Robert Phillips - Trust Me, PR is Dead

CONTENTS

Chapter One: The Death of PR
The Only Agency We Need is Change

Chapter Two: Talking about Trust
There is No Silver Bullet

Chapter Three: Public Leadership
Progressive Alternatives for PR, CSR and Trust

Chapter Four: The State of Politics
The Party is Over

Chapter Five: The State of Business
The Missionary Position

Chapter Six: Social Democracy
We Are All Children of the Greeks

Chapter Seven: Progressive Corporatism
Ask Bigger Questions

Chapter Eight: Activists and Activism
Communications and the Seven Strategies of We

Chapter Nine: Accountability through Public Value
The Only Way is Ethics

Chapter Ten: Enlightened Public Leadership
An End to Pale, Male and Stale, Mandy CEOs

Chapter Eleven: Return to Honesty
Its OK to Be an Asshole

Chapter Twelve: Change the Legacy
Its What You Do, Not What You Say

Epilogue
Standing Naked

Robert Phillips quit his job as President and CEO, EMEA of Edelman, the worlds largest Public Relations firm, for reasons that will become apparent as you read this book. He is the co-founder of Jericho Chambers, a progressive strategy consultancy and thinktank, and advises companies at senior level on strategy, policy, communications and trust. Robert is a Visiting Professor at Cass Business School and co-founded Jackie Cooper PR.

Robert set up his first business at the age of 21, while still at university. It marketed Italian bridalwear (dont ask). Trust Me, PR is Dead is his second book, but the first one his mother thinks he has published properly.

Robert is on Twitter @citizenrobert

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This edition first published in 2015

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Cover design and illustration by Jamie Keenan

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library

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978-1-78352-083-1 (trade edition)
978-1-78352-085-5 (ebook)

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The views stated in this book are mine and mine alone. Often they are strongly expressed as I feel passionately about the issues I discuss. But that is the beauty of free speech. Where necessary, I have altered names and identifying details. Occasionally, I have used redactions (those big black block things) to ensure that the person or event is not identifiable. This is because I do not want the personal to detract from the political. The points I want to make are not based on who or what did something, but on why it was done in the first place. Hopefully this will enhance, rather than hinder, your reading experience.

You cannot write that.

Why not? Its the truth.

It may well be the truth, but that doesnt mean you wont get sued.

Isnt there a certain irony in a book about the end of PR not being able to tell the truth?

Yes.

Such are the perils of having a libel lawyer for a sister.

Be careful what you ask for (in this case an advance read of this book).

I owe a lot to my younger sister. For a start, she laughs at my jokes. We share the same dark sense of humour. We inadvertently provoked a giggling outbreak at our fathers funeral 30 years ago. The truth is, had he been alive and not in the coffin, John would have laughed with us. But the majority of mourners, who knew us less well, were shocked. They wanted to see the truth their way. Funerals were only for sadness and tears.

Truth somehow seems to hurt, and people struggle to see and tell it as it is.

Jane and I were 19 and 21 years old at the time. Our sense of truth then would serve as an anchor for both our future careers.

Jane emailed me after reading an early draft.

You cant say that.

Why not?

Because is notoriously litigious.

But thats exactly what happens. He always either arrives late or leaves early. Despite his success and his wealth, he is obviously desperate to get noticed.