Anna Aybasheva, head of the press service of "Beeline"

And, of course, I cannot but name the practical classic of the Russian communications market, Mikhail Umarov. But in general, for a communications specialist, it is important to have a good socio-cultural background in order to shoot initially possible risks in communications .

Oleg Krupenov, Director of External Communications of the Media2

Sam Black “Public Relations. What is it? ”, Jean Baudrillard“ Symbolic exchange and death ”, Christopher Buckley“ People smoke here ”.

Dmitry Khrapunov, head of the press service of INVITRO

Bible, collected works of Alexander Pushkin (you can start with "Belkin's Tales)" and Harry Potter. European culture is based on the Bible, Pushkin is the basis of Russian literary language, you can't write without it, and Harry Potter is beautiful (in last book) shows how the media influence society, and clearly outlines the procedure for creating fake news.

Anton Shestakov, PR Director of ADV Group

Vanity Fair by W. Thackeray, Little Life by H. Yanagihara, The Trial by F. Kafka and 1984 by J. Orwell.

Mila Golovchenko, PR director of the iConText agency and the iConGroup digital group

Good to Great Jim Collins, Customers for Life Carl Sewell, Write, Cut, Ilyakhov, all books on networking (eg Trout's Horse Feeling), marketing and loyalty building.

Anastasia Zhbanova, Director of Product and Media Communications, Mail.Ru Group

I don't think there are such universal books for everyone. There are books for inspiration that are good to read in the context of an information agenda. For example, it would be strange not to read the new book by Zygar or Glukhovsky - they very accurately reflect what is happening. And I would recommend reading books about the history of media and journalism: for example, The History of Russian Media and How New Media Changed Journalism. I would recommend reading our and foreign magazines such as Fortune and The New Yorker, RBC, Forbes - not to receive news quickly, but in order to assess the current trends.

Maria Zaikina, PR-director of the Internet company OZON

Victor Pelevin "Generation P" about promotion, advertising, PR and propaganda in the transitional society of the 90s. Keith Ferrazzi "Never Eat Alone" - about the communicator's ability to draw ideas and inspiration from completely unexpected conversations with unexpected people. Michael Mikalko "Rice Storming and 21 More Ways to Think Outside the Box", Joe McCormack "In short. Less words, more meaning. "

Victoria Dzhigkaeva, head of marketing and PR department of TNT4 TV channel

UK, AK, Labor Code of the Russian Federation, Federal Law "On Advertising". This summer, the entire office was refreshed with the knowledge of this law when TNT4's outdoor advertising campaign with the hashtag #ClearPorzhat kicked off. We defended every word as a joke and fought regional contractors who cited or misinterpreted clauses that were no longer valid. Tip: Be legally savvy so that nothing can limit your imagination and humor.

Let Ditmar Elyashevich Rosenthal's Literary Editing become your reference book. And also a book that your supervisor will advise you. Me Le Havre ( Gabriel Gordeev- director of TNT4 - Approx. ed.) advised the manipulator's revelations "Believe me: I'm lying!" Ryan Holiday.

Olesya Teplova, Vice President for Strategic Communications, TVzavr

- "PR high flying" Inna Alekseeva
- “PR written truths. Why not everyone can do the obvious "Mikhail Umarov
- “Positioning. Battle for recognition "Jack Trout
- "Manipulation of consciousness" Sergei Kara-Murza
- “Manager of the Mafia. PR without lies, or the art of public seduction "

History of Russian media 1989–2011. Afisha version
- « American hero Larry Beinhart
- "PR in real time" Mikhail Umarov
- "Customers for Life" Carl Sewell, Paul B. Brown, Paul Brown
- "Hug Your Clients" by Jack Mitchell
- "Never Eat Alone" by Keith Ferrazzi
- "Differentiate or Die" by Jack Trout.

The new Digital PR and SMM course will start on VOLNA on February 26.

We have released a new book, "Content Marketing on Social Media: How to Get Into the Heads of Subscribers and Fall in Love with Your Brand."

When creating ads, you can rely on natural genius or draw ideas from professional literature. If you are waiting for a signal from space, my article will not help you with anything, and if you stick to the second scenario, then I advise you to pick your books meticulously and immediately weed out heresy. In this article, I will recommend you a few of my literary sources inspirations that I was not sorry to spend time on, I hope these advertising books will become useful acquisition and for you.

How to recognize a book that will be useful

Learn from those you want to be like. A bad shoemaker masterfully makes bad boots. And people who create bad ads will teach you how to make damn bad ads. Read the author whose opinion you consider authoritative.

