Simon Halls — Co-Founder, Apex Public Relations; USC alum; one of the most influential entertainment publicists working today

Host: Fred Cook, Director, USC Center for Public Relations

Introduction to Simon’s Career — 0:00

From USC to Warner Bros: A Non-Linear Start — 1:07

Launching McDonald’s in Russia & Early Global PR Lessons — 3:16

Returning to the U.S. and Joining Golin — 5:42

Founding an Agency Before 30 (and Signing Future Icons) — 7:30

Scaling to PMK & Building a Global Entertainment PR Firm — 8:30

Returning to Boutique PR: Quality, Focus, and Client Loyalty — 10:30

How Technology Has Changed PR Workflows — 11:20

Why There Are More Entertainment Crises Than Ever — 13:06

Correcting Stories vs. Pitching Stories — 14:30

Why Relationships Are Still Everything in Entertainment PR — 15:50

Keeping Clients for 30+ Years — 18:24

Fashion, Brand Deals & How PR Intersects With Consumer Products — 20:11

Taylor Swift vs. The New York Times: What Actually Drives Audiences? — 22:22

Critic Scores vs. Audience Scores (Rotten Tomatoes and CinemaScore) — 24:46

Can PR Influence Reviews? Building “Champions” for a Film — 26:30

The Rise of Podcasts in Entertainment Campaigns — 30:22

Career Advice: Hiring, Internships & What He Looks For — 34:01

The Future of Entertainment PR: AI, Ethics, Adaptation — 36:29

Polarization, Hollywood, and Free Speech — 38:53

Closing Thoughts & Fight On — 42:33

Simon’s path — from Warner Bros intern to global publicist to founder of Apex — underscores how timing, curiosity, and willingness to jump into unfamiliar territory can set you apart in entertainment PR. His early experience launching McDonald’s in Russia shaped how he approached global media and crisis situations for the rest of his career.

Despite texting, email, and shrinking newsrooms, Simon emphasizes that trust, honesty, and consistent contact with journalists remain the foundation of the business. “The second you lose integrity with the press, you’re done.”

While traditional reviews once shaped box office, today’s audiences look to Rotten Tomatoes audience scores, CinemaScore, and social buzz — prompting PR teams to focus on grassroots credibility and “champion building” with trusted culture editors.

Simon’s internal research shows the most successful movie campaigns of 2024–2025 leaned heavily on podcasts — often more than traditional entertainment outlets. Actors now view podcasting as a friendly, long-form platform to shape narrative and deepen fan connection.

From customizable film endings to synthetic performances, Simon warns that emerging AI capabilities will force Hollywood to confront questions of consent, compensation, and artistic integrity. PR teams must prepare to navigate this shifting landscape.

Many of Simon’s clients have been with him for 30 years. Why? Deep trust, shared decision-making, crisis navigation, and a “family-like” partnership that has survived both career lows and Oscar wins.

A production of the USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations at the University of Southern California.

Host: Fred Cook
Executive Producer: Ron Antonette

Season 7 Producers: Joe Carreon and Anvi Mahajan
Production: Camille Culbertson, Jack Gisler, Toma Battino
Editorial: Joey Cha, Ivan Feng, Natalie Lopez, Grace An
Social Content: Angelina Tran, Hailey Evans, Arushi Purkayastha, Chris Apy
Growth: Van Luu, Shaan Dhaliwal

Follow the USC Center for PR (@usccenterforpr) on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Follow Fred Cook on LinkedIn.
Find all our reports at annenberg.usc.edu/cpr.

Download the 2026 Relevance Report at
annenberg.usc.edu/relevance

Rupert — AI persona created by Joe Carreon

Student Interviewers: Toma Battino, Joe Carreon

Host: Fred Cook, Director, USC Center for Public Relations

Introducing Rupert — 0:00

How AI Is Impacting PR — 0:45

Will AI Replace Entry-Level Jobs? — 1:40

Who’s Adopting AI Faster — Young or Experienced Pros? — 3:06

Passion Projects & Standing Out in PR — 4:20

GEO (Generative Engineered Optimization) Explained — 5:10

Authenticity, AI, and the Fight Against Polarization — 6:39

AI Search vs. Google Search — 7:30

What Tools PR Students Should Know — 7:55

Crisis Communications in an AI World — 9:15

Ethics, Consent & Using Likeness in AI Content — 13:30

Should You Disclose When You Use AI? — 14:55

Common Blind Spots in AI Usage — 15:40

Accuracy & Where AI Gets Its Information — 16:31

How PR Shapes the Information AI Pulls From — 17:46

Managing Brand Reputation in the Age of AI — 17:58

How AI Perceives USC Annenberg — 18:50

What Professors Should Teach About AI — 19:13

What Rupert Looks For in New PR Hires — 20:20

Where AI Is Going in the Next 2–3 Years — 21:40

Should We Be Scared or Excited? — 22:07

Closing & Fight On — 22:53

Rupert positions AI as a shift, not a takeover. Routine tasks will be automated, but strategy, creativity, and relationships remain uniquely human. Entry-level roles will evolve, not disappear.

With people turning to AI for search, GEO becomes essential. Communicators will need to create content that AI can understand, trust, and surface — marking a new era of “authentic earned media.”

Rupert identifies monitoring, rapid analysis, and early messaging as AI’s strengths in crises — but empathy, accountability, and credibility must come from humans.

Students challenge Rupert about consent, deepfakes, and whether creators should disclose AI involvement. Rupert stresses transparent use (for now) and careful respect for identity and likeness.

From media monitoring to analytics to content drafting, students entering PR need demonstrable experience with:

AI writing tools

Social analytics software

Media monitoring platforms

Data interpretation & ethical judgment

Rupert envisions AI that:

Adapts messaging in real time

Predicts PR issues before they surface

Assists with brainstorming and strategic planning

Engages audiences in one-to-one communication at scale

A production of the USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations at the University of Southern California.

Host: Fred Cook
Executive Producer: Ron Antonette

Season 7 Producers: Joe Carreon and Anvi Mahajan
Production: Camille Culbertson, Jack Gisler, Toma Battino
Editorial: Joey Cha, Ivan Feng, Natalie Lopez, Grace An
Social Content: Angelina Tran, Hailey Evans, Arushi Purkayastha, Chris Apy
Growth: Van Luu, Shaan Dhaliwal

Follow the USC Center for PR (@usccenterforpr) on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Follow Fred Cook on LinkedIn.
Find all our reports at annenberg.usc.edu/cpr.

Download the 2026 Relevance Report at
annenberg.usc.edu/relevance