Last month, PitchBox Media launched themed subscription boxes to match media outlets and journalists with publicists, agencies and brands. The goal is to introduce brands to journalists who are looking for new story ideas. The idea came following an Editor Showcase event, an annual brand-to-press power pitching event held in New York. By reaching out directly to journalists with themed subscription boxes, PitchBox Media hopes to cut through the clutter to support both sides of the equation – reporters who need article ideas and brands and agencies who have stories to share.
Why now?
According to a representative from PitchBox Media, the idea started long before the COVID-19 pandemic made in-person events impossible. However, coronavirus made the need for such pitches timelier than ever.
“It’s more common that journalists are asked to produce sometimes two to three pieces of content a day, instead of one or maybe two per week. The need to generate content to satisfy a rapidly changing digital news cycle makes what we are offering with PitchBox Media (PBM) all that more impactful as a trusted resource for media in a wide range of industry sectors and interests,” said PitchBox Media founder Michelle Metter.
“Journalists now select themes, get researched trends, and brands their readers will care about. The solution for brands and agencies is resonate as PBM is a tool with which to connect with media faster and more efficiently,” Metter added.
Two target audiences: media and brands
A PitchBox Media representative told Subscription Insider that the subscription box was designed to bridge the gap between hot new products and trendy brands and media looking for their next story.
“The concept behind PitchBox Media is simply work smarter with us, not harder alone,” a PitchBox Media representative told Subscription Insider. “For brands, we want to be thought of as an add-on to your communications strategy. For journalists, we want to help you discover brands, trends, and story ideas with access to a monthly trend report, a virtual press room, brand resources, and more.”
Themed subscription boxes
Qualifying members of the press can receive one of two themed subscription boxes each month at no cost by contacting the company. Journalists can choose the themes they want based on their editorial interests. Brands who want their products discovered can also contact PitchBox Media to be considered for inclusion. Brand subscribers so far include Brides, Bustle, BuzzFeed, CBS, Conde Nast, Elite Daily, Food Network, Hearst and Good Housekeeping, among others. Each box includes a trend report as well as resources and references to help journalists with their articles, and an online resource center includes brand assets such as logos, images, fact sheets and news releases.
Two subscription boxes per month have been planned from August 2020 through May 2021.
Insider Take
As a publisher, we understand that it can sometimes be challenging to come up with story ideas, as well as sources and resources to help write articles. PitchBox Media’s subscription boxes are skewed toward lifestyle products (self-care, pets, holiday gifts, cooking, entertainment, beauty). Provided journalists who sign up are not obligated to write about every product in their boxes, and they retain editorial control, we can see the benefits to such a service. It will be interesting to see if this idea takes off.
