What’s in a name: How leading with brand names can boost pitch open rates

Analysis shows pitches leading with recognizable brand names in subject lines tend to reach higher journalist engagement.

A journalist reading a pitch on her computer. When you're pitching a story that involves a well-known brand, it can be tempting to save that juicy tidbit for the body of your pitch email. But an analysis of millions of successful media pitches suggests that putting the brand name front and center in your subject line can significantly boost the chances a journalist will open your email.

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The analysis looks at the subject lines of the most-opened pitches of over 14 million sent through its platform. A clear pattern emerged among pitches that consistently had high open rates: Journalists were more likely to open pitches leading with a recognizable brand name that would be of interest of their audiences.

Some anonymized examples:

"[Major home improvement retailer] Launches Exclusive Partnership With [celebrity name]"

"[Local dental franchise] Expands to [#] Locations, Making Quality Care More Accessible"

"[Growing franchise brand] Signs Landmark Deal to Open [#] Locations in [region]"

Pitches that lead with popular, respected brands in the subject line communicate relevance and value to journalists. The brand name acts as a signal to the journalist that the pitch will likely contain information the journalist’s audience might have interest in.

Journalists have to make quick judgments about which messages are worth their time to open and which ones they can ignore. A recognizable brand name that the journalist knows and has likely covered before creates a powerful shortcut in that split-second decision-making process.

In a way, leading with a prominent brand name in your subject line acts as borrowed credibility. You're tapping into the positive reputation and audience interest that the brand has already built through its marketing, PR and market performance. The brand's cachet boosts the perceived value and importance of your pitch right from the start.

What is the best way to include a brand name in a pitch?

Of course, not every pitch subject line should include a brand name. If the company or client you're pitching isn't well-known or if the brand isn't critical to the story you're telling, then awkwardly forcing a company name into the subject line is more likely to hurt than help.

The key is to critically evaluate how recognizable and respected a particular brand is with the group of journalists you're pitching. If it's a household name or a leader in the industry they cover, then featuring the brand in the subject line can be a powerful way to get them to pay attention. But if it's an unknown startup or the brand isn't essential to the story, you're better off leading with the core narrative and human elements that make the pitch compelling.

It's also important to consider how you feature the brand name in the context of the subject line. Simply inserting a company name at the beginning without any context is unlikely to be effective. The best examples make it clear why the journalist should care about this brand information. They specify what's new or noteworthy, such as a new product launch, major company announcement, or exclusive interview opportunity with an executive. The brand name grabs attention, but the subject line as a whole communicates why the pitch is newsworthy.

When you're pitching a story that involves a prominent brand, experiment with leading with the company name in the subject line. When done well, it can be a potent shortcut for communicating credibility, relevance and value to journalists. Getting a journalist to open your email is the critical first step toward earning interest, a response and, ultimately, coverage.

Just remember — the brand name gets your foot in the door, but your overall story and pitch still need to deliver on what you promised in the subject line. Mention a well-known brand to earn the open, but make sure the rest of your pitch follows through on demonstrating how your story angles and offerings will resonate with the journalist's specific readership. Do that, and leading with popular brand names can be a powerful tactic for boosting your overall pitch open and response rates.

For more information about media relations, download our “Learn Media Relations from The Media” e-book for additional tips on interacting and connecting with journalists and PR professionals.