So, I’m happy to say that I’ve been part of #FuturePRoof, a crowdsourced book and community with the bold ambition of asserting the value public relations has launched today.

With more than 30 chapters packed with practical take home advice, it should be a must-read of PR & Comms people looking for insight on the latest topics.

Despite including a chapter by me it comes with some very impressive recommendations and is billed as:

The book aims to kick start the biggest conversation ever about the future of public relations. It is available as a free download and copies are priced £25.99 from Blurb. Edited and curated by public relations consultant and agency owner Sarah Hall, with a foreword from Ketchum’s chief engagement officer Stephen Waddington, the 33 chapter book covers a wide range of topics affecting the managers of communications teams and agencies.

Sarah said: “The purpose of the book is to remind ourselves and the business community of the inherent value of PR and to raise awareness of the role it plays in driving organisational success.

“It’s a practical guide aimed at driving up standards and professionalism. The aim is to engender innovative thinking and encourage PR practitioners to create disruption, not just embrace it.

“The book includes advice from a stellar line up of academics and practitioners who have all given their time free of charge to share their expertise.”

My contribution is Chapter 7: Building a PR team that works, but don’t let that put you off as there are some fantastic contributors to this excellent project. But don’t take my word for it, here are some of the other endorsements:

Brian Solis, father of PR 2.0 and author of X, The Experience When Business Meets Design:

“This carefully edited guide aimed at reasserting PR’s value as a management discipline explores the opportunity for public relations today and embraces topics such as skills and professional development, the move to paid, C-Suite reporting and much more. Featuring 33 highly skilled practitioners, many of whom are PRCA members, #FuturePRoof is set to become an indispensable handbook for managers of comms teams everywhere.” 

Francis Ingham, Director General, PRCA, Chief Executive, ICCO and Master of The Company of PR Practitioners:

“A diverse range of voices that provide illuminating insight into the dramatic evolution of public relations, #FuturePRoof’s contributors offer timely observations and compelling lessons from an industry that is changing fast.”

Arun Sudhaman, Partner/Editor-in-Chief, The Holmes Report:

“#FuturePRoof isn’t just a book, it’s an ambitious project to codify the vast changes that have had an impact on the practice of 21st century public relations. It delivers guidance and advice that is valuable, relevant and immediate.  Sarah Hall with her combination of vision and drive has brought together an impressive array of professionals who together have created a forward looking guide and enormously useful sourcebook for anyone practising in PR today.”