Are you a baker who is considering creating a media kit? This article will explain why you should create a media kit and how it can benefit your baking business. Learn how to create an effective media kit to help you convey your brand story, attract collaborations and grow your customer base.
If you don’t have a background in marketing, then you might not be familiar with a media kit. A media kit is a “general overview of your brand.” If you’ve been in business for a while, it’s likely that you’ve pulled together a pamphlet or flyer that tells a bit about your business in one spot. However, if you’re new to the baking business, the request may have never come up.
The idea of a media kit may be better to understand if we reframe the concept as an information kit for your business. This flyer or slide deck should be used to inform both the media and potential collaborators about your business including its origin story, accolades and other important details.
Once you create a media kit, you’ll find it a lot easier to pass along information about your business when requested from the media, business organizations and other parties who are interested in working with your bakery. The media kit should explain – who you are, what you do, and how working with you can benefit them. In fact, you can think of your media kit as a more detailed version of your business card or something similar to a business’ resume.
Media kits can come in handy when a business card can’t fully explain what you do in business. For example, imagine being at a networking event and you meet a new potential brand partner. Of course, you can give them your business card in order to keep in touch. However, if you collect their email address you can easily send over your media kit the next day to provide a broader summary of what you do and why you would be a good fit to work together. This strategy can also be a great technique for following up and staying top of mind after the event.
Your media kit can also serve as a great introduction when you’re trying to expand your network. For instance, if you want to increase your number of wedding clients, you should connect with a network of other wedding vendors. You can do this by researching local wedding vendors and sending over a warm welcome along with your media kit.
It might be helpful to think of your business card as the “who and the where with a little bit of what” as it relates to the 6 interview questions—who, what, where, when, why and how. Your card should include your business’ name, contact information and tagline or brief description of what you do.
Then, your media kit would go on to answer all the questions in one place. It will tell the reader who you are and where you're located, just like your business card. However, instead of one little line describing what you do, your media kit tells people exactly what you do.
When writing your media kit, consider your business from your customers’ perspective. In addition to providing a description of what you do in terms of products and services, emphasize what makes you stand out. Potential brand partners want to know how what you do can benefit them. They want to understand how you can save them time, how you can save them money, or how you can make their lives run smoother. Find a way to express that in your media kit. Touch on your social media information, awards, accolades and other facts that make working with you more enticing.
Finally, make sure your media kit is on brand. An attention to detail is key. If you include pictures or colors, make sure they match your brand identity. Ensure that the images are high quality and look professional. Remember that your media kit might serve as your initial first impression to potential media or brand partners. Therefore, you should put your best foot forward. You want them to see the value in doing business with you or highlighting you on their media platform.
Conclusion
You may not have received a request for a media kit yet. However, trust me, as your business grows you will need to have one ready to send out on a moment's notice. If you want to compete with larger, more established companies in your market, you don’t want to be caught off guard without having a media kit.
Cyd N. Mitchell
Business Blogger, Retail Bakers of America
Cydni N. Mitchell (aka Cyd) is a Bakery Consultant and the Sweet Business Coach behind Sweet Fest®. Based in Atlanta, GA, Sweet Fest® is an online company that supports the business needs of the Sweet Community in the areas of professional development, marketing, branding and web design.
By trade, Cyd is an accountant & financial analyst with a Masters from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is the Founder of the Sugar Coin Academy, an online business academy for business owners in the baking and sweets industry, and she is also the organizer of The Ultimate Sugar Show, Georgia’s Largest Annual Baking and Sweets Expo in Atlanta. She is also the Business Blogger for the Retail Bakers of America.
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