THE ROLE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS IN MARKETING OF BURXIN PAINT INDUSTRY

INTRODUCTION

1.1            BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In fact the subject of public relations is not new and it has been there and in practice since time immemorial. Man has always tried and wanted to communicate to make him understand, e.g. pictograms (Chinese characters still an example). 1000 of years ago wall paintings in the caves of premature people, writings on tablets of stone, ancient buildings, pyramided early temples, mosques, care paintings in Zimbabwe bear pictorial messages. Holy books also communicate and tell people about faith so, it will be appropriate to say that public relations are as new as civilization.

MEANING OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

Now a days PR is misunderstood and supposed to try and create a favourable image or climate of opinion and or improve a tarnished image. This is not true, this is only marketing and advertising which is only a segment of PR. PR is about createing and understanding through knowledge which often involves effective change. So it menas that PR is a form of communication which applies to any sort of organization, commercial or non-commercial in the private or publci sector

DEFINITIONS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

The universally accepted definition of public relations as per Edward Burney’s popularly known as the father of public relations is that:

          It is a planned and sustained effort to established and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its publics.

However, Quentin Bell, another public relations consultant thought the word “Persuation” would be better than “mutual understanding”.

          For better understanding if we take the two initial of the world public relations i.e. P and Rl, “P” for performance for public and “R” for result as against Relations.