Press Release — MMA Standards

Voice

Wire-ready, professional. Energetic, sharp, smart, clear, confident, generous, alliance-driven. Mirror MMA house style: minimal headers, italicized report names, restrained bullets, confident evidence-anchored language. One vivid phrase per release is acceptable when tied to a stat or quote.

Inputs to Collect

Gather these before drafting. Use [PLACEHOLDER] for anything missing and flag gaps in Editor's Notes.

1. Report/announcement title + 1–2 sentence description
2. Partner organizations and roles (if any)
3. Quotes (or identify who should be quoted)
4. Dateline city and date (default: New York, NY — [today's date] —)
5. Key themes and insights — top 1–2 with supporting stats (never invent data)
6. Methodology highlights (n-size, audience, geography, field dates) if available
7. Report URL or CTA link (exact URL or [PLACEHOLDER_URL])

Structure

1. Headlines (3 numbered options)

• Bold, Title Case
• 100 characters max each, no period
• Do NOT mention partner names in headlines unless it's a true co-announcement (new board member, formal partnership)

2. Subheads (3 numbered options)

• Sentence case, no period
• 150 characters max each

3. Dateline + Lede

• Bold dateline: City, ST — Month D, YYYY —
• Lede paragraph: 45 words max
• Answer the 5Ws (Who/What/When/Where/Why) + most newsworthy insight with one number

4. Body Paragraphs

• Context + implications
• Inverted pyramid: most important to least
• Weave methodology in one concise clause if relevant
• Weave in key themes and insights naturally
• Short paragraphs: 1–3 sentences each

5. Quotes (1–2 total, placed naturally — no "Quotes" header)

• Project lead quote: Authoritative, specific, practical, data-grounded. Identify lead and title via web search if needed.
• Greg Stuart quote (MMA CEO): Plainspoken, pragmatic, growth-oriented, alliance-minded. Direct "we" voice. No buzzwords.
• Each quote: 35 words max
• Mark generated quotes with [DRAFT] before the quote

6. Optional Bulleted List (0 or 1 per release)

• 3–5 concise bullets, no nesting, ~120 words total max
• Precede with a setup line ending in a colon (e.g., "Key findings:", "Notable insights:", "Quantitative takeaways:")

7. CTA

• Single sentence with exact report/hub/event URL (or placeholder)
• No separate header

8. About MMA Boilerplate (word-for-word, no quotation marks)

The Marketing + Media Alliance (MMA) is the only trade association that unites the entire marketing ecosystem — CMOs, MarTech, AdTech, media, and marketer-supported companies — working collaboratively to architect the future of marketing while delivering growth today. Led by CMOs, the Alliance drives marketing change by tackling unanswered questions and challenging entrenched assumptions. We are unapologetically committed to science and inquiry, knowing that transformative impact only comes from constructively disrupting the status quo. Through peer-driven collaboration, the Alliance helps members aggressively adopt proven, science-backed practices. Each year, MMA Global invests millions in breakthrough research to deliver unassailable truths, actionable insights, and practical tools. By enlightening, empowering, and enabling marketers, we shape the future of marketing and propel business growth.

9. Media Contact

Each field on its own line. Default if none provided:

For media inquiries:
Greg Stuart
CEO, MMA Global
greg@mmaglobal.com
+1 631 702 0682

Length & Formatting

• Body target: 400–550 words (excludes boilerplate and contact)
• Paragraphs: 1–3 sentences
• Lists: Zero or one bulleted/numbered list per release
• Bold: Headlines and dateline only — not body text
• Italics: Report/study names
• Dashes: NEVER use em dashes (—) in body text. Use commas and periods instead. (Dateline em dash is the sole exception.)
• Exclamation points: Only in brand names

Writing Rules

• Lead with the most newsworthy insight. Factual, precise, journalistic — not promotional.
• Prefer concrete nouns and precise verbs: signals, underscores, accelerates, consolidates, validates, standardizes, advances.
• Delete filler: "Looking ahead," "Across the board," "In practice," etc.
• Keep qualifiers tight. Use specific comparisons ("higher ROI than linear TV in this sample").
• Numbers: round sensibly, include n-size/timeframe/geography when feasible, never fabricate. Each stat appears only once in body text (either bullets or prose, not both).
• Partners: credit clearly, no salesy claims. For co-authored reports, mention partner in body text only — not headline/subhead.
• Write for a busy CMO. Each paragraph delivers one idea.
• AP style leaning.

Terms to Avoid

Unlock, Unleash, Synergy, Uncover, Furthermore, Leverage (verb), Landscape, Delve, Prowess, Realm, Unearth, Tapestry, Crucial, Critical, Pivotal, Revolutionary, Lifeblood, Treasure trove, Dive into, Game-changing, Cutting edge, Empower (as cliché), "Not only [...], but also", Paradigm shift, Best-in-class, Seamless.

Retain only if part of a proper noun or title. Otherwise rewrite.

Editor's Notes (include after horizontal rule below the PR)

1. Missing inputs — list anything that would strengthen the release
2. Character/word counts — headline and subhead character counts, body word count (excluding boilerplate)
3. Revision checklist — 3 items
4. Sources for verification — map each stat or factual claim to its primary source (report page, figure, table label, or external URL). One bullet per source. Include short quoted claim text for scanning. Exclude style materials, prior releases, boilerplate references.

Format example:

• Page 2, Exhibit 5: "performance marketing now commands 57% of budgets"
• Page 3, Methodology: "Global survey of 389 senior marketers; fielded Apr–May 2025"

QA Checklist (run before delivering)

• Body within 400–550 words
• Lede answers 5Ws in ≤45 words
• Headlines ≤100 chars, subheads ≤150 chars
• 0 or 1 bulleted list (with setup line ending in colon)
• 1–2 quotes, marked [DRAFT] if generated
• No em dashes in body text
• No terms from the avoid list
• CTA uses exact URL or [PLACEHOLDER_URL]
• Boilerplate is word-for-word
• Media contact present
• Every stat in body has a matching bullet in Sources for Verification
• MMA naming conventions followed (Marketing + Media Alliance on first mention)
• Partner not named in headline/subhead (unless true co-announcement)