| Public relations (PR) refer to the practice of controlling | | | | for a firm’s products or services and they attract a |
| the stream of information between a firm and its | | | | broad number of consumers by giving them a clear |
| customers. Aiming to build and sustain the reputation of | | | | and concise understanding of the firm’s operations. |
| a firm, public relations enhance a firm’s prestige and | | | | The most widely used tools of public relations include |
| present a positive image to the firm’s audience, | | | | news releases, speaking activities, press conferences |
| both consumers and customers. | | | | and community service programs. |
| The concept of public relations was initially introduced | | | | Public relations require excellent organizational and |
| in 1830 by Edward Louis Bernays, who is considered | | | | planning skills. People, who work in PR, are required to |
| the founding father of modern public relations. At that | | | | perform under pressure and achieve the highest for |
| time, PR was a management tool used to identify | | | | the firm. They should be able to anticipate timely and |
| public attitudes to adjust the corporate policies and | | | | consistently a barrage of questions from the media |
| procedures to the needs of consumers in order to | | | | and the public and when the firm comes under critical |
| earn public appreciation and acceptance. Since then, | | | | attack, they are responsible for spinning the public |
| PR have changed a lot. Today, public relations is a set | | | | opinion and effectively answering the criticism to |
| of management, supervisory, and technical tools that | | | | protect the firm’s reputation. |
| cultivate the ability of a firm to strategically appreciate | | | | In conclusion, contemporary business environment is |
| consumer preferences and respond to them in order | | | | extremely competitive. Organizations need a |
| to build mutually beneficial relationships and achieve its | | | | competitive edge that would make them stand out |
| organizational goals. In this context, PR is a managerial | | | | from the crowd, making them more appealing and |
| function that focuses on two-way communication | | | | interesting to both the public and the media. Public |
| between an organization and its publics. | | | | relations focus on establishing rapport with the various |
| Typically, consumer preferences are subject to a | | | | publics of an organization such as employees, |
| firm’s reputation and purchase decision-making is | | | | customers, stockholders and competitors. In doing so, |
| based on the public image of a firm. Successful firms | | | | they assist the firm to achieve its full potential by |
| build and manage mutually beneficial relationships with | | | | bringing together all the firm’s stakeholders and |
| consumers and strategic audiences and use PR as a | | | | requesting feedback from them. It’s all about a |
| marketing tool to boost their sales and profitability. In | | | | two-way communication. The public buys the product |
| this context, PR is a part of a firm’s marketing | | | | and the media are responsible for selling it; PR is the |
| strategy. By using free publicity in a wide variety of | | | | tool to make the public deeming favourably a firm and |
| media, they stimulate public interest and acceptance | | | | its offerings. |