Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. 

PR is a set of techniques and strategies related to managing how information about an individual or company is disseminated to the public, and especially the media. Its primary goals are to disseminate important news or events, maintain a positive image, and put a positive spin on negative events to minimize their fallout.

PR may occur in the form of a company press release, news conference, interviews with journalists, social media posting, or other venues. PR differs from advertising in that PR attempts to represent a person or brand’s image in ways that will appear organic, such as generating good press from independent sources and recommending business decisions that will incur public support. 

A PR is often thought of as “spin,” with the goal being to portray oneself in the best light possible.

PR is essential to any company’s success, especially when shares in the company are publicly traded and the value of a share depends on the public’s confidence in a company or brand. PR is also important to defray public or investor outcry following negative news announcements. PR can be used to mitigate negative events, though history has shown PR may cause problems to become worse.

PR involves various types, such as:

• Media relations: The emphasis of forging a strong relationship with public media organizations.
• Community relations: The focus on building and maintaining a positive image within the local community.
• Crisis management: The process of handling and resolving emergencies or scandals that threaten the reputation of an individual or organization.
• Internal communications: The practice of communicating effectively with employees and stakeholders within an organization.
• Public affairs: The management of political and social issues that affect an individual or organization.
• Influencer relations: The collaboration with influential people who have a large and loyal following on social media or other platforms and who can endorse or recommend an individual or organization to their audience.

PR requires various skills, such as:

• Writing: The ability to craft clear, concise, and compelling messages for different audiences and channels.
• Research: The ability to gather, analyze, and interpret data and information to support PR strategies and campaigns.
• Creativity: The ability to generate and implement new ideas and approaches to attract attention and interest from the public and the media.
• Relationship building: The ability to establish and maintain trust and rapport with journalists, influencers, clients, partners, and other stakeholders.
• Strategic thinking: The ability to plan and execute PR goals and objectives that align with the vision and mission of an individual or organization.
• Crisis management: The ability to anticipate, prevent, and respond to potential threats or challenges that may harm the reputation of an individual or organization.

Snap introduces Collab Studio to connect brands with top influencers