This is a topic that comes up a lot on Hacker News, and as a journalist in tech, the above comment has some very good advice.
The press release, however, is not dead at all. It's still quite relevant to all mainstream press outlets, regardless of how TechCrunch or other startup sites feel. Don't just ignore press releases. Do them, but do more than JUST press releases. I also have my own non-profit which we do releases for, and you never know when one will land, or how well. Often, random outlets show up interested after a release, even though the big boys ignored it. Do them.
tyre hits the nail on the head in stating that TechCrunch is not your market. As a news site, it may be fun to read, but it's literally a navel gazing Valley hole where the stories of funding only serve to get more funding. It's a cycle, and the more time you spend working to get on TechCrunch, the less time you spend being in the real media, being read about by your potential customers.
Customers read other things. Step out of your comfort zone. Maybe instead of TechCrunch writing about your cooking startup, it should be Bon Apetit? Maybe Bon Apetit doesn't answer the phone, so you go to the next magazine down. Maybe none of them answer the phone, so you go to Diablo magazine, San Francisco Magazine, or in-flight magazines. There's a TON of places to get good press if you look beyond the Web. Radio news programs always need stuff, and local newspapers do too.
For these cases, here is what I recommend: find the lowest media point in your industry and call the editor personally. Don't have a PR person do it. Don't have a marketer do it. Call them as a CEO, or as a VP or whatever you are. Make sure the call is brief, and offer to send them info via email afterwards. But keep calling. Call them back and politely ask about how you could get a story, if they decline. They may only cover product releases, or may only review products. Find out. Maybe they don't cover funding news. I don't. Few do. It's boring as shit.
But maybe they're doing an article about personal data security, or something on the Internet of Things for their newest issue. You won't know unless you call.
Through 2 or 3 phone calls, you could get a great story. Work your connections, get to the journalists anyway that doesn't involve email as first contact. But be careful. If you get nothing after 2 or 3 calls, stop. Don't be a jerk and annoy them.
My inbox is filled with releases, well over 100 a day. You literally have less than 1 second per email subject line to catch my eye there before I just mark them all as read and move on to actual work. Those are shitty odds. Maybe I read your release if I know your name and email address, and that catches my eye, but usually that will only work for a C-level or some-such.
As for impact pitching... I guess that works. What I look for as a reporter is something new. Novelty goes a very long way. Stupid press tricks go nowhere, but knowing just which journalist to go to, and just what type of thing they're looking for is the real key here. Read more magazines, watch local news, and stop reading the Valley's echo chambers. They do nothing of use for your growth.