Planning and implementing the organization's efforts to influence or change public policy. Examples of the knowledge that may be required in the professional practice of public relations include communication arts, psychology, social psychology, sociology, political science, economics, and the principles of management and ethics. In helping to define and implement policy, the public relations practitioner uses a variety of professional communications skills and plays an integrative role both within the organization and between the organization and the external environment. Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary. These publics respond in different ways so they must be considered separately and, often, communicated to differently and through differing media.
Publics often overlap, and they can be identified and sub-divided in many different ways.
The publicity and promotional aspect paves the way for the sale of products or services, so much so that some companies have placed sales quotas on their product publicity people. Internal motivation is a vital factor which affects the bottom line by building morale, enhancing productivity and creating team spirit. It also helps recruit qualified people and retain them. Public relations provides an organization with new opportunities because the people involved in public relations interact with more internal and external audiences than anyone else in the organization. Public relations people have a conning tower from which to identify new markets, new products, new methods.