Defining Public Relations

Defining Public Relations

Public Relations are found in every aspect of our society, from large and small organizations for and non-profit, politics, sports, and Hollywood. This paper will provide three definitions from different sources, compare, and contrast each definition. I will also include my personal definition of Public Relations. “Public relations includes ongoing activities to ensure the company has a strong public image. Public relations activities include helping the public to understand the company and its products. Often, public relations are conducted through the media, that is, newspapers, television, magazines, etc. Public relations is often considered as one of the primary activities included in promotions” according to Management Help (Managementhelp.com, 2006). The definition from answers.com refers to public relations as “the degree of success obtained in achieving a favorable relationship with the public (answers.com, 2006)”.

The formal practice of public relations is less than 100 years old. During its relatively brief history, many definitions have surfaced. The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) found these definitions too lengthy and in 1988, an attempt to solve the dilemma was adopted by its Assembly. The Assembly’s definition of public relations has become the most accepted and widely used: “Public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other (prsa, 2006).”

In my 25-plus years interacting with public perception, first while a member of the Air Force and then with several retail firms to include my current employer, Pilot Travel Centers. Public perception has everything to do with public relations.

When I first enlisted in 1980, the military frowned on its members appearing in public wearing the uniform. The Vietnam War was just a few years ago and still fresh in people’s minds along with the debacle of the rescue attempt for the hostages held in Iran. The perception of the military at that time was so bad, if personal lived off-base, they were encouraged to change into civilian attire while traveling between home and the base.

In 1981, everything changed once Ronald Reagan became President. His message to the American people, it was time to be proud to be an American. This carried on to the Armed Forces and all of a sudden (this actually took a couple of years) being in uniform was something to take pride in again. The military’s stance on the wear of the uniform in public areas was encouraged. The regulations covering the proper wearing of the uniform on and off-base, which were always there, became more stringent. We were also encouraged to take a more active role in the communities we lived. So much so, the rating we received to a degree, in our performance reports, depended on our community activities. This was an attempt to use public relations to change the public perception of the military and it worked.

The convenience store business has also done a good job in the past few years on changing the public’s perception of an organization which was reaping millions of dollars from the prices charged at the pump. I can remember, not so fondly of customers yelling and cursing at my employees and myself for the rise in gas prices. The fact of the matter is, the price we as an organization charge at the pump has more to do with the price incurred from the oil companies. The convenience store business went about changing the public