What It All Boils Down To
Once you’ve taken care of the basics (contact information, headline, dateline, and body) of your press release, it’s time to put the final stamp on it with the company boilerplate.
What is a boilerplate? In the most general sense of the word, a boilerplate is a template of text that can be used repeatedly, without modification. It is likely derived from the definition that refers to the steel plate (template) that was used in making the shells of steam boilers. Programmers will be familiar with the term “boilerplate code” as it refers to reusable programming code. In legalese, boilerplates refer to routine provisions in contracts, legal pleadings, or contracts that are often preprinted. Even mission statements and copyright paragraphs are considered types of boilerplates. In the days of yore, companies had boilerplate press releases—entire press releases—stamped in metal and sent to newspapers to ensure that their news would be printed as written. Of course, with the advent of communication technology, not to mention the fact that company information changes on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis, the time and place for the cast metal boilerplate press release has come and gone. Thus, within the press release industry, a boilerplate refers to a standardized one-paragraph description that provides company information and may be used at the end of each press release.
This brings us to yet another question: what kind of company information does a boilerplate include? At the very least, it should contain a sentence with the company name, stock symbols (if your company is public) and the company URL. Many boilerplates also include the year the company was founded, the history of the company, the company vision, and even industry awards. You’ll recognize a boilerplate when you see the words “About [company name]” above the boilerplate paragraph. For press releases that contain information on more than one company, multiple boilerplates may be used; large companies with multiple locations may tailor boilerplates to specific sites. Please see the samples below.
General boilerplate sample:
About Wizno-Gizno
Wizno-Gizno, a subsidiary of Gizno, Inc. (NYSE: GZO), is a leading provider of insurance and other financial services to individual and institutional customers. The Gizno companies serve individuals in approximately 10 million households in the U.S. and provide benefits to 200,000 employees and family members through their plan sponsors. Outside the U.S., the Gizno companies serve approximately 4 million customers through direct insurance operations in Germany, Paraguay, Peru, China, Poland, Mexico, India, Indonesia, Indonesia and Taiwan. For more information about Gizno, please visit the company’s Web site at www.giznoinc.com.
Location-specific boilerplate sample:
About IndoGizno
Indonesia Gizno, Inc. (IndoGizno) is an affiliate of Gizno, Inc. and was incorporated in June 2004 as a joint venture between Gizno-America, Inc., Indonesia Insurance Products, Inc., the Universal Bank of Indonesia, and other private investors. With over 40 years of experience, the Gizno companies (Gizno, Inc. and its affiliates) serve customers internationally. The Gizno companies are among the top 30 life insurers in the U.S. with approximately US$600 million of life insurance in force. Gizno offers a range of innovative products and aims to build financial freedom for clients worldwide. For more information about Gizno, please visit the company’s Web site at www.indogizno.com.
Add A Comment