Public relations is a planned programme to maintain effective relations between your business and other groups who can influence your overall success. These groups include:

- Customers
- Employees
- Investors
- Suppliers
- Central and local government
- The community

In the context of sales and marketing management, the first four groups listed above are the most important. Public relations uses a range of communication activities to ensure that each of these groups has a correct understanding of your business. These communications serve to improve:

Many of the communications described above depend on effective relationships with the press. Press relations are therefore an important element of public relations.

Your public relations staff should ensure that everything the press sees or hears is controlled and is consistent with the image plan.