Invention in PR

"Despite the fact that earned media has never been more effective or necessary for brand storytelling and communication, PR pros still struggle to convince stakeholders they are the natural creative firestarters. But, at its best, PR is essentially an ideas business. Adam Ritchie's 'Invention in PR' gives you a jump-start to stimulating creativity and coming up with inventive activations that really move the needle and make audiences care."
- PRWeekEditorial Director Steve Barrett

"By putting invention at the top of PR's to-do list, Adam Ritchie has fundamentally flipped the industry's charge from promoting the products and services clients already have, to creating them. Ritchie has made a successful go of doing just that, and in 'Invention in PR' he instructively lays out the reasoning for his signature approach to PR, and ways of making it work. The book is a must-read for the gamut of people in the communications business: as thought-provoking for newcomers wanting to make their mark, as for industry vets looking to mix things up."
- PRovokeSenior Reporter Diana Marszalek

"After reading a few pages of 'Invention in PR,' you'll realize there are at least two reasons why it's not like other PR books. First, Adam Ritchie is a realist. He admits up-front that the case studies and examples most of us read in PR books are 'highly polished, written for future clients, awards judges and textbooks.' They rarely include hurdles faced or mistakes made. As such, they don’t resemble PR in the real world, where as Adam writes, 'Even the most lauded campaigns are a series of secret battles lost and won, internally and externally. Nothing falls into place.' Adam offers examples of how PR pros overcome obstacles so they can make things fall into place. And second, this book is different because Adam's ideas about PR are evolutionary. Adam felt PR could do more than promote companies and their products. Instead, Adam thought PR could create products that would earn media. Of course, Adam knows his thinking about PR pros creating products is unconventional. Let your mind roam. Consider his arguments. The results could be invigorating."
- PR News Editor Seth Arenstein

"For PR and communications pros looking to stop taking orders and become essential business advisors, Adam Ritchie's book is a must-read collection of case studies and career lessons for making a PR campaign an intrinsic part of the enterprise. In example after award-winning example, Ritchie offers a fresh perspective on creative PR work, where communicators are in the driver's seat and their inventiveness and business-savvy provide the keys to earning recognition from top decision-makers."
- PR DailyEditor Ted Kitterman

"This book is filled with wonderful examples of true creativity and ingenuity. Adam Ritchie is a bona fide out-of-the-box thinker, and it has been a pleasure to follow his work over the years and consistently recognize him for these superbly crafted successful campaigns. There are myriad examples included here that speak to his clever planning and execution, which truly define PR success in the modern era. I recommend this brilliant book to PR practitioners young and old. There are valuable lessons and actionable takeaways for all."
- Bulldog Reporter EditorRichard Carufel

"Getting Adam Ritchie's creative brain into a book is akin to catching lightning in a bottle, only less dangerous and far more electric. Energize your next PR campaign with inspiration from this volume of true stories!"
- PR Nation HostRobert Johnson

"It is far too common for PR professionals to be shut out of key decision making, often coming into projects too late to make a difference. This is a detriment not only to PR professionals and the industry, but also to various projects and organizations as a whole. Adam Ritchie's 'Invention in PR' is the first book to serve such a unique antidote to this important issue. His account of how PR can help shape product development is revolutionary."
- PR Talk HostAmy Rosenberg

"Once you read this book, it is impossible to think about PR in the same way ever again. It can have more meaning and substance than you might have believed. I loved the narrative of taking charge of your destiny through original ideas, and pushing back on boring, stuffy client briefs that have you acting as a fulfillment service – as opposed to pushing boundaries and making history. The quote that resonated with me the most was, 'Innovation streamlines the arrow. Invention creates the bullet.' Definitely going to use that one. And as a Scottish person, a bonus was the Loch Ness Monster even getting a mention!"
- The DrumManaging Director of EventsLynn Lester

"Adam Ritchie is an iconoclast and nonconformist in an industry that gets advanced and built by iconoclasts and nonconformists. It's easy to play it safe and follow industry or client norms, but Adam is smart enough to recognize that creativity thrives in discomfort. His book is a peak into that thought process,and provides a roadmap to break through and disrupt in a sea of sameness."
- Molson Coors Beverage CompanyPresident, Emerging Growth Pete Marino

"Adam Ritchie has a passion for PR and a unique gift as a storyteller with an edgy style. I love bringing something new and different to the table. He wrote the book – literally this book – on bringing something new and different to the table. I have seen him speak about Invention in PR many times throughout my career, and every time I learn something new. His bold and fierce approach to PR is refreshing, timely and unique to him. His guidance, advice and case studies are something every communicator, student and organization should know and apply to their campaigns. Personally, he is one of the kindest, most compassionate people I know. He is also one of the smartest people I know. From his parents, to his college roommate, to his former interns, they all say the same thing: Adam is simply Adam. A curious, genius, hard-worker who helps those in need. I am so proud of my dear friend and PR colleague Adam Ritchie for what he has accomplished and continues to accomplish. I hope everyone who reads this book gets inspired, empowered and brings a little invention to their table."
- IBMManager, Digital and Advocacy CommunicationsBrandi Boatner

"Your first trigger pull should always be aimed at the audacious.' When I read that sentence, it brought me back to my first introduction to Adam Ritchie, when I knew he possessed a level of creativity, wisdom and intelligence beyond his years. Nearly two decades later, he has gone on to flip the industry on its head with 'Invention in PR.' Endlessly talented in music and PR, he is a unique risk-taker grounded in knowledge of human behavior and informed by research on society and trends. He is one of the most hard-working, perseverant people I've ever met. All of those attributes are what make his case studies and insights within the book invaluable. 'Invention in PR' is informative and inspiring for any PR, marketing or communications practitioner who wants to move beyond staid strategies and tactics. I highly recommend it for pros who want a peek into the work of Adam Ritchie Brand Direction and its founder, whose inventive work has won every award in the industry."
- New Balance Global Community Outreach ManagerAmy Sweeney

