The Nature of P.R.

I find it comical that companies devote so much of their resources to public relations. An essential part of any large business, the power of good P.R. can make or break you in a tricky situation. For example, think of Toyota’s debacle with alleged sticky gas petals, or BP’s oil spill in the Gulf. Each company had their fair share of accusations against them, however they are no longer topics on the news. The dictionary definition of Public Relations is, “The professional maintenance of a favorable public image by an organization or a famous person.” So, is P.R. seen as a safety net for when things go wrong? Or if things go wrong?

The nature of a company or person actively seeking to make things better in the eye of the public before anything bad happens seems greasy to me. Who would want to take part in a business that is going to need defense for something they did incorrectly? Is that any better than a child who has done something wrong and has an excuse waiting for the adult? At the very least it’s interesting to see how companies handle a situation nobody would like to be in, and sometimes even look better at the end of it. That’s when P.R. turns into an “art.”