Secrets of a Second-Year PR Professional 📚 Utilizing the “32 Benefits” to the Fullest: How to Catch Up on Trends and Recommended Contents!

2024.05.22

Hello everyone! I’m Takada from the Social Relations Div. 1

Let me start with a question: What do you think is essential for a PR professional?

There are many skills and qualities needed, such as “having a diverse range of interests” and “viewing things from multiple perspectives.” However, “constantly being aware of trends” and “inputting a wide range of information” are also crucial elements for a PR person, don’t you think?

As a PR professional, creating and setting trends is part of our job. Therefore, it’s crucial to know what is trending in the world and understand why certain things become popular.

Additionally, when handling various industry projects, having a broad knowledge of different genres and industries is very important, even if this knowledge is wide and shallow.

As a second-year PR professional, I try to watch movies and read books every month.

Watching popular movies helps me stay on top of trends and provides great conversation starters with media contacts. Reading books not only helps me absorb a wide range of information but also improves my writing skills. Since I struggled with crafting email messages, I started reading more.

However, it can be financially challenging to watch movies and buy new books every month. That’s where the “32 Benefits” come in handy! As I’ve mentioned before, these programs are designed to help our members lead fun and fulfilling lives under the slogan “Let’s have fun!”

I make the most of the ““Buzz and Fun” Benefit” and “Sunny Library” programs to watch movies and read books every month. This way, I can stay on top of trends and gather information without breaking the bank!

◯What is the “Buzz and Fun” Benefit”

The company helps pay for you to experience different events like music, movies, theater, and sports. They also cover trendy activities like escape games and glamping camps.

◯What is the “Sunny Library”

A system that helps cover the cost of books for members who study daily and consistently input information. Members share their thoughts and summaries of books related to work or currently trending topics.

Learn more about the 32 initiatives here.

This time, I, who utilizes the “Buzz and Fun” Benefit and “Sunny Library” systems every month, will introduce my recent favorite books and movies!

Additionally, I interviewed other members who also utilize the “Buzz and Fun” Benefit and “Sunny Library” systems to hear their recommendations. Please check them out!

Let me introduce my recent favorite books and movies

◾️Takada’s book recommendation

・What is my recent book recommendation?

『ありえない仕事術　正しい“正義”の使い方』著・上出遼平 (“Impossible Job Technique: Correct Use of ‘Justice’” ・Ryohei Kamide)

・Why did I pick this?
I chose this book because it is written by Ryohei Kamide, a former TV Tokyo director and producer of “Hyper Hardboiled Gourmet Report,” and it appears to be a business book but diverges significantly from traditional business literature, offering many insights valuable for PR professionals.

・What do I find useful in my work?
The book, written by a former TV director, explores the essential elements in TV project decisions and insights into the thinking process of program staff. It provided me with valuable hints for my future media promotions and proposal writing.
Especially, the phrase “understanding what we want to show in a clear way” left a strong impression. Just as the program staff aims to fully grasp the appeal when presenting to viewers, it highlights how important it is for us, as PR professionals, to really get why our projects are attractive. This reminds us again how important it is to understand our projects, which is very important in PR work.
As PR professionals, we work daily to capture media interest. To engage the media effectively, it’s essential to understand what the audience finds interesting, a key consideration for media professionals. Therefore, the insights from the former director about creating programs resonate with us, PR professionals. We will continue to refer to them for guidance in the future!

・What is the next book I would like to read?
“Three-Body Problem”・Cixin Liu

Next, I asked second-year members who are utilizing the “Buzz and Fun” Benefit and “Sunny Library” for their recommendations on books and movies!

◾️Hosono’s book recommendation

・What is your recent book recommendation?
『仕事は輝く』著・犬飼ターボ（“Work Shines”・Turbo Inukai）

・Why did you pick this?
The story is depicted in a novel-style format, focusing on the episode of “Three Masons,” which sets it apart from traditional business books!

・What do you find useful in your work?
This book has laid the foundation for my approach to work and is applied daily in my tasks. Particularly in the field of PR, where communication is primarily offered as a service, I had a period of vague anxiety about providing abstract (and difficult to measure) value. This book has helped me rethink how I perceive my work, enhance the value I provide, and even reconsider self-criticism.

・What is the next book you would like to read?
『哲学者にならない方法』著・土屋賢二（“How not to be a philosopher”・Kenji Tsuchiya）

◾️Nishiyama’s movie recommendation

・What is your recent movie recommendation?
“The Boy and the Heron” ・written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki

・Why did you pick this?
I think I should know what is popular in the world as a PR person who is on the cutting edge of information and this movie is particularly impressive as a movie that was popular.

・What do you find useful in your work?
I went to christian high school and college , so I have often thought about “how to live,” but this movie made me think about it for the first time in a long time and I realized that I feel very differently depending on my age.
Since I have lived most of my life as a student, it also gave me a sense of looking forward to how I will “live” my life as a working adult.

Also, this movie had no extensive pre-release promotion, with the storyline and cast details kept under wraps. Even the pamphlets were not sold until the day of the screening, which was a thorough approach. Learning from this, I understood the strategy of deliberately limiting information to maximize interest and discussion!

・What is the next movie you would like to watch?
“Detective Conan: The Million-dollar Five-Ringed Star”

◾️Maeda’s movie recommendation

・What is your recent movie recommendation?
“52-hertz whales” Director・Izuru Narushima　Story Sonoko Machida

・Why did you pick this?
I chose this movie because it ranked first in the Filmarks satisfaction ranking and received a lot of media coverage.

・What do you find useful in your work?
The movie required extremely delicate performances due to its detailed focus on issues like domestic violence, child abuse, transgender issues, and caregiving. Among them, the subtle emotional expressions by Hana Sugisaki and Jun Shison were remarkable. Particularly, Sugisaki’s ability to captivate viewers with expressions of joy, sadness, anger, and despair, all through tears, was outstanding.
Watching movies not only provides relaxation and sparks new ideas but also helps me stay updated on trends in society, which is beneficial in various aspects of my work.

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

■Summary

I hope you found this article helpful in understanding how PR professionals keep up with trends and input a wide range of information on a daily basis!

Feel free to watch the books and movies recommended by me and other members to catch trends and gather information.📚

In the future, I will continue to use 32 benefits, to become a PR person who creates “Fun Buzz!”