Foundations

What makes a strong press release quote?

Element	What it looks like
Specific attribution	Named individual with relevant title and authority on the topic
Substantive context	Adds information the surrounding text cannot convey
Distinctive voice	Sounds like a real person, not a corporate template
Conciseness	Under 30 words; longer quotes rarely get used in full
Specificity	Concrete claims with verifiable details, not vague enthusiasm
Newsworthiness	Provides the angle journalists can build a story around

Why now

Why press release quotes matter more in 2026

Three reasons strong quotes carry more weight now than five years ago:

1. AI search citations work better with named sources. Princeton's GEO research (KDD 2024) found that adding citations from credible sources lifts AI visibility by up to 40%. Quotes from named experts with specific claims get pulled into AI engine answers.
2. Journalist time has tightened. Reporters are filtering pitches faster. Quotes that do not add substance get cut; quotes that do get pulled directly into coverage.
3. Trust signals have shifted. Audiences and journalists alike filter generic corporate communications. Quotes with distinctive voice and substantive claims build trust corporate language cannot.

Craft

Crafting effective press release quotes

Use the speaker's actual language

Three habits:

• Interview the source for 10 to 15 minutes before drafting the quote
• Pull phrases and patterns the source actually uses
• Keep distinctive personality intact rather than corporate-flattening it

Integrate quotes seamlessly

Strong press releases use quotes to provide context the surrounding text cannot:

• Strategic rationale behind decisions
• Forward-looking perspective from named leaders
• Customer outcomes from named customers (where appropriate)
• Industry context from recognised experts

Quotes that simply repeat what the surrounding text already states get cut.

Strike the right balance between concise and detailed

Quote length	When it works
10 to 20 words	Strongest for direct pull-through into coverage; AI engine citations favour these
20 to 40 words	Works for substantive context with multiple specific claims
40+ words	Rarely used in full; journalists trim heavily

Convey emotions and stakes appropriately

Strong quotes can carry emotional weight when the situation warrants it:

• Authentic gratitude after major recognition (without performative language)
• Substantive concern during crisis communication
• Genuine excitement around significant milestones (without "thrilled" cliches)

The emotion should match the actual significance; manufactured enthusiasm reads as inauthentic.

Avoid generic and overused phrases

The phrases that signal weak quote craft:

• "Thrilled to announce"
• "Proud to introduce"
• "Game-changing"
• "Industry-leading"
• "Best-in-class"
• "Revolutionary" (when not literally true)
• "At the forefront of innovation"
• "Excited to be a part of"

These phrases appear in such volume that journalists filter them automatically. Quotes built around them rarely get used.

Examples

Examples of strong vs weak quote patterns

Weak quote	Stronger version
"We are thrilled to announce our new product."	"This product addresses the biggest complaint we heard from customers in 2024: integration time. We cut it from 6 weeks to 4 days."
"This is a game-changer for the industry."	"This is the first solution that makes [specific technical capability] work at enterprise scale without [specific limitation]."
"We are proud to partner with XYZ."	"XYZ's customer base looks exactly like ours, which means our customers can now access [specific capability] without integration overhead."
"Excited to be a part of this event."	"The conference is the only venue where I get to talk shop with 30 other CTOs working on the same scaling problems."

Pitfalls

Common mistakes in press release quotes

• Using jargon or technical language. Quotes should be accessible to the journalist's audience, not just industry insiders.
• Vague attribution. "A spokesperson said" carries less weight than named, titled sources.
• Quotes that are too long. Strong quotes stay under 30 words; longer quotes rarely survive editing.
• Quotes that do not add value. If the surrounding text already says what the quote says, the quote will be cut.
• Overusing quotes. Two strong quotes outperform six weak ones; volume does not substitute for substance.
• Manufactured enthusiasm. "Thrilled" and "delighted" without genuine context read as inauthentic.
• Generic corporate language. Quotes that could be from any company about any product get filtered.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Next steps

Where to go next

If you are writing or refining press release quotes, the foundation is the same regardless of company size: named sources, substantive context, distinctive voice, and the discipline to cut generic phrases. Browse our guide to getting a press release published, see our guide to press release distribution services, or read our guide to mastering media pitching.

The press release quotes that journalists actually use are not the ones with the most polished corporate language. They are the ones that sound like real people, add substance the surrounding text cannot, and stay short enough to pull directly into coverage. The work compounds when the foundation is right.