ELEMENTS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
Counseling ‐‐ Providing advice to the management of an organization concerning policies, relationships
and communications; in effect, “what to do.”
Research ‐‐ Determining attitudes and behaviors of publics and their causes in order to plan, implement
and measure activities to influence or change the attitudes and behavior.
Media Relations ‐‐ Relating with communications media in seeking publicity or responding to their
interest in an organization.
Publicity ‐‐ Disseminating planned messages through selected media without payment to further an
organization’s interest.
Employee/Member Relations ‐‐ Responding to concerns and informing and motivating an organization’s
employees or members, its retirees and their families.
Community Relations ‐‐ Continuing, planned and active participation with and within a community to
maintain and enhance its environment to the benefit of both an organization and the community.
Public Affairs ‐‐ Developing effective involvement in public policy, and helping an organization adapt to
public expectations; also, term used by military services and some government agencies to describe
their public relations activities.
Government Affairs ‐‐ Relating directly with legislatures and regulatory agencies on behalf of an
organization, usually by military services and some government agencies to describe their public
relations activities.
Issues Management ‐‐ Identifying and addressing issues of public concern in which an organization is, or
should be, concerned.
Financial Relations ‐‐ Creating and maintaining investor confidence and building positive relationships
with the financial community; also, sometimes known as Investor Relations or Shareholder Relations.
Industry Relations ‐‐ Relating with other firms in the industry of an organization and with trade
associations.
Development/Fund Raising ‐‐ Demonstrating the need for and encouraging an organization’s members,
friends, supporters and others to voluntarily contribute to support it.
Minority Relations/Multicultural Affairs ‐‐ Relating with individuals and groups in minorities.
Special Events and Public Participation ‐‐ Stimulating an interest in a person, product or organization by
means of a focused “happening;” also, activities designed to enable an organization to listen to and
interact with publics.
Marketing Communications ‐‐ Combination of activities designed to sell a product, service or idea,
including advertising, collateral materials, publicity, promotion, packaging, point‐of‐sale display, trade
shows and special events.
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