It is wrong to delve into academic marketing and try to create according to its canons. Don't confuse advice with laws. Authors advise, not set tasks. If you decide to implement the proposed strategy in practice, clearly understand whether it is applicable specifically in your case. For example, you shouldn't use Kotler's advice in Marketing Fundamentals when creating creative ads.

Remember: Creative reads Trout, Cotler reads for economics students.

Horcruxes of my professionalism: rating of the best books on advertising

David Ogilvy "Advertising Agent Revelations"

I advise you to start with the classics. David Ogilvy wrote Advertising Agent Revelations nearly 50 years ago, but his advice remains relevant to today's advertisers. This motivating story of an ambitious Scottish native has become the bible for fellow contemporaries and generations of young professionals. Ogilvy relies on customer loyalty and love, so no aggressive marketing, just creativity.

• Number of pages: 240
• Time spent: 4 hours
• My estimate of the usefulness:
  4 out of 10

David Ogilvy "On Advertising"

Ogilvy is a classic to know. The book is useful for beginners. It helps to understand the essence of marketing, to be inspired by the idea that "the buyer is not an idiot, but your wife." Ogilvy's techniques are already largely outdated and will not become some kind of discovery for the reader. However, the psychology of buyers remains the same, and the father of advertising talks about this in great detail in his book.

• Number of pages: 240 (a lot of illustrations from magazines and newspapers)
  Time spent: 3 hours
• My rating of usefulness: 3 out of 10

Claude Hopkins "Science Advertising"

Hopkins wrote the book in 1923. He concisely, but in detail, describes the methods of influencing a wide audience. The author of the book taught the whole world to use a toothbrush every day: he read about dental plaque in a medical reference book and told in an advertising campaign that Pepsoden paste relieves it. On his advice, David Ogilvy learned to do advertising.

I read this book in my first year of university and she gave me basic information and general idea about the world of marketing. Experienced specialist will not get any practical benefit from reading it, but for beginners, I recommend spending an hour of free time, especially since the book is widely available, and it is easy to download it for free or read it online.

• Number of pages: 128
• Time spent: 1 hour
• My rating of usefulness: 5 out of 10

Martin Lindstrom Buyology. A fascinating journey into the brain of the modern consumer "

If you are studying the psychology of those for whom goods and services are produced, I advise you to pay attention to this book. It is based on a massive $ 7M neuromarketing study! Lindstrom writes about the tricks of marketers: about brand logos, health warnings, sexual overtones in advertising. The book will contradict everything you were sure of before, but Lindstrom explains in great detail why you are wrong.

• Number of pages: 240
• Time spent: 4 hours
• My rating: 7 out of 10

Alexey Ivanov "How to come up with an idea if you are not Ogilvy?"

There is a stereotype that advertising is shocking, performance, "I am an artist, I see it this way", and computational operations are swear words. And only those who have already graduated from the university and began to stew in the marketing broth understand that it makes no sense to call themselves a humanist in this industry, because advertising is a technology. And it is this side of the advertising business that Ivanov opens.

His entire book is a physics textbook for marketers. Imagine chapters with titles: passage to the limit, intentional breaking of symmetry, hidden reserves.

For example, Ivanov describes the passage to the limit. Its essence is to demonstrate the maximum properties of an object. Applied to advertising: crystal clear dishes are the end result of a dishwasher. Therefore, the advertisement may look like this: there is a glass on a white background, which can only be seen when wine is poured into it. The product provides such crystal purity. And there are many more similar examples.

I became convinced that his theorems are applicable and work like a clock.

• Number of pages: 240
• Time spent: 2 hours

Alastair Crompton "Advertising Text Workshop"

What is the difference between a professional advertising text and an amateurish one, how to write quality product- read on the pages of this book. I warn you right away that the book is for beginners who are just entering the profession. There are many examples of print, television (text) advertising, but they certainly won't surprise an experienced marketer.

• Number of pages: 243
• Time spent: 1.5 hours

Idris Muti "Branding in 60 minutes"

A useful collection of creative solutions and strategies for brand promotion. Muti works with P&G, PepsiCo, HTC, so his point of view on branding can and should be considered authoritative. you will read it in an hour and a half, but during this time you will understand why Apple is a lifestyle, and other giants from the same niche are forgotten by consumers. Muti offers proven strategies from around the world that transform a product into a recognizable brand. The book is written very easily and naturally.

• Number of pages: 256
• Time spent: 1 hour
• My rating of usefulness: 8 out of 10

Hemish Pringle "Stars in Advertising"

The book is devoted to a local problem, which earlier marketers talked about in passing: how the face of a celebrity works in advertising. This is a very short special course on attracting show business stars to advertising campaigns: risks, benefits, prospects. Which commercial union can be considered a profitable investment, and which one is a costly senseless outrageous, Pringle will tell with feeling, sensibly, with arrangement. The book is a comprehensive analysis of the problem with reasonable solutions and examples from life. They will explain to you how to do it and what will come of it.

