What Is Public Relations? Definition & Meaning

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Public relations (PR) refers to molding how people feel and see a person, company, or brand. 
• PR for businesses focuses on maintaining a positive image. This is while handling things such as shareholder inquiries and media requests. 
• It is an especially important tool to control investor or public opinion following an announcement of negative news. 
• PR differs from marketing or advertising as it’s meant to look organic. It is also not necessarily a way to promote the product or service of the business. 

What Is Public Relations?

Public relations is the collection of methods and tactics. They are used to control how information about an organization or person is shared with the public. This is especially true when it comes to the media. 

The key concepts of PR are to communicate significant business news or events. As well as preserve a corporate image, and limit the negative effects of negative occurrences. This is normally achieved by giving them what’s known as a good PR spin. PR can take place through a press release from the business, a news conference, or journalist interviews. You can also use social media posts by other means.

Every person or organization that operates in the public eye has to worry about their public image. Even though it is considered its own industry, public relations can be viewed as any time an effort is made to present oneself to others in a particular light.

Why Is Public Relations Important?

When it comes to brand awareness, your image is crucial. This is because it affects whether or not potential customers know you, like you, and trust you. Public relations (PR) is also a useful tool for influencing the discourse, especially as publicity tends to be beyond a brand’s control.

Another reason that PR is so important is that any company’s performance depends on it. Especially when the company in question has shares that are traded publicly. This is because each share’s worth can be heavily based on the public’s perception of the firm or brand.

What Are the Types of Public Relations?

Public relations will tend to be divided into different departments. There are a number of different types of PR, some of the most important ones include: 

Media PR

This is the process of establishing a solid relationship with public media groups. A media relations team will frequently communicate directly with outside media outlets. They will give them company news and verified content sources. They will also make themselves available for public comment on other news stories.

Production PR 

This type is strongly associated with a company’s primary activity. This PR sector supports overarching marketing strategies and frequently works on specialized, one-off projects like managing the introduction of a new product, a unique campaign, or managing a significant product change.

Investor PR

This sector handles the relationship between the investors and the company. It will handle investor events, any complaints coming from the investors, and the communication of the release of financial reports. 

Internal PR 

Internal PR is the relationship between a company and its employees. This sector would cover employee satisfaction, counseling employees, and making sure there is no public dissatisfaction among the employees. 

Customer PR 

Customer PR is the link between the business and its clients. Managing important relationships, performing market research, comprehending client goals, and responding to significant concerns are all common aspects of this type of public relations.

What Is the Difference Between Public Relations and Marketing?

The main difference between PR and Marketing is that marketing aims to increase sales, advertise goods or services, and make money. Public relations, on the other hand, focuses more on maintaining a company’s or brand’s reputation.

Both departments might engage in activities that are of a very similar vein. For instance, both might talk to customers to get their opinions. This data is utilized to better analyze sales trends, product requests, and strategies for increasing sales from a more direct marketing perspective. It helps companies to understand customers’ intentions, make sure customers are happy, and ensure any dissatisfaction is handled immediately.

What Is Damage Control?

PR isn’t just used to relay positive information to others. It’s also employed to lessen any harm that can undermine a business’s reputation.

A PR specialist’s responsibility is to advise the company on what to do if there is an unfavorable feeling about them, potentially as a result of bad exposure or news.

If negative discussions are taking place about a particular company, the company in question should give its perspective. However, the public’s perception will be influenced by how they react. However, companies always need to be careful. Because if this process is executed incorrectly, it can actually make the problem worse.

Summary

The public relations strategies of a business are vital. PR can help build beneficial relationships between organizations and the public. And the public perception of a business can have a huge impact on the long-term financial success of the company, so any negative stories need to be “spun”.

A company with a good PR department can control the public discourse and help to see increased sales, increased trust, and increased overall success.