How to secure PR coverage for your automotive brand

Automotive, motoring and fleet are highly competitive industries, and publicity is key to making your mark and standing out against other businesses that other similar products or services, PR will help shape the perception of your brand (the LIT motto) and with the right kind of content, position you and your brand as thought leaders in the industry.

News that’s worth sharing

Deciding what news is media-worthy can be tough to nail, but we recommend tailoring your media lists to each news item. We also recommend adapting your news or press release further to meet the needs of a specific publication. For example, if your news relates to a new vehicle model, but you want to send it to a fleet management magazine, highlight this in your release. Pull out all the information about the vehicle that relates to fleet management and make sure it’s prominent in the pitch and accompanying release/information you’re sending to that specific journalist.
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In terms of the information you might have media success in sharing, publications are interested in news that’s topical (relating to current mainstream news/events – timing is everything), company successes (new appointments, information about business growth/profits, new clients, new products/services etc), news that’s unique, stories that have a human interest angle, or those issues that might directly affect the audience reading about them. Before you decide whether something’s newsworthy, take advice from your PR agency who are best placed to point you in the right direction of what will fly with journalists and what won’t. One simple trick is to look for similar stories published in the media, which publications have published them and what makes them interesting. 

So which publications should you be targeting to spread the message about all your companies achievements and campaigns? We’ve put together a handy selection of UK automotive, fleet and business media to help you define your media list.
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Example target publications for automotive/fleet/business coverage in the UK

Automotive

• Automotive Management:
• WhatCar?: https://www.whatcar.com/
• AutoCar: https://www.autocar.co.uk/
• Auto Express: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/
• EVO: https://www.evo.co.uk/
• Car Magazine: https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/
• Total 911 Magazine: https://www.total911.com/
• Fast Car Magazine: https://www.fastcar.co.uk/

Fleet

• Fleet World: https://fleetworld.co.uk/
• Fleet News: https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/
• Fleet Magazine: http://fleetmagazine.co.uk/
• Commercial Fleet: https://www.commercialfleet.org/
• Fleet Manager Online: https://www.fleetmanageronline.co.uk/
• Fleet Management Weekly: https://www.fleetmanagementweekly.com/
• Automotive Fleet: https://www.automotive-fleet.com/
• Transport Monthly: https://www.transportmonthly.co.uk/
• Utility Fleet Professional: https://utilityfleetprofessional.com/
• Green Fleet: https://greenfleet.net/magazines

Business

• Business Insider: https://www.insidermedia.com/
• Business Matters Magazine: https://www.bmmagazine.co.uk/
• Real Business: https://realbusiness.co.uk/
• Elite Business: http://elitebusinessmagazine.co.uk/
• Business Leader: https://www.businessleader.co.uk/
• Director: https://www.director.co.uk/
• Growth Business: https://www.growthbusiness.co.uk/
• Management Today: https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/

​Are you a West Yorkshire automotive/fleet/motoring business that wants to amp up your local, regional or national publicity? Get in touch with LIT’s founder and PR professional Sophie for a free PR consultation.