Final answer:
Public relations is the ongoing effort to build positive relationships between a company and its stakeholders, which includes customers, employees, suppliers, the community, and the government. It utilizes strategies like media outreach and community engagement to maintain a positive image, which differs from personal selling, activism, and lobbying.
Step-by-step explanation:
Public relations involves the ongoing effort of a firm to create positive ties with its customers, employees, suppliers, the general community, and the government. Public relations strategies may include using media to communicate, engaging in community activities, building customer relationships, and managing crises when they arise. Unlike personal selling, which focuses more on individual sales, and lobbying, which aims to influence government officials or policy directly, public relations is about maintaining a positive image and building long-term relationships.
Activities that can be considered forms of public relations include attending public meetings to discuss issues and lend support, creating issue ads to bring attention to an agenda, and grassroots movements to sway public opinion. The goal is to foster a favorable environment for the organization among all of its stakeholders. This is in contrast to activism, where efforts are generally focused on social or political change without necessarily having a direct connection to a firm's stakeholder relationships.