Public relations

What it means

Public relations is a company's managed communication with the public, the media and other groups such as customers, employees, investors and authorities. The goal is to build reputation and trust rather than to sell directly. It includes press releases, interviews, events, expert articles and crisis communication.

Unlike advertising, which the company pays for and controls, PR works with earned space: a journalist writes about the company because they find the story interesting. Such coverage is more credible and also brings quality backlinks that matter for SEO.

PR is closely linked to reputation management and building brand awareness. For smaller firms it often means expert visibility above all: commentary on changes in the law, talks, participation in professional debates and publishing on their own website.

How it works in practice

Good PR material has news value: something new, figures, useful explanation or an interesting story. An accounting firm might prepare a clear overview of what new legislation means for business owners and offer the media an expert for comment.

Relationships with journalists take time. It pays to know the reporters who cover the field, respond quickly and reliably and never promise more than the company can deliver. One helpful, accurate source is worth more to a journalist than a stream of press releases.

Being ready for a crisis is part of PR too. Crisis communication with a designated spokesperson, a procedure and templates helps a company respond fast to a data breach, a customer complaint on social media or a negative article.

What to watch out for

PR must not slide into covert advertising. Unlabelled paid articles, fake reviews or astroturfing, meaning faked grassroots support, breach advertising rules and journalistic ethics and, once exposed, damage reputation more than they ever helped.

Every statement made on behalf of the company has legal consequences. Claims about competitors, promises of results or comments on ongoing disputes should be checked, as they can lead to defamation claims or problems in litigation.