Public Relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other. Public Relations broadly applies to organizations as a collective group, not just a business; and publics encompass the variety of different stakeholders.
According to PRSA (Public Relations Society of America), “Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”
At its core, public relations is about influencing, engaging and building a relationship with key stakeholders across a myriad of platforms in order to shape and frame the public perception of an organization.
The following terms are used in the definition of PR:
‘Organisation’ can be a government body, a business, a profession, a public service or a body concerned with health, culture, education – indeed any corporate or voluntary body large or small.’Publics’ are audiences that are important to the organisation. They include customers – existing and potential; employees and management; investors; media; government; suppliers; opinion-formers.’Understanding’ is a two-way process. To be effective, an organisation needs to listen to the opinions of those with whom it deals and not solely provide information. Issuing a barrage of propaganda is not enough in today’s open society.
The Publics involved in a PR Function can be categorized as Internal Publics and External Publics.
The Internal Publics includes the Employees, Board of Directors and Owners.
The External Publics of the organization will include Suppliers, Government, Local Bodies, Customers, Shareholders, Associates, Banks and Financial Institutions, Competitors, others and Society at large.
Lien Relations 