The story of #FuturePRoof
SIX BOOKS, ONE AMAZING GLOBAL COMMUNITY DOING BIG THINGS
In Autumn 2015 agency owner and management consultant Sarah Waddington (formerly Hall) founded, curated and edited #FuturePRoof, a crowdsourced book and community with the bold ambition of asserting the value of public relations.
The aim of the book was to kick start the biggest conversation ever about the future of public relations and underline its role as a management discipline driving business success.
Featuring a foreword from Stephen Waddington, the 33 chapter book covered a wide range of topics affecting the managers of communications teams and agencies.
It proved so popular, edition two quickly followed in September 2016 and was launched on Kindle, immediately ranking within the top 10 for management, sales, marketing and PR and continuing the discussion around key issues facing public relations, from convergence and skillset to boardroom recognition and the pace of change.
Learning from public sector communicators
In May 2018, #FuturePRoof three was published to showcase best practice in NHS comms as part of the health organisation’s seventieth anniversary celebrations.
Called The NHS at 70 with Lessons for the Wider PR Community, the book featured another 25 new essays from a range of senior practitioners working across the complex web of organisations that make up the NHS. Key themes include the role of comms in achieving organisational outcomes; how organisations can secure and maintain trust; planning and data; digital-first strategies; how to address barriers to technological innovation; and the role of practitioners in managing major change.
And in November 2018, in a move away from the norm, a special edition of #FuturePRoof was published, called Once upon a time in PR: Twenty-one public relations pioneers shaping our industry.
Designed as a short storybook, this told the story of 21 larger than life characters who are doing things differently and helping the PR industry to grow and thrive today. Those featured include the industry’s ‘Severus Snape’, PRCA chief Francis Ingham, ‘agency alchemist’ Stephen Waddington and The PR Network’s Nicky Regazzoni and George Blizzard, likened to the royal siblings in Frozen as sisters doing it for themselves.
Each of the industry protagonists is represented through an ink portrait and short story. You can see these displayed in a gallery at the PRCA thanks to director general Francis Ingham.
Hot off the press
Two further books have been published in Autumn 2020.
First, edition four launched in September 2020 to celebrate BME talent.
Topics range from audience targeting, social media, partnership working, reputation, pitching to radio and community building through to public affairs, internal comms, leadership, coaching and the psychology of decision-making. A piece on media diversity provides an important view on what happens when journalists don’t represent the communities they serve, while two further chapters deliver excellent insight into how to hire and nurture diverse talent.
Teeming with smart thinking and advice from in house and agency practitioners, academics, journalists and recruiters, this particular #FuturePRoof book also shines a light on the systemic issues underpinning racism in the workplace and provides guidance for those keen to stamp this out.
Edition five followed in November 2020 to document the scale of the challenge faced by professional NHS communicators since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic.
In The impact of COVID-19 on NHS comms, sixteen compelling essays tell the story of how the pandemic has prompted a wholesale digital transformation of the NHS, driven by necessity, and how internal communications has become a primary function for comms teams working round the clock to keep staff updated and safe.
Another upbeat read, a clear take out is how COVID-19 has cemented the role of communications as a strategic management function with both NHS management teams and external stakeholders who have recognised its central role in the crisis response.
The #FutureProof series of books are available to purchase here. They feature on university reading lists across the UK and are eligible for CIPR and PRCA CPD points.
The story doesn't stop there
Of course, #FuturePRoof is not just about the books but about constant industry change and what the PR community needs to survive and thrive.
Two white papers have been co-written with Stephen Waddington, one characterising the public relations agency business, the other exploring the mental wellbeing of the profession. Guidance on disinformation and fake news and a report on influencer marketing governance for public relations have also been published.
#FuturePRoof training workshops have been delivered to regional comms teams of organisations including Disney, SAP, Weber Shandwick and Macmillan Cancer Support.
A #FuturePRoof podcast is available on iTunes and Spotify and the #FuturePRoof blog features regular guest contributions (please contact sarah@futureproofingcomms.co.uk if you have a topic you'd like to pitch).
If you'd like to get involved with the community, you’d be very welcome. Why not follow @WeArePRoofed on Twitter and join the
#FuturePRoof Facebook group.
All costs associated with the design, production and marketing of #FuturePRoof are paid for by Astute.Work as part of managing director Sarah Waddington’s mission to improve social mobility within the PR industry by making thought leadership and best practice accessible to all.
