Creating Branded Product Mockups for Press Kits

Media coverage drives credibility and sales—single feature in popular blog or magazine can generate traffic spike and boost brand awareness. But journalists and influencers need high-quality visual assets to feature your products. Professional press kit makes their job easy, increasing likelihood they'll cover you. Without proper assets, even interested media pass on featuring products.

What goes in product press kit: High-Resolution Product Photos (various angles, white background, lifestyle contexts), Logo Files (multiple formats: PNG, SVG, black, white, color), Brand Guidelines (colors, fonts, usage rules), Product Fact Sheet (specifications, pricing, availability), Company Boilerplate (2-3 paragraph company description), Founder Bio and Photo, Press Releases, and Contact Information. Package everything in downloadable folder or dedicated press page on website.

High-resolution photo requirements: media outlets need print-quality images, not web-optimized files. Export product photos at minimum 3000px on longest side, 300 DPI resolution, RGB color space (for digital) or CMYK (for print). Provide both white background packshots and lifestyle contextual photos. Include captions with each photo describing product. Journalists should never have to email requesting better images.

Product mockup scenes: create aspirational lifestyle mockups showing products in editorial-worthy settings. Coffee mug mockup on rustic wooden table with morning light, skincare products on marble bathroom counter, tech accessories on modern desk workspace. Use Dreamess scene generation or mockup templates (Placeit, Smartmockups) to place your product photos in professionally styled environments. Magazine-quality mockups get published.

The digital press kit page: create dedicated '/press' page on your website housing all press kit materials. Sections: About Us, Product Images (downloadable zip), Logos & Brand Assets, Company Info, Press Coverage (past features), and Contact. Make everything downloadable with single click—no forms or email gates. Easier access = more features. Update quarterly with new products and recent press mentions.

Pitch-ready product sheets: create one-page PDF for each product with key information: high-quality hero photo, product name and tagline, 3-5 key features/benefits, technical specifications, pricing and availability, high-resolution photo download link, and media contact. When pitching media, attach relevant product sheet—they have everything needed to write feature without back-and-forth. Reduces friction, increases coverage.

Influencer kit strategy: for influencer outreach, enhance standard press kit with influencer-specific assets: suggested social media captions (they can customize), branded hashtags, tagging instructions, FTC disclosure language (required for paid partnerships), exclusive discount codes for their audience, and visual examples of how other influencers featured products. Remove barriers to posting about you.

Product photography for media use: beyond standard product shots, include media-friendly variations: transparent background PNG (easy to place on any background), product-only cutout (no props or styling, maximum flexibility), group shots showing full product line, detail close-ups showing quality and craftsmanship, and scale reference photos (product next to common objects showing size). Variety ensures media find useful images for any context.

Award and recognition graphics: when products win awards, get press features, or hit milestones (bestseller status, 5000+ reviews), create official badge graphics. '2024 Good Housekeeping Award Winner,' 'As Featured in Forbes,' 'Amazon's Choice,' '#1 Bestseller.' Provide these badges in press kit so media can include credentials. Third-party validation strengthens product features.

The founder story and mission: journalists prefer featuring brands with compelling stories versus generic products. Include founder bio highlighting what inspired product creation, obstacles overcome, mission/values driving business. Make it personal and authentic. Products are interchangeable, stories are unique. Strong founder narrative differentiates you from competitors and appeals to media seeking interesting human-interest angles.

Press release template: create template press release announcing new product launches, partnerships, milestones, or newsworthy events. Structure: headline, dateline, lead paragraph (who/what/when/where/why), body paragraphs with details and quotes, boilerplate company description, media contact info. Fill in product-specific details for each launch. Formatted press releases look professional and provide ready-to-publish copy for time-strapped journalists.

Media coverage tracking: as you secure press features, add them to press kit's 'As Seen In' section. Include outlet logos, quotes from articles, and links to features. This social proof attracts more coverage—media outlets reference each other, and seeing competitor publication covered you triggers FOMO ('We should feature them too'). Press coverage compounds as each feature leads to more.

Proactive media outreach: don't wait for media to discover you. Build targeted list of 50-100 journalists, bloggers, and influencers covering your product category. Email personalized pitches with product sheet attached and link to press kit. Follow up 1-2 times if no response. Persistence and professionalism pay off. Make yourself easy to cover—they need content, you need exposure. Win-win.

The evergreen press kit: update press kit quarterly with new products, updated photos, recent press mentions, and fresh company milestones. Outdated press kits (last updated 2019) signal inactive or struggling business. Fresh, comprehensive press kit signals professionalism and momentum. Treat it as living document, not one-time creation.