friends and fussing over her cat, Pebbles.

Jenny Silventionen | SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

With more than three decades of experience in agencies and in-house teams, Jenny still gets as much satisfaction from a successful project as she did when she first started her career. She has worked across a variety of sectors, including education, publishing and science and has a particular soft spot for the veterinary and pet sector, where she can combine her love of animals with her passion for design.

Jenny loves turning ideas into engaging visual communications and can happily lose track of time when immersed in a project. Known for her meticulous approach, she believes great creative work is about more than aesthetics, it’s about understanding the brief, solving problems and getting the finer details right.

Away from her desk, Jenny enjoys running, yoga and gardening. She lives with her family and three cats, who remain entirely unimpressed by her design credentials.

Maddie Speare | ACCOUNT MANAGER

Maddie joined Companion Consultancy in October 2020 as an apprentice Junior Content Producer and hasn’t looked back since! Now a trusted Account Manager, she leads client accounts and projects with creativity and energy, delivering tailored campaigns that not only meet client objectives but also engage audiences in meaningful ways.

Since joining the company, Maddie has achieved a multitude of certificates in online courses based on digital marketing, content creation and SEO, going on to complete her Level 3 Diploma in Content Production. She is now undergoing a Degree Apprenticeship in Digital Marketing with Anglia Ruskin University, and hopes to achieve her Bachelor’s Degree in 2026.

Outside of work, Maddie is happiest when spending time with friends and family, hiking in the Peak District or cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

Amelia Wilson | ACCOUNT MANAGER

Pursuing her passion for digital marketing, Amelia joined Companion Consultancy as a Digital Marketing Apprentice in September 2022. Wanting to widen her knowledge while pursuing her love for animals (especially dogs!), Companion is just the right fit.

Upon joining the team at Companion, Amelia has been training in a range of digital areas and is continuing her learning both on and off the job through her apprenticeship. Amelia enjoys the fact that every day at Companion is different which enables her to extend her knowledge and experiences in both the animal heath and digital marketing field.

Jenny Langridge | SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER

Jenny studied equine science at Writtle College and spent some time in equine nutrition before working in sales and marketing in the equine, automotive and retail/wholesale sectors. Her passion for animal health won out however, and she spent sixteen years in the commercial team at Vet Times, working in business development with clients ranging from new start-ups to multinational corporations, and developing creative and innovative print and digital media solutions.

Jenny particularly enjoys working with clients to form a deep understanding of their business and develop bespoke PR and marketing campaigns that meet objectives and make the most of commercial opportunities. Drawing on her extensive media experience, she helps clients identify the stories, partnerships and opportunities that will have the greatest impact.

Alongside her agency role, Jenny is editor of Veterinary Woman, a role that provides valuable insight into the trends, challenges and opportunities shaping the veterinary profession. Working with contributors and industry leaders from across the sector helps her stay closely connected to the people, businesses and issues influencing veterinary practice today.

Outside of work, Jenny is also the founder of a motorcycle trail touring business, combining her love of adventure and the outdoors with her qualification as a trail guide. When she’s not leading tours across East Anglia, she’s usually playing the piano or indulging in arts and crafts.

Katy Ellison MA VetMB MRCVS | DIRECTOR

Katy is a vet, writer and director at Companion Consultancy. She joined the company in 2021 and became a director in June 2024.

Katy has worked in clinical practice for more than 22 years, starting in mixed practice in Cambridgeshire before moving to a small animal practice in Suffolk. She still works in practice part time, covering evening surgery and occasional Saturdays. As well as enjoying being in the consult room, this keeps her up to date with the pressures, priorities and everyday realities of veterinary practice.

Her love of writing began in practice, where she wrote short articles and an ‘ask the vet’ column for local press. Today, she uses her clinical experience, writing skills and creativity to turn complex information into content that is accurate, practical and engaging. Outside of work, Katy plays the violin in the Suffolk Sinfonia, and enjoys spending time with her family and black Labrador, Ferne.

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Fiona Farmer | DIRECTOR

Fi worked as an equine vet for over 10 years, which took her from the deserts of Dubai (where the odd camel got treated) to the beautiful Norfolk countryside. Alongside first opinion work, her passion of competition horses led her to FEI officiating, where she has qualified as an FEI 3* official vet. This regularly takes her to international FEI competitions in the UAE, Europe and around the U.K. 

Her work at Companion Consultancy is the perfect blend of veterinary, business and creativity, and she enjoys working closely with clients to help create their story. She particularly enjoys being part of such a friendly, hardworking team to bounce ideas off, and support one another.

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Dr Susan McKay BVM & S, MRCVS, MBA | DIRECTOR

After 8 years working as a vet in practice, Susan needed a fresh, new challenge. Joining a pet food company meant she gained a great grounding in PR and communications but also gave her an understanding of the needs of commercial organisations.

In 2002, Susan launched Companion Consultancy. We aimed to become companions to our clients, in the sense that we would work alongside them, aligning ourselves to their goals and acting as an extension to their teams. Did it work out that way? We are proud to say that some of the clients that we took on in that first year are still with us, several job roles and companies later.

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