New press release service by EurActiv

Two weeks ago, EurActiv launched a new service for EU communication professionals. Time to review their new press release service.

Launched by Christophe Leclercq in 1999, EurActiv.com has developed from a EU website focusing on "links dossiers" and "news" to a fully fledged EU affairs portal. After launching a job section and a blog website last year, EurActiv added now a press release service to the pool of communication tools which the company is offering to its clients.

Under the address http://pr.euractiv.com EurActiv runs a platform for publishing press releases related to EU affairs. The website is aiming at EU federations, NGOs and Brussels' lobbyist in general.



The sites describes itself as follows:

"EurActiv’s Press Release Service is part of the wider FastActor service which includes the EurActiv JobSite and Agenda. It is an easy and affordable way of placing your relevant press release online. This service allows the users to maximise their online distribution and visibility."

Three types of press releases can be found on the website:

1. Automated aggregation of some press release feeds from the commission, parliament and international organisations, like the OECD.
   
   
2. Press releases from EurActiv members, a membership package for European industry federations
   
   
3. "Paid" press releases
   

While the new website is not too attractive on its own, the real added value comes in when you go to the www.euractiv.com website where the press releases of EurActiv clients are displayed prominently on the right bar of the homepage.



The service comes with a relatively high price tag though. You either pay 500 for one press release, 1000 € for three or 5000 € for a pack of 20 press releases.


My review

While the press release website is not really spectacular, the integration with the EurActiv website is key and it is well done. Existing and future advertising clients of EurActiv will enjoy the added visibility for their own content.

From a strategic point of view the new service is another step of EurActiv to diversify the production of its website content. Not so long ago, most of EurActiv's content was produced by its own journalists. Now, with jobs, blogs and press releases there is a shift towards external content. A good web 2.0 strategy.