Earned Media & PR Toolkit

The Strategic PR & Earned Media Toolkit for Hospitality Brands That Want Press Without Paying for It.

ABOUT THIS TOOLKIT

Most hospitality businesses pay PR agencies £3,000–£8,000 a month and still don't get the coverage they want. Why? Because the agency is following a generic playbook, not a hospitality-specific one. This toolkit gives you the earned media system used by venues that consistently land press in The Guardian, Time Out, The Caterer, Code Hospitality, and the Sunday supplements. Built on 30 years of combined hospitality and marketing experience — including building relationships with the journalists who actually cover this industry.

What You'll Learn:

• How to build a media list of journalists who actually cover hospitality (and how to keep it fresh)
• The pitch frameworks that consistently get coverage in national and trade press
• How to write press releases that journalists open, read, and act on
• The story angles that always work for restaurants, bars, pubs, and hotels
• How to land podcast appearances, opinion columns, and trade interviews
• The reactive PR playbook — turning industry news into your coverage

Who This Toolkit Is For:

• Independent restaurant, bar, and pub operators tired of being invisible
• Boutique hotel marketers building brand awareness without a PR retainer
• Hospitality founders launching new venues
• Marketing managers managing PR in-house
• Operators who've worked with PR agencies and weren't impressed

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1: EARNED MEDIA STRATEGY

• 1. Why PR Still Matters in 2026
• 2. The Earned Media Ecosystem for Hospitality
• 3. Setting PR Goals That Actually Mean Something

SECTION 2: BUILDING YOUR MEDIA LIST

• 4. The Hospitality Media Landscape: National, Trade, Regional, Online
• 5. Identifying the Right Journalists for Your Story
• 6. Building & Maintaining Your Media Database
• 7. The Long Game: Building Real Relationships

SECTION 3: STORY DEVELOPMENT

• 8. Why Most Hospitality Pitches Get Ignored
• 9. The 12 Story Angles That Always Work
• 10. Newsjacking & Reactive PR for Hospitality
• 11. Building a Year of Story Hooks

SECTION 4: WRITING THAT GETS COVERED

• 12. Press Release Frameworks That Work
• 13. Pitch Email Frameworks (And Templates)
• 14. Writing Op-Eds & Opinion Columns
• 15. The Quote Library Every Founder Should Have

SECTION 5: BEYOND PRESS RELEASES

• 16. Landing Podcast Appearances
• 17. Trade Awards Strategy
• 18. Industry Speaking & Panels
• 19. Building Thought Leadership for Founders

SECTION 6: LAUNCH & CAMPAIGN PR

• 20. The Hospitality Launch PR Playbook
• 21. Campaign-Driven PR That Goes Beyond a Single Hit
• 22. Press Trips, Tastings & Soft Launches

SECTION 7: MEASUREMENT

• 23. The PR Metrics That Matter (Beyond AVE)
• 24. Tracking Coverage & Sentiment
• 25. Tying PR to Bookings & Brand Health

APPENDICES

• Appendix A: Press Release Templates
• Appendix B: Pitch Email Templates
• Appendix C: UK Hospitality Media List Starter Pack
• Appendix D: PR Calendar Template

FORMAT: Instant digital download. PDF toolkit plus editable templates and starter media list.