The boilerplate of a press release is the standard “About [company]” paragraph at the end — identical in every message, with verifiable data about the issuer. It is not a sales brochure and does not replace the lead; it helps the editor place the news in context. You update it once a year or on major changes (registered office, figures, activity), not with every release.
What is the boilerplate in a press release?
The boilerplate (from the printing term for reused standard text) is the last descriptive paragraph about the issuing organisation, placed after the body and the quote, before the contact block. The term rarely appears in Romanian releases — the usual equivalent is “About [Name]” or “Information note” — but the function is the same everywhere.
| Element | Present | Frequently missing |
|---|---|---|
| Legal name | Example Ltd (S.R.L.) | only the commercial brand |
| Registered office / country | Bucharest, Romania | a generic address |
| Main activity | manufacturing automotive components | “innovative solutions” |
| Verifiable indicator | figure, year founded, markets | superlatives without a source |
| Tax identifier | tax code (optional but useful) | omitted entirely |
The term “boilerplate” comes from American printing — standard text reused identically. In Romania the equivalent “Information note” also appears in regulated disclosures; the form is the same: identification of the issuer, without a commercial argument.
How do you check the data in the boilerplate?
The figures in the boilerplate — year founded, headcount, turnover — have to match the authoritative internal source (published accounts, official site, the trade register). If the figure in the boilerplate differs from the one in the lead or the body, the editor loses trust in the whole document. Check annually or when new accounts are published.
What does a correct boilerplate contain?
A useful boilerplate answers three questions in under 80 words: who the issuer is, what it does, and why it is relevant for placing the news. Write in the third person, without unjustified superlatives or promises of future performance.
Recommended structure:
- Legal name and form — as in the Romanian trade register if verification is needed.
- Main activity — one sentence, not a list of services.
- Verifiable anchor — year founded, headcount, a public figure or the listed market.
- Place — headquarters or country of origin.
Example of the form (hypothetical):
“Example S.A., founded in 2004, manufactures industrial equipment for the Romanian market and for export. Headquarters: Cluj-Napoca. Tax code: RO12345678.”
Releases from issuers on the Bucharest Stock Exchange include issuer identification sections in a standardised format — the public archive at bvb.ro is a reference for the form, not for text to copy.
How do you separate the boilerplate from the contact block?
The boilerplate describes the issuing organisation; the contact block identifies the person available for press clarifications. The two sections have distinct functions and appear one after the other at the end of the release — the phone number or email does not get mixed into the “About the company” paragraph.
| Section | Content | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Boilerplate | about the issuer, always identical | after the quote |
| Press contact | name, title, email, phone | immediately after the boilerplate |
If you use the same phone number in the boilerplate and the contact block, keep it only in the contact block. The boilerplate stays descriptive, not operational.
Which mistakes spoil the boilerplate?
A wrong boilerplate looks copy-pasted from a sales brochure — the editor cuts it or rewrites it unfavourably. The four errors in the table appear most often when the “About the company” paragraph is rewritten with every release instead of being imported from the master version.
| Mistake | Effect | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Over 100 words | the editor cuts it | at most 80, ideally 40–60 |
| Superlatives (“leader”, “the largest”) | loses credibility | a figure or a source |
| Commercial call to action (“order now”) | looks like an advertorial | move it to material labelled as commercial |
| Expired data | false information | check annually or on mergers and acquisitions |
If a third party pays for the publication of the material, Romanian Law 365/2002, Article 6(2) requires identification of the commercial nature and of the person on whose behalf the communication is made. The boilerplate does not replace the label. See the difference between a press release and an advertorial.
When do you update the boilerplate?
You update the boilerplate when structural facts about the issuer change — legal name, registered office, main activity or officially published figures — not with every campaign or every individual product launch release. Campaigns change the body, not the issuer's identity.
- Annually: check figures, headcount, markets served.
- On a merger or acquisition: legal name, registered office, publicly relevant shareholding.
- On a major change of activity code: the description of the activity.
- Do not update for every campaign or product — the product goes in the body, not in the boilerplate.
Keep the current version in a master file; every release imports it identically. Different versions between consecutive releases suggest disorganisation or contradictory information.
The boilerplate is one of the six standard sections — alongside headline, lead, body, quote and contact — detailed in the structure guide. The factual headline precedes everything else; see the headline criteria.
Which data do you check in the boilerplate?
Go through the list below once a quarter or before a major release — not with every email to the press. The first four points check the descriptive content; the last four check the separation from the contact block, the master version and the legal compliance of paid material.
- Under 80 words, third person.
- Legal name, activity and a verifiable anchor.
- Zero superlatives without a source or methodology.
- Zero commercial calls to action.
- Separated from the press contact block.
- Identical to the master version in the internal file.
- Data checked within the last 12 months.
- If the material is paid, visible labelling — under Law 365/2002, Article 6.
When the boilerplate and the sender's details are complete, the next step is the publication brief. The page with the submission requirements explains the flow and separates publishing supplied text from writing on request.
Frequently asked questions
Does the boilerplate have to be in Romanian if the release is bilingual?
Yes, for releases sent to local newsrooms. The English version can follow as a separate paragraph, labelled “About [Company]” — the same structure, the same facts, without free translations that change the figures.
Can you include links in the boilerplate?
At most one link to the issuer's official site, without UTM parameters or commercial landing pages. Links to paid products require commercial labelling of the whole material.
Does the boilerplate replace the footnote with the tax code?
No. The tax code can appear in the boilerplate or in the contact block, but a separate legal note (if you use one) stays distinct. The editor uses the boilerplate as a description, not as a legal disclaimer.
How different can the boilerplate be between subsidiaries?
Each issuing legal entity has its own boilerplate. The Romanian subsidiary does not take over the text of a head office in another country without adapting it — the legal name and tax code differ.
Does a good boilerplate ensure pick-up of the release?
No. It clarifies who the issuer is; it does not persuade the editor to publish. Pick-up depends on the news, on timing and on each newsroom's decision — no channel can promise coverage.
Last updated: 19 August 2026.