Public relations

Public relations - PR - is the practice of managing and guiding perceptions of your business to attract new customers and strengthen the loyalty of existing customers. Customers' perceptions can be shaped by direct experiences, the actions and observations of others, and the statements you make in the media and marketplace.

Well-planned PR strategies are powerful tools for business. Unlike marketing and advertising, PR takes advantage of unpaid communication channels such as local and regional media, the internet, business networks and community and customer relationships.

PR involves communicating with your market to raise awareness of your business, build your business's reputation and cultivate relationships with consumers. While marketing focuses on promoting actual products and services, public relations focuses on promoting awareness, attitudes and behaviour change.

This guide helps you plan and measure your PR efforts so you can develop business relationship and reputation strategies that work.

• Public relations tools and activities
• Choosing and applying the right PR tools
• Measuring and improving your PR
• Public relations ethics and industry links