Public Relations
Public relations is a broad set of planned communications about the company, including publicity releases, designed to promote goodwill and a favorable image.
(46) Since public relations involves communications with stockholders, financial ysts, government officials, and other noncustomer groups, it is usually placed outside themarketing department, perhaps as a staff department or outside consulting firm reporting to tip management. This organizational placement can be a limitation because the public relations department or consultant will likely not be in tune with marketing efforts. (47) Although the basic purpose of public relations is to provide positive influence on the public image, this influence generally may be less than that provided by the other components of the public image mix.
(48) Publicity on the other hand should not be divorced from the marketing department, as it can provide a useful adjunct to the regular advertising. (49)
The point we wish to emphasize is that a firm is deluding itself if it thinks its public relations function, whether within the company or an outside firm, can take care of public image problems and opportunities. (50) Many of these have to do with the way the firm does business, such as its product quality, the servicing and handling of complaints, and the tenor of the advertising. Public relations and directed publicity may help highlight favorable newsworthy s, and may even succeed in toning down the worst of unfavorable publicity, but the other components of the public image mix create more lasting impressions.

• A. Publicity may be in the form of news releases that have favorable overtones for the company initiated by the public relations department.
• B. Furthermore, not all publicity is initiated by the firm; some can result form an unfavorable press as a reaction to certain actions or lack of actions that are controversial or even downright ill-advised.
• C. Publicity then is part of public relations when it is initiated by the firm, usually in the form of press releases or press conferences.
• D. Many factors impact on the public image.
• E. It surely causes heavy losses to the company.
• F. Poor communication and no coordination may be the consequences.

Public Relations