• Number of pages: 432
• Time spent: 4 hours
• My rating of usefulness: 8 out of 10

Alexey Ivanov “Advertising. Playing on emotions "

Ivanov in great detail, using the example of hundreds of marketing practices, analyzes the most powerful lever of influence on the consumer - emotions. According to Ivanov, there are seven of them: envy, curiosity, fear, love, greed, vanity and guilt. You can create advertising using at least one emotional lever, and, according to the author, its effectiveness will increase tenfold.

Ekaterina Lapteva

• Number of pages: 256
• Time spent: 1.5 hours

Nicholas Koro, Sergey Pavlov, Igor Kozulya “Marketing of Dracula. The art of making money on human fears "

The authors have a great sense of humor, so you won't get bored while reading this book. A fascinating story about how to appeal consumer fears for your commercial purposes. The structure of the book is chapters on phobias and how an advertiser should act when lobbying for his interests. The authors are not unfounded - for every fear they give the reader an example of the practical application of their tactics. I don’t think they will open the America of marketing for you, but for a bored mind, a good charge of positive and, possibly, an impetus to the birth of a creative solution.

• Number of pages: 224
• Time spent: 2 hours
• My rating of usefulness: 10 out of 10

Joseph Heath, Andrew Potter "Riot for Sale"

This is an unconventional approach to creating ads: protest popular culture and the promotion of individualism. Heath and Potter offer an alternative market for consumers - those who don't just want to consume. Marketing ploy- to sell a revolutionary departure from the created patterns, which manifests itself in clothing, music, and lifestyle. Believe me, people are ready to pay good money for a counterculture, because being “not like everyone else” is also a social status. But how to create an unconventional approach and sell it to customers, Potter and Heath will tell with a grain of irony on the pages of their book.

Don't be afraid to experiment. Enjoy reading.

• Number of pages: 456
• Elapsed time: 8 hours
• My rating of usefulness: 9 out of 10

Hristo Kaftanjiev "Sex and Violence in Advertising"

The book contains a lot of decently decent illustrations. Hristo puts on the shelves all the hidden desires of customers and tells how to manipulate them. This is not an abstract reasoning by the author about the influence of sex on the sale of goods and services, but scientific explanation how and why it works.

The author highlights the difference between male and female perceptions of sexuality. He classifies the types of sexualized advertising, explains the main strategies: from semiotics to visual performance. Everything is very detailed and deliciously exciting. And also - it will always work, because "sex sells itself!"

• Number of pages: 496
• Elapsed time: 8 hours
• My rating of usefulness: 9 out of 10

Seth Godin "Purple Cow"

If you see a purple cow among the common ones, you will be surprised. So be surprised to tell your friends. And those, too, will be surprised and, perhaps, will go to look for the very field where an unusual animal grazes. Seth Godin talks about how you can keep selling repetitive products using standard promotion methods, or you can create special offer... The book contains hundreds of specific examples and strategies based on two paradoxes: safe is risky, very good is bad.

Godin inspires the painstaking work of creating something innovative. I advise you to read it, definitely.

• Number of pages: 160
• Time spent: 1 hour
• My rating of usefulness: 9 out of 10

Jack Trout, Al Rice "Marketing Wars"

An alternative approach to advertising campaigns is war. Trout and Rice believe that marketing is military action against competitors, and consumers are territory to be conquered. The authors explain this method by the principles of the military leader and strategist Karl von Clausewitz. Strange associations, but believe me, after reading this book, you also look at marketing from a different angle. I thought about the fact that in practice, tricks work to help outwit the consumer, and not friendship with him. The authors give specific examples applying your theory.

• Number of pages: 304
• Time spent: 1.5 hours
• My rating of usefulness: 10 out of 10

Jay Conrad Levinson "Guerrilla Creativity"

Internet memes migrated to real life, and people feel ashamed not to know them. It is with local jokes from the network that marketing guru D.K. Levinson.

A meme is a message that evokes the same associations for an entire generation. Therefore, if you adhere to non-trivial (and low-cost) methods of fighting competition in the modern market, create a memorable symbol, a joke, an image that will inspire confidence in customers. Creative Levinson will help you with this.

• Number of pages: 320
• Time spent: 1.5 hours
• My rating of usefulness: 10 out of 10

At last I will tell you...

