The Handbook of International Advertising Research

24

Sibling Rivalry

How Public Relations and Advertising Continue to Grow and Live Together

Barbara DeSanto and Curtis B. Matthews

Introduction

“How people define … public relations reflects what they believe it is” (Heath & Coombs, 2005, p. 44). This adapted quote from prolific public relations scholars Robert Heath and Timothy Coombs rather neatly sums up the complexity of defining and explaining what public relations is. This chapter’s goal is to provide an overview of how scholars in the field address the evolving definition of public relations, explore why it is an important function within organizations, describe what public relations professionals do that is unique to an organization’s communication efforts – including its cooperative efforts with advertising and marketing communication – and provide a look at what public relations scholars and professionals see as the future of the discipline and the profession. We will do this through the process of looking at the significant academic and professional literature and resources, including summaries of significant research and scholarship that has helped public relations grow into what professionals and academics fondly call “a maturing discipline” (Pasadeos, Berger, & Renfro, 2010, p. 136).

Defining Public Relations

Smart organizations of all types – for-profit and non-profit – and sizes realize that communication, properly acknowledged and managed, is a powerful tool in building relationships with the stakeholder groups that organizations ...