Happy 60th anniversary, Business Wire! We have a lot to celebrate!
For 60 years:
- We have developed longstanding relationships both inside our organization and throughout the newswire industry, establishing ourselves as a trusted partner with companies, journalists, investment professionals, regulatory authorities, and search engines.
- We have held a key position at the intersection of technology and news creation, distribution, and consumption, allowing us to focus on the services and innovations needed to connect organizations with audiences.
- We have built the teams and solutions needed to provide our clients with the exceptional customer service they deserve.
A Look Back
Becoming the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure didn’t happen overnight. We are proud of our progress and thankful to all who helped us along the way.
1960s
Founded by Lorry I. Lokey, Business Wire first opened its doors on October 2, 1961, with seven clients and a handful of media points. We now help thousands of clients across many industries and enable media partners throughout the world to add their stories to the continuous news cycle.
Currently our reach encompasses:
- 60 national and international news agencies
- More than 100,000 media outlets in 162 countries
- 1,600 delivery options in more than 100 languages
- Choice of more than 200 industry trade categories
1970s
As we continued to grow, we set our eyes on innovative solutions and became the first commercial newswire to offer satellite-to-computer press release delivery in 1978. This meant more news traveled farther, faster.
1980s
Throughout the 1980s, Business Wire recognized the changing needs of end users as they related to breaking and historical news and initiated two new distribution features.
To provide instant access to archived press releases, we began delivering press releases into historical news databases. Today, Business Wire content is available in LexisNexis dating back to 1983, aiding those who search for past data.
Also, during this period, we simplified access to breaking news for financial audiences by distributing press releases directly to investment houses and financial analysts.
1990s
In 1995, we launched BusinessWire.com, the first commercial industry newswire on the Internet. This allowed audiences instant and ungated access to real-time press releases distributed through our service. Today, our website organizes news by industry, topic, content, and more, making it easy for journalists, analysts, and general audiences to find, read, and share the news they are most interested in.
The introduction of the public web led to increased importance of visual elements in press releases. The Smart News Release, bundling news and imagery into a complete multimedia press release, was launched in 1997. With the Smart News Release, for the first time ever, reporters received and could view both a press release and multimedia content together in a single news package, instantly usable for publication. This combination of text and visual supplement continues to drive higher engagement when compared to a text-only press release.
Smart News Releases:
- Generate an average of 3x more activity
- Help audiences quickly understand news through text and visuals
- Increase the likelihood of coverage
- Provide one-click access to multimedia assets
2000s
In 2003, we launched Business Wire’s NX network, a two-way, Internet-based, closed news feed. The NX news platform, for the first time, allowed formatted press releases with bullet points, bolded text, hyperlinks, and more, to be received by reporters and end audiences.
A big year for Business Wire, we became a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway in 2006.
2010s
In 2011, Business Wire celebrated our 50th anniversary by ringing the NYSE opening bell.
With information security top of mind, Business Wire reviewed practices and received our SOC 2 Type II attestation in 2014. This was another industry first and a display of Business Wire’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding the submission and scheduled issuance of our clients' sensitive announcements.
The following year, we added a new feature to the Smart News Release: the exclusive delivery of press release videos to AP Video Hub. This addition made it easier for AP reporters and their subscribers to access our clients’ video content.
In 2018, we launched Business Wire Interactive Media, the industry’s first interactive press release news package, designed specifically to maximize reader attention and engagement. In fact, Business Wire Interactive Media releases receive more than double the amount of attention than traditional news releases.
Business Wire Interactive Media news releases:
- Support a wide range of goals such as content reach, engagement and adoption, inbound traffic, and data collection (read our case studies)
- Engage audiences 30%-50% more than traditional news releases through an interactive format
- Increase press release multimedia activity by 33%
2020s
Companies faced unexpected challenges in 2020 due to the pandemic, resulting in changes across the event industry.
To support our clients’ tradeshow and conference participation, Event Spotlight debuted in early 2020, replacing traditional online media kits with amplified interactive journeys, pushed directly into the hands of reporters and prospects alike.
Event Spotlight:
- Turns static content into a single interactive customer journey
- Drives engagement and adoption by walking users through an entire suite of content
- Can be easily amplified across our newswire and customer landing pages
Looking Forward
The news cycle doesn’t stop, and consumers expect continuous content. We’ve learned a lot in 60 years and remain committed to delivering news safely, securely, and accurately. As the ever-changing media landscape evolves, we’ll continue to deliver improvements and tools to help you tell your story.
Thank You
Thank you to our employees, our customers, our partners, our readers, and our industry. Thank you for a great 60 years! We look forward to evolving the industry together.
In honor of our diamond anniversary, we’ve gathered 60 media relations recommendations that reflect today’s communications landscape. Download our guide, Celebrating 60 Years With 60 Tips.
Business Wire's timeline from 1961-2021.
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