The books summarize the experience of the professionals. Marketing geniuses groped, made mistakes, drew conclusions, and then wrote 200 printed pages about it so that young specialists would not pull their hair out and arrange ritual dances with a tambourine. This is why you need to read professional literature. After all, it is very foolish to reinvent the wheel where it has already been invented.

If you think that you have nothing to contribute to the advertising industry, because “I was born very late, everything was invented before me,” you are wrong. We all steal as artists - we imitate, but we add something from ourselves. No book in the world will give you a universal recipe for success, but it will tell you what might work in a similar situation.

I often turn to professional literature to get a hint, but not ready-made solution... It is trite, but the book is a coach who leaves the end of his lecture open.

Did you know that modern man spends only 3 seconds looking at a brochure or magazine page? Whereas before, it took as long as 15 seconds to familiarize yourself with new material. We live in a world where, on the market of all groups of goods and services, supply exceeds demand by several times. As a result, modern advertising must be so unique as to lure potential buyers or customers in just three seconds. How to do it?

Here are 20 amazing PR and PR books that will teach you how to create really actionable advertising.

1. "22 Laws of Brand Building" by L. Rice

Have you ever heard of brands like Coca Cola, Samsung and BMW? In my opinion, every person on the planet knows these popular companies, and every second associates them with a quality guarantee. These brands, created decades ago, still occupy the top of the pyramid in their market segment. The # 22 Laws of Brand Building, a best-selling book in the United States, will show you how to positively differentiate a new product / service from competitors and transform a new one. trade mark into a successful brand.

2. "Marketing 100%" I. Mann

Igor Mann's bestseller, with a total circulation of over 50,000, is a basic marketing textbook. Written in a simple and understandable language, it is filled with examples from the author's many years of practice. The book will be useful for both novice marketers and owners of small / medium-sized businesses.

3. "WAVE, or How to manage corporate communications in Russia when everything is changing" D. Chernov

Do you know which key factor influences the successful development and maintenance of any business? In fact, this is not only marketing, public relations and interaction with authorities. First, it is the ability to effectively build a strategy for the company's relationship with key audiences. Secondly, it is understanding why certain management techniques stop working after many years. successful work... In order to keep the business and keep up with new trends, it is necessary to build a strategy of interaction with key audiences that influence the business. The book "WAVE, or How to manage corporate communications in Russia when everything is changing" tells about the trends in business development in the CIS countries and teaches to avoid typical mistakes.

4. "Manipulation of consciousness" S. Kara-Murza

In fact, advertising is nothing more than a manipulation of the minds of potential consumers. This book reveals the main secrets of influencing the subconscious of people in conditions Russian market... The author describes the main methods of manipulation, which depend not on the quality of the product / service or the uniqueness of advertising tools, but on national characteristics and mentality.

5. "A complaint is a gift" D. Barlow, K. Möller

Why do companies need advertising? First of all, to inform potential consumers about your product / service and attract new customers. As everyone knows, advertising is an expensive pleasure that only successful companies can afford. The book Complaints is a Gift tells how simple and inexpensive ways retain existing customers. And all thanks to complaints, which are an invaluable storehouse of information for business development. The book will be useful not only to owners and managers of companies, but also to ordinary consumers, as it contains step-by-step instructions for creating and submitting an effective complaint.

6. “Positioning. The Battle for Recognition ”J. Trout, El. Rice

Did you know that the key to success is not manufacturing best product, and most best idea that will secure this product in the minds of consumers. Positioning is a classic guide for marketing, advertising, and senior executives. Thanks to cooperation with Russian experts, the book is filled with examples relevant to domestic PR specialists and marketers.

7. “Reputational risk management. Strategic Approach "E. Griffin

When your company is thriving, be prepared: someone is clearly not to their liking. Environmentalists, workers' associations, jealous competitors ... All of them will definitely try to damage your reputation in the public eye. How can you save your business? The author of Reputation Risk Management argues that companies must not only protect their positive image, but also monitor it at all times. How to do it? This book provides all the answers.

8. “Practical PR. How to become a good PR manager. Version 3-0 "A. Mamontov

What is public relations or PR? We often hear this phrase, but do not fully understand what it means. Practical PR was written by a practitioner in the advertising industry. She develops the idea that PR is not limited to work with the media and the number of publications, and a real PR specialist is a manager, not a press release writer. In his book, the author teaches how to find a harmonious balance between routine work and the creative process. He also explains how to constantly find new non-standard methods of public relations and build relationships with management to enhance the role of PR in the life of the company.

9. "PR in the energy sector" V. Gromov

Surprisingly, industries such as energy also need PR campaigns. In the book, the author describes the most striking advertising campaigns and typical cases of using techniques from the field of public relations in the activities of modern Russian energy companies.

