View source for Campaigns that Shook the World: The Evolution of Public Relations by Danny Rogers

{{Infobox1
|title= Campaigns that Shook the World: The Evolution of Public Relations
|author=Danny Rogers
|reviewer= Susmita Chatto
|genre=Business and Finance
|summary= a thoughtful and detailed analysis of the power of PR, campaigns and communications
|rating=5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=232
|publisher=Kogan Page
|date= October 2015
|isbn= 978-0749475093
|cover=Rogers_Campaigns
|aznuk=0749475099
|aznus=0749475099
}}
I dithered about how to begin this review. On one hand, I thought I should probably start by saying that I have a work-related interest in marketing and communications. On the other hand, Danny Rogers has written a book which appealed to me on several levels. Campaigns are about psychology and storytelling – which of course leads us into branding but also feature critical issues around concept delivery. In short, I was looking forward to reading this for many reasons – and it didn’t disappoint.

Danny Rogers, currently editor in chief of the Brand Republic Group, has selected a number of campaigns that played key roles in recent times. This savvy selection includes campaigns run by politicians, political parties, beauty brands and rock bands. Rogers has meticulously dissected these campaigns to show precisely how they planned their impact and how that impact worked in reality.

I found the book extremely well laid out, both in terms of looking at general history and looking at the development of the communications industry. Starting with Margaret Thatcher, moving on to New Labour and then examining the British monarchy, the first section provides a potted history of politics, media and society. A campaign star is featured in each section; I was familiar with some of them but not all and I really enjoyed hearing about the people behind the finished products and the approach they took to what was ultimately ground-breaking work.

The book also examines commercial campaigns including those run by the Rolling Stones, David Beckham, and the Dove beauty products.  As someone who is always captivated by a good story, I enjoy taking a closer look at what makes a story work. This book shows the development of brand storytelling and charts the influence of technology on storytelling tools. This is particularly well explored in the chapter on President Obama’s campaign and probably the biggest area of change for communications professionals.

This is an extremely well-crafted book which belongs on several bookshelves. It is an insightful read which will be enjoyed by anyone interested in culture, politics, journalism and modern history. It is also likely to be very useful to anyone working in any part of the communications industry.

I would like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to Bookbag. If you liked this book you might also enjoy [[Brand Psychology: Consumer Perceptions, Corporate Reputations by Jonathan Gabay]] and [[Guilt Trip: From Fear to Guilt on the Green Bandwagon by Alex Hesz and Bambos Neophytou]].

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[[Category:Politics and Society]]