How is public relations used as a persuasive tool in communications?

Public relations is used as a persuasive tool in communications because its primary focus is to motivate people and institutions to achieve their goals. Public relations is a management tool used by businesses to set up beneficial relationships with other groups and institutions. When institutions are making policy, they need to consider the effects it will have on its constituencies. It is the job of a public relations firm to advise and address the best way for a company to go about its business by anticipating the effects the policy will have on the masses. Public relations is a persuasive tool because it is used by corporations to to promote and create publicity for the business. Public relations is also used as “damage control” when a company does something that the people find to be disheartening. Public relations steps in and creates an open and candid relationship with the mass media in order to ensure that the business will be able to tell their side of the story while attempting to defend the actions of the company. Public relations is an important part of communications because it has several functions that ensure a beneficial relationship between leaders in business, government, and other institutions.