10. "Techniques of Advertising and Public Relations" I. Vikentiev

In developed capitalist countries, PR is in many ways different from what is called "public relations" in the CIS countries. That is why the book "Advertising Techniques and Public Relations" was written. She talks about the methods of creating an advertising campaign and promotions that have been tested in the markets of Russia and Belarus. In addition to theoretical information, the book provides examples and tasks for the daily work of an advertiser, journalist or businessman.

11. “Advertising and public relations. Image, reputation, brand "A. Chumikova

To run successfully New Product to the market, you need to form its image, create a positive reputation, and then - a stable brand. The book "Advertising and Public Relations" is tutorial which maximally takes into account modern realities and rethinking outdated PR fundamentals. The author describes theoretical concepts in a simple form and gives vivid examples that will help specialists in the advertising industry learn how to create a successful brand in the domestic market.

12. "Reputation management: modern approaches and technologies" L. Salnikova

Creating a positive image and promoting a brand is only half the task. An important part of a PR campaign is "reputation management". In the modern world, a positive business reputation becomes the most important competitive advantage of any organization. This book examines in detail the parameters and components of business reputation, methods of its quantitative and qualitative assessment, the main characteristics of target audiences such as the media, authorities, the business community, investors, company employees and the general public. Such management becomes especially relevant in times of crisis, when it is necessary to minimize losses and save the company's reputation. Using examples, the author tells how to strengthen the authority of the organization and contribute to its promotion.

13. "Plus / Minus" reputation. Russian experience of reputation management "I. Oleinik, A. Lapshov

An important part of public relations is not only familiarizing consumers with a product / service, but also managing an established reputation. It's hard to create. But it is even more difficult to keep it. In this book, you can find basic methods of reputation management and issues of public relations effectiveness. And all this is based on the example of the modern Russian market.

14. “Firms that bring love. World class companies. How they manage to win the hearts of people "Ray Sisodia, David B. Wolf, Jag Sheth

In the modern world, people are increasingly beginning to move away from material values and think about spiritual benefits. The market is gradually adjusting to this change. Successful companies do not offer products and services to consumers, they sell joy, happiness and love, creating emotional and social values... This book is about how to win the hearts of people. The authors provide compelling evidence that this approach will provide modern company genuine success and longevity.

15. "Epic Content Marketing" by J. Pulizzi

The advertising industry practitioner, the man who coined the term "content marketing" in 2001, shares the secrets of building a marketing campaign in his book. He describes the process of its creation step by step and introduces the concepts of "epic resources", which are necessary for a successful promotion.

16. "American Hero" L. Beinhart

Do you remember the satirical movie "The Tail Wags the Dog" starring Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman? It was this book that formed the basis of Barry Levinson's magnificent political picture. The writer Larry Beinhart, during the reign of George W. Bush, dared to write frankly about PR in American politics. He opened up for all to see how White House advisers save the president from a sex scandal, how election campaigns are conducted, and how news is made up in cramped government offices. The writer skillfully combined reality and myth, the real administration of President Bush with Hollywood tricks. The result is a great book that PR people have a lot to learn from.

17. "PR high flying" I. Alekseev, T. Gulyaev

This book covers not only PR, but also general development communication culture in Russia. The authors give practical advice as with the help of such strategically important tools how public relations, evaluate the success of the company. They offer several practical "recipes" and help find answers to all the questions that PR specialists and managers have while working on an advertising campaign.

18. “PR is 100%. How to become a good PR manager "M. Gorkina, A. Mamontov, I. Mann

In this book, the authors, based on their own 10 years of experience in the field of marketing, described only the most effective PR methods. These are not only practical recommendations, but also vivid examples from our own practice, humor and basic theory. The book will help you to learn the basics of public relations in a short time and get acquainted with the main advertising tools. And all this is based on the modern Russian market.

19. "PR with a zero budget" M. Gorkin

If you don't have the budget to start a full advertising campaign, or a business on the verge of closing, this book is for you. The author tells how to promote your own product / service if you are taking the first steps, and also gives advice on how to survive in the profession, learn to defend the need for PR activities and benefit your company even with a zero budget.

20. “PR written truths. Why not everyone can do the obvious "M. Umarov

In fact, PR is a very simple area of ​​the advertising industry, which is based on obvious truths that are understandable even for novice professionals. The author explains how to properly plan a PR campaign with the help of basic tools and get the maximum result. With this book, you can learn how to deal with crisis situations; how to write news that resonates; how to create topics that become social trends and reach the end user. And the whole secret is in basic truths, which not only need to be followed, but also brought in something new from yourself. As an example, the author cites the activities of PR-specialists of the leading operator of telecommunication services "Beeline".

