Now is a good time to think about your 2018 PR reading list. Christmas is approaching and you are looking for the ideal gift for family, friends, and of course, your clients and stakeholders. Books about communication is a fantastic idea. PR used to be all about gaining exposure and generating buzz for organisations through the media, but with content marketing, new technologies and social media coming to the forefront during the last years, comms must continuously adapt. Leaders are constant learners, always looking to explore fresh ideas in influencing evolving audiences. That is why I am often asked to recommend good books for PR and communications. This is my must read list for 2018:
1. It's Not What You Say, It's the Way You Say It - Michael Parker
No matter what your speaking challenge is, this inspirational, cleverly illustrated book will ensure you perform with passion, power and persuasion - at your very best. Whether you are chasing a job, planning a pitch, giving a speech, presenting to one or one thousand people, you will discover how to win any audience over. Capturing a life time of work in the art of persuasive communication, this powerful book reveals the principles, tools and tricks to help you become a courageous and memorable speaker.
2. Rebranding Europe - Stavros Papagianneas
One of the most ambitious attends to date to sketch why EU communication fails and how to make it succeed. This book illustrates how Europe can be rebranded by providing key recommendations on how to convey the added value of the EU in the daily lives of its citizens. It shows that the growing trust gap between the elites and the broader populations is a key challenge for the future. The author has interviewed a number of key stakeholders in European comms as well as important opinion leaders and gives original and logical answers to communication questions.
3. Trust me, PR is Dead - Robert Phillips
Robert Phillips spent 25 years at the top of the PR industry, traveling the world to speak alongside. But then he quit his job as CEO EMEA of Edelman, one the world's largest PR firms, for one reason: he no longer believed in what he was doing. Messages can no longer be managed. The age of "spin" is over. In this age of activism and individual empowerment, power is shifting from state to citizen; employer to employee; corporation to citizen-consumer. From media to publishing, law to diplomacy, and internal communications to leadership itself, traditional industries are facing a near inevitable demise. How can the PR industry be so seemingly unaware that it is experiencing its own death throes? And if everything is dead, what comes next?
5. Rogue Elephants: One PR Girl’s Fight Through the Human Jungle - Jane Hunt
This is an account of the author's experience working successfully in the public relations field in the UK for nearly thirty years. It is presented with humor and humanity, and if you’re looking for a good view into the industry, you’ll get one from her perspective.
6. Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content - Ann Handley
In Everybody Writes, Ann Handley gives expert guidance and insight into the process and strategy of content creation, production and publishing, with actionable how-to advice designed to get results. These lessons and rules apply across all of online assets - like web pages, home page, landing pages, blogs, email, marketing offers, and on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media. The author deconstructs the strategy and delivers a practical approach to create attractive and competent content.
7. Crystallizing Public Opinion - Edward Bernays
This classic of creating and shaping public thought is as relevant in 2015 as it was in 1923 when it was published originally. When Bernays penned “Crystallizing,” the entire communications profession was in its infancy. He is remembered for both developing its foundational principles and practicing them to great effect. This book lays these tools bare.