Defining Public Relations

Defining Public Relations

Public relations (PR) has many different definitions. PR can have a different meaning to every individual person and every organization. For some people, it focuses on advertising while

others may feel it is marketing and for others the concept revolves around business relationships. PR is a vital communications tool between an organization and its public. Every organization may have a different perception of what PR actually means or entails.

Cuclis Public Relations has this definition for PR:

Public relations encompasses a variety of marketing tactics that strengthen your credibility, enhance your image, develop goodwill or influence public opinion. These tactics, such as speeches, special events, newsletters, annual reports and news releases, are targeted to an audience. PR involves communicating who you are, what you do, and how you benefit your customers and the community. (Retrieved April 1, 2006, http://cuclispr.com/pr.html)

According to this organization PR uses marketing tactics to improve the image of the organization and influence the customers within the community. By using tactics such as planning special events within the community the organization is able to target a specific audience. If a company is unable to plan a special event they could consider sponsoring a special event being put on by someone else. This would help them in targeting the specified audience.

The foundation for Public Relations Research and Education (1976) came up with this definition of PR:

Public relations is a distinctive management function which helps establish and maintain mutual lines of communications, understanding, acceptance, and cooperation between an organization and its publics; involves the management of problems or issues; helps management to keep informed on and responsive to public opinion; defines and emphasizes the responsibility of management to serve the public interest; helps management keep abreast of and effectively utilize change, serving as an early warning system to help anticipate trends; and uses research and sound and ethical communication techniques as its principal tools. (Harlow, 1976)

This definition touches base on every aspect of what each individual organization might define as public relations. This definition discusses the importance of communication between an organization and their employees and also the community. PR in this definition also focuses on the responsibility of management to use communication to keep the public and the organization informed.

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) has this definition for public relations, “Public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other” (Retrieved April 1, 2006, http://media.prsa.org/text_responder.cfm?name_id=2) This definition of PR focuses on getting an organization and a community to adapt to each others needs. Unlike the other definitions,