What good books do you know about marketing, PR and advertising?

Publishing my book "Marketing 100%", the publishing house, without warning me, wrote in the annotation that it was written by a "guru of Russian marketing" ... Oops.
When I received the book (I was working then in Austria), it was too late ... Critics pounced on me - but who is he, but who knows?! ...
The book has also reached one Ukrainian weekly. And I receive a fax copy of the devastating article - “Yes, what do they (Muscovites) think of themselves there! There is only one marketing guru in the world, and his roots are Ukrainian! Here we are! " It was about Kotler, a recognized marketing guru No. 1, whose parents had left Ukraine at one time.
Well ... I had to send a copy of my birth certificate issued in Odessa to the weekly ...
And after a while I get new article: “Sensation! Ukraine has presented the world with two marketing gurus! "...
Moral: if you want to receive nice results, it’s better to learn it. And here are the books that will help you with this.

PR Kit for Dummies, Eric Yaverbaum, Bob Bly (320 pages)
4.8 points out of 5
I have read many books in the "for dummies" series. This book is one of the best. It comes with a CD containing many useful forms and documents for specialists, and the content of which can also be assessed as excellent.
The authors were able to write a simple book on what PR is, where and how to use it. At the same time, it is written in a fun and interesting way - I note, a rare thing among PR books.
There are two drawbacks: firstly, the American experience does not always suit us, and secondly, I don’t know about you, but I have always been shy (and continue to be shy every year more and more) to read books "for dummies."

Strategic Communication Management. Making PR Work ", John White, Laura Mazur (270 pages)
4.5
If you are looking for a more serious book on PR, then you can hardly find a better book. The subject of the book is strategic PR, a serious topic, but the presentation is very simple. The book was a success for the authors: it contains many cases, examples of successful and unsuccessful actions and campaigns, a lot of statistics, results of surveys and research. And at the same time, the book is very easy to read.
The subtitle of the book does not deceive: I have used a lot in my practice.
Checked - it works.
We can safely recommend this book as a reference book for heads of PR services.

“PR is 100%. How to become a good PR manager ", Marina Gorkina et al. (230 pages)
4.8
On the fingers of one hand you can count the good books of domestic authors on the topic of PR. Books "PR at 100%" and "Desktop Encyclopedia of Public Relations" (authors D. Ignatiev and A. Beketov, publishing house "Alpina" are pleasant exceptions.
The clear favorite is "PR 100%", which has become a bestseller (in Russia, an economic bestseller is a book with a circulation of more than 15 thousand copies), which became a laureate of the "PRoba" competition and withstood four (!) Editions.
The recipe for success is simple. In the book 65% practical recommendations.20% examples practical work and projects implemented by the authors, 10% humor and 5% theory. There is no "water".
It seems to me that this is one of the formulas for creating business bestsellers.
And Marina Gorkina, though already without co-authors, has already written a sequel - a book on how to become a good PR director.

"Roman Maslennikov, specially for the CPU, has compiled an extensive list of books, films and TV series, which, in his opinion, are worth studying for every PR specialist.

PR is a craft on the verge of art, and never a science. As long as you dare to theorize, practice runs far ahead. But there are no “PR people by nature” either. How to understand if you have a tendency to promote, will you be a successful communicator and inventor of ideas that will change the world? Start with books.

I present to your attention three lists. The first is a must-read for professional PR specialists. I am citing it here just in case, because I am afraid that the younger generation of PR specialists could miss the classics.

And, finally, the third list is general developmental. After all, a PR man is a professional amateur. Inquisitive and inquisitive, almost like a journalist, only more "commercialized" and sharpened for profit. You need to understand different areas, know life from all sides and be able to ask 150 questions about the client's business and his environment (there is something to learn from political technologists, and from lobbyists, and from politicians themselves, and from journalists, and from producers , and from screenwriters and even from children's writers).

For dessert - delicious films about PR technologies and manipulation of public opinion.

And further. Every second thinks a PR man today. And he has the right - fortunately, from each iron rush guess what here or there "wanted to promote" and how this time "to divert attention." If you want to go beyond idle speculation and find out how it actually works, PR - these lists are for you.

So, "must read"

1. Of course, Victor Pelevin is our everything. Lovers will find his "Dialogues with PR specialists", from where, perhaps, his subsequent creations grew. The evolution of the writer's thought is consonant with the development of information tools of influence: from television, advertising and politicians ("Generation P") to social networks("Love for the Three Zuckerbrins").

2. Ilf and Petrov - The Golden Calf and 12 Chairs, of course. I also advise you to pay attention to the story "Columbus Moors to the Shore", where the PR man's motto and the meaning of his work were first published: "There is no prosperity without publicity."

