Public Relations (PR)
Public Relations (PR) is the strategic practice of managing communication between an organization and its audiences to build, protect, and enhance reputation, credibility, and relationships. PR focuses on creating positive public awareness and shaping how a brand, company, individual, or organization is perceived by customers, employees, media, investors, communities, and other stakeholders.
Organizations use public relations to communicate key messages, share news, manage reputation, build media relationships, respond to crises, and establish thought leadership. Common PR activities include media relations, press releases, brand storytelling, executive communications, community relations, event publicity, influencer relations, crisis communication, awards submissions, and strategic content development. PR success is measured through metrics such as media coverage, audience reach, share of voice, brand sentiment, website traffic, message visibility, stakeholder engagement, and reputation indicators.
By earning credibility through trusted third-party sources and meaningful communication, public relations helps organizations increase brand awareness, strengthen public trust, manage perceptions, and support broader business objectives. Unlike paid advertising, which purchases visibility, PR focuses on building earned attention and authentic relationships through strategic communication.
For example, a nonprofit organization may use public relations by sharing impact stories, securing media coverage, building relationships with journalists, and positioning leadership as experts on important social issues to increase awareness and attract supporters.
Related Terms: Media Relations, Brand Reputation, Strategic Communications, Crisis Management, Brand Storytelling, Thought Leadership, Earned Media, Content Marketing, Corporate Communications, Brand Awareness.