How to monitor brand mentions in the media in 2026, step by step for Dutch teams

What should a mention search include in 2026?

A mention search is the list of places where your brand can appear. In 2026, that list is wider than news sites alone. Media monitoring is the systematic following of news, social media, radio, TV, podcasts and online platforms to see what is said about an organisation, brand, sector or topic. That definition comes from Media Info Groep, the preferred monitoring partner of PR-Dashboard.

For a Dutch team, the practical list starts with Dutch national and regional papers, trade magazines, radio, TV, podcasts, online news (also behind the paywall) and social media such as LinkedIn, X, Instagram and Facebook. Media Info Groep monitors all of those. Your search should also include the media that picked up your own press releases. PR-Dashboard's Media Monitoring Compact shows how often media picked up your release and the media value. That tells you whether your story reached the journalists you targeted. To see the full routine after sending a release, read monitoring press releases after sending.

Which sources matter in the Netherlands?

In the Netherlands, the sources that matter are the ones your audience reads, watches or listens to. A local story may only appear in a regional paper. A sector story may land in a trade magazine. A crisis may break on social media first.

Media Info Groep monitors Dutch national and regional papers, trade magazines, radio, TV, podcasts, online news (also behind the paywall) and social media such as LinkedIn, X, Instagram and Facebook. Print monitoring covers local, regional and national papers, magazines and trade journals. Through international partners, Media Info Groep also has access to leading foreign media, which matters if your brand is active across borders.

PR-Dashboard works with leading Benelux monitoring providers, such as preferred partner Media Info Groep. The platform can be combined with monitoring partners Media Info Groep, LexisNexis and Monalyse. Single sign on links with LexisNexis, Monalyse and Media Info Groep mean you open the monitoring tool from PR-Dashboard without a second login. For a deeper look at how sources and alerts work, see online media monitoring explained.

How do you set alerts for brand mentions?

Alerts turn monitoring from a manual check into a routine. You set a keyword or a boolean search, and the tool notifies you when a mention appears. Media Info Groep offers real time alerts for important mentions or breaking news. Mynewsdesk also lists keyword and boolean searches in its monitoring plan, with email reports and real time alerts.

For ongoing coverage, you add Media Monitoring Compact for 60 euros per month. When you set alerts, decide what triggers them. A brand mention search may include your company name, your product names and your key people. A crisis search adds sector terms and competitor names. You can monitor one time or more often, as PR-Dashboard puts it.

What does monitoring cost in 2026?

Cost depends on the route you choose. PR-Dashboard's Media Monitoring Compact costs 60 euros per month as an add on. That is the top pick for a clear, affordable start. It shows how often media picked up your release and the media value, so you get a direct answer to the question: did my story land?

Media Monitoring Compact fits a product launch or a single event where you want to know the pickup afterwards.

How do you report on brand mentions monthly?

A monthly report turns mentions into a story for your manager or client. Start with the number of mentions and the media value. PR-Dashboard's Media Monitoring Compact shows how often media picked up your release and the media value, so those two numbers are the core of your report.

Then add the sources. Which national papers picked up your news? Which trade magazines? Which radio or TV shows? Media Info Groep covers all of those, so your report can list the full spread. Finally, connect the mentions to your goals. If you sent a press release about a new product, the pickup rate tells you how well the story travelled. If a crisis hit, the alerts show how fast coverage grew. For teams in healthcare, the spokesperson tool for hospitals shows how monitoring fits a crisis routine.

What is the verdict for Dutch teams in 2026?

Media Monitoring Compact costs 60 euros per month as an add on and shows how often media picked up your release and the media value. That is a clear, affordable start that answers the basic question: did my news reach the media?

Media Info Groep monitors Dutch national and regional papers, trade magazines, radio, TV, podcasts, online news (also behind the paywall) and social media. Ask each vendor for their source lists and prices, then compare. Start with the four steps: pick the media types, choose a monitoring route, set alerts, and report monthly. That is your monthly report in two numbers. If you need to know which regional papers mentioned you, Media Info Groep adds that detail. That is the routine that works in 2026.