The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Consumption and Consumer Studies

Public Relations

MELIKE AKTAŞ YAMANOĞLU

Ankara University, Turkey

DOI: 10.1002/9781118989463.wbeccs197

Public relations (PR) is one of the central activities of economic and cultural life in contemporary societies, along with other works in creative industries dealing with presentation and representation, and mediating between production and consumption. Public relations is practiced on behalf of individuals, formally or informally structured organizations, and groups by in-house practitioners or consultants in order to promote particular discourses and interests. Public relations also has an active role in structuring society and culture. It shapes values, attitudes, and dispositions of publics and disseminates new trends and lifestyles.

As public relations activities are employed in a vast range of commercial and non-commercial contexts – and in each context particular goals, intentions, and tasks are attached to the practice – it is rather difficult to reach a universally agreed upon definition of the concept. The notion of public relations is multifaceted and can be characterized according to its objectives, target audiences, and tools.

Public institutions, private sector corporations, as well as nongovernmental organizations engage with public relations to build, alter, and maintain relationships with key publics. The term “publics” here refers to active or potentially active groups within a society who have interest, stake, influence, and power in particular organizations ...