pitching to journalists
In the Australian and New Zealand media landscape, the distance between a successful story and the digital bin can be a single sentence. If you are a founder of a high-growth tech brand or a CMO at a consumer lifestyle company, you already know how loud the noise has become. In 2026, journalists are not just busy, they are stretched. Newsrooms are leaner, the cycle is faster, and the bar for what counts as news has never been higher.
At Adhesive, we believe great PR is not a volume game. It is a value game. We do not send out generic press releases and hope for the best. We find your story, we help you earn it, and we make it stick.
If you want to earn the attention of a tier-one journalist, you have to stop pitching and start partnering. Here is how we approach the art of the pitch in the trans-tasman market.
The research phase: know the beat or face the bin
The fastest way to lose credibility with an Australian journalist is to pitch a story that has nothing to do with their beat. It sounds obvious, yet spray-and-pray remains one of the most common mistakes in the industry.
Before you even open a draft, you need to do the groundwork. This is the earning it phase. Read their last five articles. Listen to their latest podcast. Understand not just what they write about, but who they write for. Are they speaking to retail investors looking for ASX insights, or Gen Z consumers searching for the next sustainable brand? Check their LinkedIn or X profile for clues about the topics they care about and the conversations they engage in.
In the close-knit media circles of Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland, your reputation as a source is your currency. If you become known for sending irrelevant content, your emails will eventually go straight to the archive without being opened.
The hook: finding the story that actually matters
Most of the time, journalists are not interested in your product launch on its own. They care about the problem your product solves, the trend it represents, or the insight it uncovers. To find your story, you need to look past internal milestones and focus on external impact.
A strong pitch needs a clear reason for why it matters now. In 2026, this often falls into three areas:
The data narrative. Proprietary insights that show a shift in behaviour or attitudes.
The human angle. A founder journey or lived experience that brings the story to life.
The cultural pivot. How your brand is responding to a broader shift in Australian or New Zealand society.
If your pitch leads with an announcement, you are already on the back foot. Lead with the insight, not the update.
The subject line: the ten-word audition
Your subject line is your only chance to prove you are not wasting their time. In a crowded inbox, clarity always beats cleverness.
Avoid clickbait. Use a simple, descriptive line that tells the journalist exactly what sits inside. If you have an exclusive, say so. If you have strong data, lead with the number. Think like a sub-editor scanning quickly. If your subject line could double as the headline of the story, you are on the right track.
The pitch body: agile, human, and concise
At Adhesive, we write pitches the same way we approach our work. With agility, clarity and a human perspective. A journalist should be able to read your pitch in under thirty seconds and know exactly what you are offering.
The structure is simple:
The hook. One sentence on why this matters right now.
The evidence. Two or three key facts or data points.
The talent. Who is available for interview and what perspective they bring.
The assets. A note that imagery or video is ready to go.
Keep it human. You are a practitioner speaking to another practitioner. Avoid the corporate language that fills so many press releases. If you cannot explain your story simply over a coffee, it is too complex for a pitch.
The power of visuals and ready-to-publish value
The modern newsroom is highly visual. Even for print or online outlets, the look of a story can influence whether it runs.
In Australia and New Zealand, where resources are often stretched, the more work you can do for the journalist, the more likely they are to say yes. Do not send a pitch without thinking about imagery. If you are pitching a founder, have professional, natural headshots and lifestyle images ready. If you are pitching a consumer product, invest in strong photography that feels real, not just cut-out product shots on a white background or AI-generated visuals.
Better still, provide a link to a curated media kit. Avoid sending large attachments that clog inboxes. A clean, accessible link shows respect for how journalists work.
Trans-tasman nuances: Australia vs New Zealand
While the markets are close, they are not identical. Pitching in New Zealand requires an even tighter focus on local relevance. The media landscape is smaller and more connected. If you are pitching a Trans-tasman story, the New Zealand angle cannot feel like an afterthought, it must have its own local hook.
In Australia, the competition across business and tech media is intense. You are competing with global players and strong local brands. To cut through, your story needs to feel grounded in the Australian context. Whether it is a response to a federal policy change or a shift in local consumer behaviour, the local lens matters.
The follow-up: persistence vs nuisance
The follow-up is where many PR efforts fall away. There is a fine line between being helpful and becoming a nuisance.
If you have not heard back after twenty-four hours, a single, polite follow-up is appropriate. A quick call can offer more insight than another email. It can help you understand whether the journalist is interested, on deadline, or simply missed the note. If there is an opportunity, you can offer something additional. A fresh data point, an alternative spokesperson, or an exclusive angle.
If you have an existing relationship and know they prefer a text or a different way of communicating, use that. Always be mindful of boundaries and respect their time.
If there is no response after that, move on. In PR, the no is often silent. Pushing too hard rarely leads to coverage, but it can damage a relationship. We would rather miss one opportunity than risk losing trust that could lead to many more in the future.
Why earned still beats paid
For early-stage and scaling brands, credibility is everything. You can buy an ad, but you cannot buy the trust that comes from a third-party endorsement in a respected publication.
This is why the pitch matters. A well-placed story does more than build awareness. It captures demand, educates potential clients and helps pre-qualify leads. When a founder is quoted as an expert, the sales cycle often shortens. The reputation sticks.
Our approach at Adhesive is about more than securing coverage. It is about strategic storytelling that supports real business outcomes. We do not just want to tell the media what you did. We want to show them why it matters, and why it is worth paying attention to.
Learn more about Adhesive, our award-winning work and the team behind the narratives at www.adhesivepr.com.au
Or better yet, drop us a line. We are always up for a chat.
hello@adhesivepr.com.au
