NutriPR identifies six top trends of B2B public relations for the nutraceutical and food ingredient industries for 2014. A panel of three leading food and beverage B2B editors was engaged in the survey: David Feder, RD, executive editor of Prepared Foods/NutraSolutions.com; Robin Wyers, chief editor of The World of Food Ingredients and foodingredientsfirst.com; and Caroline Scott-Thomas, editor of FoodNavigator.com.

Among the top trends are “real-time” and “relevance/new angle.” These reflect the media anticipation for accurate, quick response and on-time releases that consist of relevant and useful data.

“We initiated this research to help our clients to better understand how to improve their PR campaigns according to media expectations and needs,” explains Liat Simha, PR expert at NutriPR. “Part of our job is to advise not just what to do, but also what not to do in developing a PR campaign that helps clients build their brands in the marketplace; our challenge is to build a bridge over this gap.”

Real time – “I’d expect to see much faster reaction times, with press releases issued as soon as news occurs. There is still a big gap from an event or product launch to when a release is issued. This is less acceptable in a world of instant news sourcing, with social media and rumors making headlines before companies can craft a press release,” says Scott-Thomas.

Sharper PR – Writing a good press release is no longer enough. “Our readers expect high-value information, backed up by marketing data and statistics. Sharper and more focused information is essential to get more impact in B2B food and beverage media,” indicates Wyers. Feder expects to see more “ready made” pieces in the form of comprehensive and technical article releases.

Video splash/video interview – “I anticipate a lot more links to videos or even video clips embedded in product samples; releases more individualized to the publication and its editors; and whole web pages and articles ready to fold into a site directly, rather than merely link to the client’s site,” predicts Feder. “Videos should be between 1 and 2 minutes and filled with info—not fluff—plus lead to resources that go deeper.”

Relevance and “new angle”– Feder, Scott-Thomas and Wyers avoid repeat coverage of the same topics and products. “I look for the new angle in each story we post,” notes Wyers. “Our readers expect to find stories that can help them to develop new product or solve technical problems.”

“I hope to see more press releases that put the news in context of other events affecting the industry,” says Scott-Thomas. ”For example, making the most of ingredient waste streams, and tackling public health problems such as diabetes and obesity, rather than simply announcing a new product or report.”

Enhance your media relations – Reporters get hundreds of press releases daily. To be chosen from all this noise, it’s vital to build sincere media relations. “Companies will return to engaging more actively with the press through press trips and desk-side visits. They will thus rely on expert and knowledgeable outside PR contacts to act as more than liaisons, rather, as client partners in interacting directly with the press and providing enhanced objectivity for their clients, closing the gap between corporate needs and press needs without compromising fairness in coverage," notes Feder.

Social media impact – Food ingredient companies need to develop a social media strategy to gain better buzz for their PR campaign and to become more accessible to reporters and potential customers alike. “Social media, particularly Twitter, can provide leads for stories,” says Scott-Thomas. “Apart from publicizing our articles on Twitter, Facebook is emerging as an interesting platform for us, helping reach a new audience with stories that have a more ‘human’ angle.”