Public Relation department may perform any or all of the following functions:

• Press Relations or press agentry: Creating and placing news worthy information in the news media to attract attention to a person, product or service.

• Product publicity: Publicizing specific products.

• Public affairs: Building and maintaining national or local community relations.

• Lobbying: Building and maintaining relations with legislators and government officials to influence legislation and regulation.

• Investor relations: maintaining relationships with shareholders and others in the financial community.

• Development: Public relations with donors of members of nonprofit organizations to gain financial or volunteer support.

“Public relations involves many functions beyond product publicity, including public affairs, lobbying, and investor relations.”

You must remember that, public relations are used to promote products, people, places, ideas, activities, organizations, and even nations. Trade associations have used public relations to rebuild interest in declining commodities such as eggs, apples, milk, and potatoes.