The essentials for a second-year PR professional 📚 How to make the most of the employee benefits program, “32 Benefits”: how to stay on top of trends and our latest recommended content!

Hello everyone. I am Takata from the Social Relations Division, Public Relations Business Headquarters.

To begin, what do you think is essential for a PR professional?

A PR professional needs a range of skills and qualities, such as “taking an interest in diverse fields” and “viewing things from multiple perspectives,” but I believe “staying constantly aware of trends” and “taking in a wide range of information” are also essential.

Since creating trends and driving trends is part of a PR professional’s job, it is extremely important to know what is currently trending and what makes it a topic of conversation.

In addition, as you handle projects across various industries, it is very important to have broad—even if shallow—knowledge of many genres and industries, as there is a great deal of information that can be useful when planning your approach.

That is why, as a second-year PR professional, I make a conscious effort to watch “movies” and read “books” every month!

Watching trending movies not only helps you stay on top of trends, but it has also helped me connect with media professionals through casual conversation, making subsequent meetings go more smoothly. Books are also useful not only for taking in a wide range of information, but also for improving writing skills. Since I was not good at writing emails, I started reading books because I wanted to get better at writing emails in addition to keeping up with trends.

However, there are times when it is financially difficult to watch movies or buy new books every month… That is why I make use of “32 Benefits,” which I have introduced several times before!

“32 Benefits” is a set of programs designed to help members enjoy a fun and fulfilling life, under the slogan “Let’s Have Fun!”

By making full use of the “Fun Buzz Creation Support” program and the “Sunny Library” program, I watch movies and read books every month to stay on top of trends and take in information!

▼ Related articles on the “Fun Buzz Creation Support” program
March 2 is Sunny Day! Introducing “32 Benefits”: the “Fun Buzz Creation Support” program 🐣
Let’s make use of Sunny Library! We tried adding an original obi band to a member-recommended book.｜32 Benefits

Learn more about 32 Benefits here.

This time, I, Takata—who uses the “Fun Buzz Creation Support” program and the “Sunny Library” program every month—will introduce my recent recommended books and movies!

In addition, we interviewed other members who also use the “Fun Buzz Creation Support” program and the “Sunny Library” program, and asked for their recommendations as well—please be sure to take a look!

First, I will introduce my recent recommended books!

■ Takata’s recommended books

• What is a recent book you recommend?
“Arienai Shigotojutsu: Tadashii ‘Seigi’ no Tsukaikata” by Ryohei Kamide

• Why did you choose it?
I chose it because it is a book by Ryohei Kamide—former TV Tokyo director and producer of “Hyper Hard-Boiled Gourmet Report”—and while it looks like a business book, it is very different from conventional business books, and I learned a great deal from it as a PR professional!

• How has it been useful in your work?
Because it was written by a former director, it explains what elements are required for a TV program proposal to be approved and what program staff think about as they work. For me, as someone who communicates with program staff on a daily basis, it provided many valuable hints for future media promotion and for finding angles for proposals.
In particular, the phrase “Fully understand the appeal of what you want to feature” left a strong impression on me. If program staff are trying to fully understand the appeal in order to present it to viewers, then we, who provide the underlying information, also need to firmly understand the appeal of the projects we handle. This is fundamental for PR professionals, but it made me reaffirm the importance of thoroughly understanding each project.

As PR professionals, we work every day to get the media interested, but to do so, it is essential to understand what media professionals are always thinking about: “getting viewers interested.” That is why I believe the principles for creating programs shared by a former director also apply to us PR professionals, and I will continue to use them as a reference.

• What book would you like to read next?
“The Three-Body Problem” by Liu Cixin

Next, we asked other second-year members who use the “Fun Buzz Creation Support” program and the “Sunny Library” program for their recommended books and movies!

■ Second-year member Hosono’s recommended book

• What is a recent book you recommend?
“Work Shines” by Turbo Inukai

• Why did you choose it?
Because it depicts the episode “Three Stonecutters” in a novel-like format, making it a little different from conventional business books!

• How has it been useful in your work?
What is written in this book has become the foundation of my attitude toward work and is applied to my daily tasks. In particular, in the role of “PR,” which primarily provides communication as a service, there was a time when I felt a vague anxiety about delivering value that cannot be visually confirmed (and is also difficult to quantify). This book helped me reassess how I view work, how to enhance the value I provide, and even my sense of personal accountability.

• What book would you like to read next?
“How Not to Become a Philosopher” by Kenji Tsuchiya

■ Second-year member Nishiyama’s recommended movie

• What is a recent movie you recommend?
“The Boy and the Heron” (Original story/Screenplay/Director: Hayao Miyazaki)

• Why did you choose it?
Because I believe that things and events trending in society are something we should know as people in the PR industry who are at the forefront of information, and this film left a strong impression on me as a movie that was especially popular.

• How has it been useful in your work?
Since I attended mission schools in high school and university, I have often been made to think about “how to live.” This film made me think about it again for the first time in a while, and I felt that the way I perceive it differs greatly depending on age—between my student days and now as a working adult.

Because I spent most of my life as a student, it also made me feel excited about how I will “live” my life going forward as a working adult.

In addition, the film had no large-scale promotion before release, and the story and cast were kept under wraps, with even the pamphlet not being sold on the day—an extremely thorough approach. I learned that deliberately limiting information can be a method for maximizing buzz.

• What movie would you like to watch next?
“Detective Conan: The Million-dollar Pentagram”

■ Second-year member Maeda’s recommended movie

• What is a recent movie you recommend?
“52-Hertz Whales” (Director: Izuru Narushima; Original work: Sonoko Machida)

• Why did you choose it?
I chose it because it ranked No. 1 in Filmarks’ satisfaction ranking and was frequently featured in the media.

• How has it been useful in your work?
I think it was a work that required extremely delicate acting, based on an original novel that takes a detailed perspective on issues such as domestic violence, child abuse, transgender identity, and caregiving. In that context, Hana Sugisaki and Jun Shison’s nuanced emotional expressions were truly outstanding. Sugisaki, in particular, delivered remarkable performances that captivated viewers—expressing joy, sadness, anger, and despair even within scenes of tears.
Watching movies not only provides a refreshing break and can spark new ideas, but also helps you stay on top of trends, so it has been useful for my work in many ways.

• What movie would you like to watch next?
“Joker: Folie à Deux”

What did you think?

We would be delighted if this provided even a small reference for how PR professionals stay on top of trends and take in a wide range of information on a daily basis.

We encourage you to watch the movies and read the books recommended by me and other members, and try staying on top of trends and taking in information 📚

Going forward, we will continue to make use of 32 Benefits—such as the “Fun Buzz Creation Support” program and the “Sunny Library” program—and strive to become PR professionals who can create “Let’s Have Fun!”

Please see here for more information about 32 Benefits.