Public relations has many different definitions because PR is so diverse in terms of what it does for organizations and is often incorporated as part of some other department, for instance, marketing. PR performs many organizational and societal functions. Both organizational and societal functions are very distinct but at the same time, some functions can cross over to both organizational and societal categories.
Organizational functions of PR are defined as activities done by an organization to benefit the organization only. On the other hand, societal functions of PR are activities done by an organization to benefit society only. However, it is usually hard to find something a company does that only falls into one category, and most activities ultimately fall into both categories. For example, if an organization participates in fundraising to benefit a charity, then obviously the fundraising benefits society but also benefits the organization indirectly because of the good press associated with aiding the charity. Some organizational functions includes media relations, counseling, publicity, consumer and employee relations, marketing communications, researching, planning, and government affairs (Seitel, 2004). However, researching, planning, and government affairs can also belong to societal functions.
Some organizations use research, planning, and marketing to benefit themselves but also the society where they live in. A great example of this duality is with the auto maker Saab. In the past, known as a manufacturer of cars that pollute the environment and for using un-ecological methods, Saab had many challenges to overcome in organizational and societal PR functions. The problem at hand was to try to change this negative image and the company’s m ...