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The concept of PR and what it actually is, frequently falls under a great deal of misconception. So what is Public Relations exactly? A personal favourite PR quote for me is ‘everything you say or do is PR’ and this is true not just for PR companies, but also clients. Everything you do and say reflects positively or negatively on you or your business. Quite simply, PR is managing the image and reputation of people, businesses and brands. PR is the business of persuasion, where you try to convince an audience, internal or external, to either promote an idea, purchase a product, recognize an accomplishment or even support a position. The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) agreed upon an official statement to describe PR, “Public Relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.” People often think PR is the same as advertisement or marketing and in some ways it is similar, but with PR, audiences are persuaded and communicated with by not just paid sources but through trusted sources. Advertising and marketing boils down to paid media, whereas Public Relations is earned media. PR people create narratives to carry out an business objective, with the main goal being positive publicity for their client. An important aspect that PR people need to understand is the news. Knowing how it works, where it generates from and how to craft and follow a narrative is incredibly important for working in or dealing in Public Relations. People who work in Public Relations handle many components between companies and consumers. There are many ways that shape their client’s reputations from marketing research to writing blogs, press releases, pitches, responses to negative commentary online as well as following relevant new stories and keeping up to date with the market. The most important relationship a PR professional can have is with their clients, followed by journalists. It’s not a 9 to 5 job and quite easily bleeds into your peronsal time, which is why you must be passionate about what you do. Hina Mirza PR & Media Specialist at The Social Company