Now is an excellent time to think about your 2020 PR reading list and start the new year with big ideas. Whether you are a communications professional on the lookout for case studies from leaders in your field, a chief executive or an entrepreneur wanting to improve the way you communicate, there is something in my list of PR & communications books for every professional.
1. Known - Mark Schaefer
Known is a collection of case studies, exercises and personal branding stories from some of the world’s most successful people spanning industries like banking, education, fashion and more. Although not necessarily written for public relations professionals, the book provides a path to establishing a personal business and experiencing success in the digital age.
2. Masters of Disaster: The Ten Commandments of Damage Control - Christopher Lehane, Mark Fabiani & Bill Guttentag
Crisis management is one of the essential and integral part of any PR professional’s job. Masters of Disaster is just the right book to opt for to deal with damage control and help organisations gain back their reputation. The authors went into great detail on numerous scandals-ranging from those affecting Toyota, British Petroleum, Penn State University, Tiger Woods and some politicians.
3. Public relations: Competencies and Practice - Carolyn Mae Kim
The industry of public relations is rapidly evolving, requiring professionals to have greater specialisation than ever before. Hand in hand with the growth of the industry, educational programs have developed to address the growing need for quality preparation for future professionals. The book focuses on the required competencies expected and applications of public relations into specific sectors of practice. Based on competencies identified by organisations such as the Commission on Public Relations Education and the Public Relations Society of America, Public Relations provides a robust examination of areas such as diversity, leadership, and ethics.
4. The Art & Craft of PR: Creating the Mindset and Skills to Succeed in Public Relations Today - Sandra Stahl
This book is built around the idea that PR as a communications discipline has no boundaries. It is a PR professional's manual for creating that specific type of mindset and building the necessary skills to meet today's communications challenges, which include mastery of the fundamentals, cultivating unrestrained curiosity and creativity, the art of listening, and never losing sight of business objectives.
5. 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 re-branded by providing critical 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 crucial challenge for the future. The author has interviewed a number of key stakeholders in European communications as well as important opinion leaders and gives original answers to communication questions.