Inside Hollywood PR: A Conversation with Simon Halls

Guest 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 Discussion Breakdown 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 Key Insights 1. Great PR Careers Are Built on Adaptability — and Luck 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. 2. Relationships Are Still the Currency of Entertainment PR 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.” 3. Audience Scores Matter More Than Critics Now 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. 4. Podcasts Are the New Press Tour 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. 5. AI Will Transform Entertainment — and Raise New Ethical Challenges 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. 6. Loyalty Comes From Shared Journeys, Not Contracts 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. Production Credits 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 Links Follow the USC Center for PR (@usccenterforpr) on Instagram (  / usccenterforpr  ) and LinkedIn (  / usccenterforpr  ) .  Follow Fred Cook on LinkedIn (  / fredhcook  ) .  Find all our reports at annenberg.usc.edu/cpr. (https://annenberg.usc.edu/research/ce...) Download the 2026 Relevance Report at annenberg.usc.edu/relevance (https://annenberg.usc.edu/relevance)