Public relations is an organization’s communications that seek to build good relationships with an organization’s publics, including consumers, stockholders, and legislators. It includes obtaining favorable publicity, building up a good “corporate image,” and handling or heading off unfavorable rumors, stories, and events.
Publicity is unpaid communication about an organization that appears in the mass media. Public relations may consist of writing press releases, holding special events, conducting and publishing consumer surveys about a product or the company, and efforts to put a positive spin on negative company news. Unlike sales promotions, public relations activities do not usually seek a short-term increase in sales. Instead, they try to craft a long-term positive image for the product or the organization.