​A bold step towards #FuturePRoofing PR

Sarah Hall’s ambitious #FuturePRoof project is positioned as the biggest ever conversation about the future of public relations.

The community’s first order of business: launch a guide, exploring modern approaches to PR, for agency and in-house communications managers.

35 collaborators, 3 months, 1 book.

Watch this conversation between influencer and project ambassador, Stephen Waddington, and project curator and editor, Sarah Hall for a little more background:

Why read #FuturePRoof?

I found the book's blend of thought-provoking - in some cases subversive - and honest contributions refreshing.

It's an inspiring reminder to challenge the status quo; be curious and keep learning, try and fail fast, and keep creativity at the heart of what we do.

So here I am sharing some of the resonant soundbites and excerpts:

The special bits...

Chapter 15. Why the time has come to look beyond hours
Alex Myers @AlexMyers
“How do you charge for awesome?”

“If our industry can unshackle itself from the confines of hourly rates (and realise we are charging for consultancy not parking spaces), we are saved.”

Chapter 16. Measurement & evaluation
John Brown @brownbare

"In short, if you need to ‘sell’ your PR results, then the way you measure and evaluate the work you’re doing needs to evolve."

“Don’t try and convince a CFO that a tweet is worth £2 in revenue.”

Chapter 19. What value does paid media hold for the PR industry?
Stella Bayles @stellabayles

“Introducing paid seeding and amplification to PR requires strong audience insight and strategic planning.” 

“Although it can often be tempting to use micro-sites for PR campaigns for quick sign off, you won’t be harvesting any long-term business gain from temporary sites so build in the contingency time and use the existing resource.”

Chapter 23. How doing good work forms the basis to successful networking
Jonathan Bean @jonobean

“In life you are defined by the people that surround you.”

“Social takes you places you could never have dreamed of. Networking is not about technology, it is a mindset in both the physical and digital worlds.”

“When we set up our business in Asia, a few days of work on Twitter and LinkedIn secured introductions, meetings and business with the region’s leading influencers - people I had never met before."

Chapter 27. Practising inbound PR: How comms teams can practise what they preach
Iliyana Stareva @IliyanaStareva

“In the digital era, not being found means non-existent.” 

“The key difference is that outbound interrupts, inbound attracts. And it attracts with content. Yes, this requires time, effort and commitment, but it works”

“Even with the best SEO, just publishing the content and expecting people to come doesn’t work. You need to heavily promote it to drive traffic and engage with people."

Chapter 32. The business case for diversity
Farzana Baduel @farzanabaduel

“Diversity breeds diverse ideas, it opens minds and broadens horizons. It is the future of public relations.”

“The lack of diversity in the industry is an issue when creating authentic and impactful campaigns to reach sectors of the community that we may have no contact with ourselves.”