Public relations is a broad set of planned communications about the company, including publicity releases, designed to promote goodwill and a favorable image.1
1 Since public relations involves communications with stockholders,financial analysts,government officials,and other noncustomer groups,it is usually placed outside the marketing department,perhaps as a staff department or outside consulting firm reporting to top management.This organizational placement can be a limitation because the public relations department or consultant will likely not be in tune with2 marketing efforts. 2 Although the basic purpose of public relations is to provide positive influence on the public image,this influence generally may be less than that provided by the other components of the public image mix.
3 Publicity on the other hand should not be divorced from the marketing department4,as it can provide a useful adjunct to5 the regular advertising. 4
The point we wish to emphasize is that a firm is deluding itself if it thinks its public relations function,whether within the company or an outside firm,can take care of public image problems and opportunities. 5 Many of these have to do with the way the firm does business7,such as its product quality,the servicing and handling of complaints,and the tenor of the advertising.Public relations and directed publicity may help highlight favorable newsworthy events,and may even succeed in toning down the worst of unfavorable publicity,but the other components of the public image mix create more lasting impressions.
詞匯：
goodwill n.(1)信譽(yù)(2)善意友好(3)愿意,樂意
overtone n.聯(lián)想;暗示;次要的作用(或意義);弦外之音
noncustomer group非顧客集團(tuán)
delude vt.欺騙,哄騙
consulting firm咨詢公司
newsworthy adj.有新聞價(jià)值的
注釋：
1. …designed to promote goodwill and a favorable image.
……旨在提高信譽(yù),樹立一個(gè)良好形象。
2.in tune with：與……協(xié)調(diào),與……一致。例如：
The price of gold coins fluctuates in tune with commodities.
金幣的價(jià)格隨商品漲落。
3.be in the form of：是(或有)……形式(或形狀)。例如：
Gold was found in the ancient tomb in the form of bars.
在古墓中發(fā)現(xiàn)了鑄成金條的黃金。
4. Publicity on the other hand should not be divorced from the marketing department
另一方面,宣傳也不能脫離營銷部門……
5. a useful adjunct to…：對(duì)……的有用的補(bǔ)充
6.downright ill-advised：十分不明智
7.Many of these have to do with the way the firm does business.
這些因素很多與公司做生意的方法有關(guān)。
練習(xí)：
A Publicity may be in the form of3 news releases that have favorable overtones for the company initiated by the public relations department.
B Furthermore,not all publicity is initiated by the firm;some can result from an unfavorable press as a reaction to certain actions or 1ack of actions that are controversial or even downright ill-advised6.
C Publicity then is part of public relations when it is initiated by the firm,usually in the form of press releases or press conferences.
D Many factors impact on the public image.
E It surely causes heavy losses to the company.
F Poor communication and no coordination may be the consequences.
答案：1.C 2.F 3.A 4.B 5.D
