The term dossier , which comes from the French dossier , refers to a report that compiles data on a certain topic. It is a document that is used to present information.
For example: “The journalist presented a dossier to Justice that could be very valuable for the ongoing investigation” , “As part of the celebration of its 50th anniversary, the company prepared a dossier on its history ” , “The president received last week a dossier on the situation in the Middle East prepared by his international policy advisors.”
It is important to mention that dossier , with two S's , is also accepted by the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ). That is why we can find the notion written as a dossier or dossier.
A press kit is an instrument used in the field of public relations with the aim of providing information to journalists . A company can prepare a press kit so that, when a journalist wants to publish something about the company, they can find in the document data of interest (corporate history, authorities, etc.).
The press kit has a variable length according to the needs of the organization that prepares it. The ideal is for journalists to have access to all the information they need quickly: therefore, if the dossier is very extensive, it loses its usefulness or becomes confusing.
Beyond a broad presentation dossier, specific dossiers can also be developed on the holding of an event, the launch of a product or other events.
Tips for creating an impressive dossier
We can all access the theory about how to create a dossier and follow the step-by-step instructions to find a “correct” document. However, rarely does one come into our hands that generates an impact on us, that we remember even several days and weeks after having looked at it. This should be the objective of every person or company when creating a dossier.
The first tip for creating an impactful dossier is to think that only one person will read it, even if this is not true. The objective is to give it a personalized character, making each reader believe that the document has been created specifically for them and not that it is a pamphlet that will be distributed indiscriminately.
Length is one of the most delicate and determining parameters in this type of document: if it is too long, we run the risk that almost no one will read it completely, and if it is too short, it may appear to have been done in a hurry. Finding the balance is not easy, but with experience we will find that magic number of pages that we can use as a reference for our future dossiers.
Needless to say, the content of a dossier is one of its essential aspects, but it is not enough to choose the right information; the secret is to organize it in a way that makes it attractive and easy to read. Some of the key points, which should appear in almost all dossiers, are the history, the motive, the results, the methods, and the opinions of others.
Let's remember that each article should be short but powerful, and we should write them using clear and direct language , but at the same time fun and with its own character.
Without a doubt, the photographs present in the dossier must be of quality. And this not only means that they have good resolution and rich colors, but that they have been made by a real artist. Saving in this department can have a very negative impact on the impact of the project.