3. "Ears Waving a Donkey", written entirely by the Bakster Group, is a real hit among advanced PR people. It is still a mystery whether the reviews of the book from Abramovich, Berezovsky and other dignitaries are real. However, none of the oligarchs have made any claims to the authors yet. It is recommended to read the book as part of the collection "The Sum of Political Technologies" authored by Oleg Matveichev, a philosopher, ideologist and political consultant from high society.

4. The hero of the book "" by Christopher Buckley is a common noun for "devil's advocates" from the world of PR who promote cigarettes, alcohol and other harmful substances.

However, I recommend paying attention to other books by Buckley, by the way, a former employee of the press service of the White House. Namely: "Little Green Men" (about the competent promotion of UFOs as a phenomenon) and "Florence of Arabia" (about how the morals of an entire state were enslaved with the help of a startup TV channel). In general, the work of all Buckley, like that of all Matveychev, is excellent from the point of view of PR technologies.

5. “Mafia manager. PR without lies, or the art of public seduction ”. The author is still unknown. But thoughts are extremely destructive for "ordinary PR people" and their clients. And they are extremely useful for customers of PR services. In the spirit of: “bargain with these bastards, and then hire the best and give them complete freedom". The PR man should be armed with this book, in general.

6. The History of Russian Media, published by Afisha, is a guide to the media market. Although now traditional media is already on the verge of extinction, given that Barack Obama first gives interviews to bloggers, and then to his pool of publications, such milestones should be known. Indeed, among professional bloggers, most of them are former or current journalists. And you need to know their roots.

7. An unofficial point of view on the cuisine of traditional media can be found in the book of PR specialist Alexei Sanaev “PRavda. A novel about Russian PR ”. (Sanaev is a pseudo. Read my interview with him, find out his real name and study his biography; a very revealing career in the exciting life of a tough PR man).

PR-literature of high class

1. "American Hero" by Larry Beinhart - the same book, on which the cult film of all PR specialists and political consultants "The Tail Wags the Dog (Cheating)" was filmed. I cannot say that "the book is better". It is deeper and a little about something else. About war as the most powerful tool for manipulation and focusing of attention. Written as it should. Facts + plot + cynicism - what else does a PR man need on vacation?

I suspect that Larry Beinhart is no less beautiful in his other books on similar topics. But, unfortunately, they are not in Russian yet. I ordered the originals for myself.

2. "The Bible of the Kremlin political strategists" - also a book, the author of which is unknown. Although a narrow circle of recognized PR people know who is more likely to attribute its authorship. It is rather difficult to find it on the Internet, but it is possible. Just don't read it without looking at least diagonally through the books from the main list above. Otherwise, you will simply be indignant and will not understand anything. Even if you really want to.

3. “Black PR. Defense and attack in business and beyond. " Anton Vuyma is a well-known St. Petersburg PR specialist, whose scandals and news feeds are thundering all over the world. Due to the expiration of the statute of limitations, Mr. Vuyma does not talk about his shares in the last 5 years (but we can guess roughly). The book covers step by step such demonstrative PR actions as “drowning an expensive watch in the Neva” (an hour after the press release was sent out, the news appeared in the top 5 of Yandex.News) or the lawsuit of a schoolgirl against Darwin's theory.

The second book by Anton Vuym is “Lobbying. How to get the necessary decisions from the authorities ”(posted for free on his website) is a bibliographic rarity, but almost completely repeats“ Black PR ”. But, just in case, I read - you never know what I will miss from the "Theory of virtual concepts" (the basis of many beautiful manipulations).

4. "American lard" - the author of "O. Volya". Try to guess who it is. Hint: his books are already mentioned in the review.

The book was written in 2009, when, it would seem, no one could even think of this about Ukraine. Although in the same year about the Crimea in KVN joked ... In 2014, "bacon" was reissued under the restilled subtitle "Yavol, Pan Obama!" Both the content and the promotion of the first book are fascinating - when posters with cans... And nobody could understand.

5. "Advertising Techniques and Public Relations" from Igor Vikentiev, PR technologist and practical scientist, who works under the sign of TRIZ (theory of inventive problem solving - ed.)... He was able to encrypt the book from piracy to such an extent that it is almost impossible to download it anywhere (except perhaps in the Deep Web). And in print it ended long ago.

On my blog you can find scans of 400 examples of promotion, which can be considered as an encyclopedia. Pay attention to how PR people treat their knowledge differently - the same Oleg Matveychev, for example, is a supporter of total copyleft.

