A press office quote should be read starting from the work it covers: which stories to prepare, which newsrooms to pitch them to, who answers journalists, and how coverage is checked. The price depends on this scope. To compare proposals, ask for fees, expenses, and excluded activities to be listed separately.
The press office manages relations between your company and the media. It selects the information that can become news, prepares the materials, and pitches them to journalists. Editorial coverage remains the newsroom's decision. You pay for the press office's work; purchased advertising space is a separate engagement.
How to evaluate a press office quote
The proposal must start from your situation. A product launch, an upcoming event, and ongoing activity require different schedules and materials. Before comparing totals, check that the proposals answer the same objective.
| Item to clarify | What to ask |
|---|---|
| News and materials | Which topics can be worked on? Who prepares press releases, photos, fact sheets, and quotes? |
| Recipients | Which audiences do you want to reach and which outlets are relevant? |
| Activities | Are tailored pitches, interviews, event support, or press conferences included? |
| Timing | What deadlines do you have and who approves materials in your company? |
| Fees and expenses | What is included? Are travel, photography, monitoring, and purchased space separate? |
| Verification | Do you receive links, dates, clippings, and a reading of the messages picked up? |
| Terms | What are the duration, renewal, notice period, and handover of materials at the end? |
Two proposals with distant figures may cover different work. Ask for an explanation of each item and also compare the clients served and the materials published. A high fee requires a reason tied to your brief; a very low one should be weighed against the time and skills needed.
The initial call serves to clarify the project. The in-depth study of stories and recipients takes place during the work.
How much an external press office costs
The cost changes with the continuity of the engagement, the complexity of the topics, languages, and preparation work. Spokesperson availability, urgency, and the support required during events or sensitive moments also matter.
An already complete press release requires different work from a story to be built through interviews and data collection. Handling press requests throughout the year involves a different commitment from a single launch.
For the Deep Marketing service, the quote is discussed on a call. Bring a description of the company, the occasion to tell, the schedule, and the available materials: these are the pieces of information that make it possible to define the engagement.
What a press office does
The work starts with choosing the story. An entire catalogue rarely helps a newsroom: what is needed is a fact relevant to its readers, a recognisable source, and materials that allow it to be verified.
Press releases and pitches to newsrooms
The press release opens with the fact, then adds context, verified data, any approved quotes, and contacts. Photos with captions and clear usage rights, fact sheets, and attachments complete the material. The pitch to the journalist explains why that story matters to their outlet.
Interviews and journalists' requests
The press office coordinates spokespeople, responses, and documents. A newsroom may need a figure or an interview by a deadline: the contact person must know who can answer and who approves the information.
Events and press conferences
When an event offers a story, the work includes targeted invitations, press kits, spokesperson preparation, and support for journalists. A press conference makes sense if the content and the chance to ask questions justify the time required from the people invited.
Press review and monitoring
The press review keeps the outlet, date, headline, link, or clipping. The reading of the work also considers the audience reached, the messages picked up, and the presence of the spokesperson. Requests and articles help decide the next topics.
Preparation in sensitive moments
Roles, verifiable information, and the approval path must be clarified before a critical situation. If the engagement includes crisis communication, availability and responsibilities must be written into the proposal.
A project to see: Convivium Padova
For Ingegneria Italia, the work concerned Convivium Padova, the event of 7 May 2026. Deep Marketing prepared the story for newsrooms and managed media relations around the appointment, connecting the theme of technical skills to the meeting between businesses and professionals.
You can compare the Ingegneria Italia case study with the ANSA coverage of 26 April 2026. The case study shows photographs of the event and the agency's contribution; the article lets you read the angle chosen by the outlet.
The Serpac project also shows the press work: technical topics on the transport of dangerous goods taken to generalist and trade outlets, with clippings viewable in the project page.
Press office, advertising, and digital PR
In editorial coverage, the journalist chooses whether to publish and how to tell the story. With an advertorial, you buy a space, with conditions and identification of the content agreed with the publisher.
| Aspect | Editorial coverage | Advertising space |
|---|---|---|
| Publication decision | The newsroom's | Defined by the purchase |
| Work paid for | Preparation and media relations | Space and production as set out in the contract |
| Control of the text | The outlet's | According to editorial and commercial terms |
| Link to the site | The newsroom's choice | According to the terms of the purchased space |
Digital PR also works with online publications and other industry contacts. The engagement must distinguish between editorial coverage, paid collaborations, and activities with creators. A publication does not automatically imply a link or a mention in AI responses.
When an external press office is worthwhile
An external press office can help if you have news and available spokespeople but lack someone to prepare materials and follow up with newsrooms. It is also useful for an event or project that requires additional skills and relationships.
An in-house structure can be suitable when requests are continuous and daily knowledge of the organisation is needed. The two models can work together: the engagement must state who decides, who approves, and who maintains the relationship with journalists.
The city where the office is based matters less than the relevance of its relationships and its ability to follow your topic. Assess the work on the outlets that matter to your company, even when they are far away.
How to verify the work
Before starting, clarify what you want to communicate and to which audience. During the project, keep the publications and check whether they carry the topics, data, and spokespeople you planned.
Website visits and commercial enquiries can complement the press review when tracking allows it. An outlet's potential readers are not the people who read your article; advertising value equivalency does not measure sales or profit.
For measurement you can consult the AMEC framework, which distinguishes activity, coverage, audience response, and outcomes. Coverage is one part of verification, to be read against the project's objective.
Start from the story you have
Tell us what you want to bring to the media's attention and when it needs to happen. The press office and events service page explains how Deep Marketing works; from the contacts page you can ask for a call about your project.
