Your company once offered a product or service, but now it’s time to move on. This is a significant development, and that’s what a discontinued product/service release is meant to broadcast.
Although it’s not as exciting as launching a new solution, and it may not seem like much of a marketing opportunity, a discontinuation notice shows that your company is adapting to the present needs of its customers and the markets it serves.
When written in a forward-looking matter, this type of release can boost your company’s reputation as effectively as a report of any other development.
What Should A Discontinued Product/Service Press Release Say?
Usually, when a company discontinues a product, they have a good reason for doing so.
This may have been driven by internal factors, such as a move to phase out specific offerings in favor of upgrades or an effort to rebrand. It may have been due to external forces, such as a change in buying trends or industrial standards.
The Value Of A Discontinued Press Release
- Shows that your company is adapting to the needs of its customers and the markets it serves.
- Keeps buyers informed on alternative products or services and recommendations from your company.
- Can boost your company’s reputability as a brand that’s keeping current and moving forward.
Making sure the reader understands the development and what it means for them should be the goal of this release. It should give essential information on the product or service that will no longer be available. It should offer guidance on alternatives, end-of-life/end-of-service steps, and other options if applicable.
In covering this information, your company can reflect on its original purpose in offering the product or service and its goals of serving a marketplace. The release can reemphasize your company’s overall mission and dedication to providing solutions for specific needs.
A discontinued product/service release may not be a conventional marketing opportunity. However, it’s still a reason to reach out to your marketplace, and that’s a chance to build your brand positively.
Creating A Discontinued Product/Service Press Release
There are a few critical details that any discontinuation notice should contain; the most essential are your company’s name, its website, the name of the discontinued product or service, and its function or type.
The release should also include a link to a targeted page. This might be a page on your website dedicated to discontinuation, end-of-life service, or an alternative product. A URL to this page and a statement directing the reader to learn more are typically placed after the introduction of the topic.
Other essential details include the markets that once relied upon the product or service, the date it was introduced, and the date it was/will be officially discontinued. Then the release should delve into why the offering is discontinued. Your company can address the specific factors that led to the decision or provide a few general statements on the development.
Tips For A Great Discontinued Product Press Release
- Include details on when the discontinuation will go into effect and any end-of-life, end-of-service options.
- Provide reasons why your company has decided to discontinue this product or service.
- Look toward the future by explaining how your company is moving ahead and continuing to offer solutions.
The release should focus on what buyers need to know due to the discontinuation. Details on who will be affected and how, along with any guidance on end-of-life support or transitional services, should be provided.
A direct statement from a person within the company, their name, and professional title or job role is also customary. For this release, a quote from a representative of the most relevant department or team behind the decision is appropriate.
Need Answers Before Writing A Discontinued Product Press Release
The purpose of this press release is to notify the company that an offering will no longer be available. It doesn't matter who is going to be writing the release. Before that process can start, you must gather some information first.
Below are questions that need to be answered and placed in a document for a person to write a discontinued release. By clicking on any of the questions below, you will see sample answers for each. These answers were used in a fictitious press release located below the questions.
Sample Discontinued Press Release Based Off Of The Above Answers