6. “In the fog of war. Offensive military communication technologies ”, by Ekaterina Egorova-Gantman. It seems that the book will become super-relevant from day to day. Once again I was convinced that real PR is special operations, especially when they are carried out together with intelligence. Thank God, books are still being written about this. Otherwise, they would have lived in ignorance.

I especially liked the episode with the throwing of a corpse with a legend into enemy territory. "The Man Who Never Was" - a whole film was shot based on this plot, not to be confused with the film by the Coen brothers, which, however, is also good. About the films below.

7. "How to write a press release", Andrey Miroshnichenko. A press release is no longer a "golden bullet", as a PR tool has practically outlived its usefulness (if you are not "Gazprom"). But if you ever get dragged into writing a press release, then you need to write them as it is written in this book.

8. "Craft", Leonid Bershidsky. I love it when it is written about the actual in a beautiful language, stylishly, in Bulgakov's way. The knowledge in the book and the author are nice, although Mr. Bershidsky hates PR people.

9. “Manipulation. Attack and Defend! ", The author is Vladimir Soloviev, the same one. The book is from 2010. It loses a lot, as it is dictated, not written - this is noticeable in the style. But it contains a number of non-trivial tips that will be useful to a PR specialist in everyday life: manipulation with the female sex, and vice versa, with children, and further on all fronts.

10. "Warriors of Creativity" - a whole series of books by an unidentified group of people. For the most part, the narration is fantasy: warriors of light, creators of darkness, and they stood up for a great battle ... There are a number of powerful ideas for promoting the Russia brand on the world and even intergalactic space. I think that this book series is still waiting for its reader, and possibly a film adaptation.

11. "How to" promote "a restaurant - 2. Master class of effective promotion", author Oleg Nazarov, a master of not only promotion in public catering, but also simple good man and a fan of information explosions, like me.

I recommend that you pay attention to all of the author's books, as many of the chips are applicable to other areas of small business. And the PR specialist will find here techniques that he has definitely not yet used, since he was “afraid to harm”. Do not be afraid and read Nazarov. There are no books on the Internet, I borrowed from a publisher.

12. In conclusion of this list of books of the highest PR-aerobatics I will not recommend academic works such as "Manipulation of Consciousness" (Sergei Kara-Murza) and "Information Wars" (Georgy Pocheptsov). They have already found their reader: thoughtful and serious. Better read Andre Maurois's easy short story, The Birth of a Celebrity. All the tricks of bohemia, especially successful contemporary artists and art-house directors, will become clear to you.

And there will be no more questions “why is he like this?” When Comrade Pavlensky will beat his balls to Red Square.

Books on whether there is life after PR, and whether it was before it

If you consider PR not as a means, but as an end, you want to reach the meta-level, win hearts and stay in eternity - most likely, these books will "untie your hands." Well, or just entertain.

1. "Dunno on the Moon", Nikolai Nosov. When I was told that this book is the book for a PR man, I laughed. But I read it, because it was recommended by a serious person (his book will be reviewed in two positions). Yes. Noses burns. The most childish, amazing and unexpected instruction book for survival in troubled times. With the help of PR technologies.

2. "Overload" by Arthur Haley. The author of "production novels" in a fascinating way gives an idea of ​​how an electric company lives in times of crisis. How can a giant react to public calls when, as they say, "it is his own fault."

In addition, I recommend reading almost all of his novels that I managed to reach: Wheels (auto industry, competitive intelligence, branding), Airport (how to deal with emergencies in the media), Hotel (personnel management through communications ) and many others.

3. "Producer is coming out", author Alexander Rodnyansky. Here's how a movie is made. An extremely frank book by an intellectual and a great professional. Change the world? No problem. This is for the producer. “The world quietly revolves around the creators of new values,” wrote Nietzsche. Honestly, I revisited Tail Wags Dog from a producer's point of view. And it clicked. Cool book. Not only about cinema.

4. "Post-industrial transition", Evgeny Gilbo. A book about a war? No. About values? No. About amazing new world... Here is such an undisguised reality from the author of the slogan "realism as the basis of success." PR people are correct - they, as in the anecdote, "can explain everything themselves." But what is really going on is a big secret. From this book. It is distributed free of charge on the Internet.

5. "The Trust That Burst" - William O'Henry. After reading the previous book, you need to either hang yourself, or exhale and move on. Brilliant O'Henry will help you. What's really there, all PR people are a little scammers. And good scammers are successful entrepreneurs. Not devoid of a sense of humor! This is the next level for PR people who want to go further with their rich toolbox.

6. “How People Think”, Dmitry Chernyshev. Among PR people, former journalists predominate, but there is also a caste of psychologists. It is people of this mentality who want to get into the brain of each representative " target group”And understand why he did this or that after the“ message ”. But because.