Getting and keeping a good reputation is the primary purpose of public relations. But the reason for it has been well understood for many centuries. Public relations is based on the simple fact that people have opinions of each other and of government and other institutions. Therefore individuals, corporations, government officials, schools, religious organizations, and every other type of institution desire to be accepted by the public on the best possible terms.
Public relations is a means of getting attention and shaping public opinion.
It achieves its goals through publicity, advertising, the use of press agents, public affairs forums, lobbying public officials, and every other means that gets a message before the public. While most PR is directed outward at the general public or special segments of it, some is also directed toward people within an organization. Corporations use various PR devices to get and maintain good employee morale and commitment. Some companies use the term corporate communications instead of public relations. Public relations is often compared to, and sometimes confused with, marketing.