"Adam Ritchie offers us the valuable cheat codes to the future of PR, showing how we can have as much influence on product development as we do on product promotion."
- Dunkin'Vice President, Communications Glen Schwartz

"The 'Invention in PR' approach is a completely new roadmap that is bold, brave and needed in a world where it's never been harder to break through the clutter. It redefines and repositions PR's role across a product's journey into consumers' hands, hearts and minds."
- ViacomCBS Velocity Executive Vice President Chris Ficarra

"Invention in PR' is a testament to the true core of creativity by an author with a healthy and irreverent disregard for the status quo, who refuses to let a label or job description prescribe how he approaches a challenge."
- JPMorgan Chase & Co.Vice President, User Experience Design LeadKatie Dadarria

"Invention in PR' is a refreshing take on public relations that goes beyond traditional tactics and presents a better way of thinking about the value PR pros provide."
- LEGO Education Digital Engagement LeadAmanda Fountain

"Invention in PR' made me re-excited about the industry and its future. I wish I could invent a time machine and take it back to my 22-year-old self, so she could read it and absolutely crush it for every client she touched. This book made me think of PR in a new light: not simply putting out fires or generating coverage, but generating true art. It should be part of every PR curriculum, with the caveat that the professor has to rappel into the first class from 50 feet in the air, wearing light-up gear. It also talks about failures, prepares readers for unavoidable snags and shows how some of the best in the biz can break the rules, but always do it above-board."
- Akamai Senior Manager, Corporate CommunicationsBrenda Manacas

"With 'Invention in PR,' Adam Ritchie liberates the public relations profession and frees us from coloring within the lines. It's PR's manual for going from the safety of the back seat to driving the yellow Ferrari through a red light at 90 miles per hour. Ritchie doesn't consider himself a creative, saying, 'You don't get to pin that on yourself.' Well, I'm pinning it him. He's our industry's Albert Einstein – in a leather jacket."
- Takeda U.S. Neuroscience and Commercial Operations Communications Lead Monique Kelley Gigliotti

"What do you think the future of PR looks like? Adam Ritchie does it again and pushes the limits with 'Invention in PR.' Ritchie offers a refreshing new perspective that approaches PR as a means of invention, flipping traditional ideas upside down."
- Public Relations Society of America Director, Professional DevelopmentJason Barnhart

"Adam Ritchie's invention-first focus on the discipline presents an inspiring and expansive way of thinking about the creativity that is core to what we do."
- PR CouncilPresidentKim Sample

"Adam Ritchie doesn't sugarcoat the challenges in his fast-moving guide to three pillars of success all public relations professionals should know, but are rarely taught: invention, creation and transformation. Guided by stories and lessons from his career, Ritchie shares action-oriented steps to turn his practical recommendations into habits for success."
- Institute for Public Relations President and Chief Executive OfficerTina McCorkindale

"Betsy Plank, a pioneering practitioner, once said that viewing PR in the narrow sense of simply publicizing new products and product improvements is a myopic attitude that will continue to relegate public relations to an also-ran in marketing strategy and budgeting. She went on to say that public relations must be directed toward the consumer's self-interest, not just that of the company or brand. With such an approach, public relations practitioners would be positioned to sense, analyze, interpret and influence the consumers marketers were trying to reach. And public relations planning would move from an after-the-fact consideration to a place of authority and respect early in the marketing strategy development. Plank made her comments back in 1968, but her words did not produce much change. Not that is, until Adam Ritchie came along. Like Plank, Ritchie sees a broader role for public relations, one he calls 'Invention in PR.' His book is a clarion call for practitioners. He says it's time we exercised our creative muscles and go beyond simply publicizing new products and become a source of invention and transformation. His book is highly readable, full of real-world examples and he keeps it real-world. He shows that taking a campaign from concept to implementation is not easy, but when it all comes together, it is magical. I can't wait to assign this book to my students. All practitioners involved with marketing and media need to read 'Invention in PR' to be reinvigorated and inspired."
- Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations DirectorKarla Gower

"Adam Ritchie is a rare talent and beyond brilliant. Soak up every bit of knowledge he's dispensing and you'll be a better PR professional. And you'll be more than entertained by the great stories he tells in pursuit of bringing the passion he has for his work to life. This is a must-read."
- Arthur W. Page Society ChairmanCharlene Wheeless

"'Invention in PR' is a bold and no holds barred approach to building campaigns that will inspire every reader, no matter their stage of experience."
- The Museum of Public Relations Co-Founder Shelley Spector

"'Where has your work taken you today?' is a brilliant question posed by Adam Ritchie. If you are in PR, this book will encourage – no, insist – that your work doesn't start at the end of product development. Your role must spark new, better or transformational offerings. Period. If you need practical guidance, motivation or a kick in the ass to rethink your role as a PR professional, this book will give you a healthy dose of each."
- Content Marketing Institute General ManagerStephanie Stahl

"Adam Ritchie has always been a pioneer in our field, and 'Invention in PR' is a useful, fun read packed with practical advice and inspiring case studies that remind us how to love what we do. I look forward to seeing all the inventions this book is sure to spark!"
- Edelman Senior Vice PresidentAnne Erhard

"'Invention in PR' is not an abstract or academic read. Learning comes from doing, and Adam Ritchie invites you to ride along on a career's worth of discovery."
- Weber Shandwick Executive Creative Director