Tactical publicity or strategic relationship management? An exploratory investigation...

This paper explores the role that public relations plays within the British retail sector. In particular the paper examines the extent to which British retailers have used public relations in a strategic manner, as a means of managing their relationships with strategically important stakeholder publics. The changing nature of the retail environment has necessitated the development and application of increasingly sophisticated management techniques by retailers, encompassing a more strategic approach to product and assortment development, trading style, customer communications and marketing. The growing acceptance of the importance of public relations in recent years can also be attributed, at least in part, to the increased social, political and consumer pressures experienced by firms in all sectors to act, and be seen to act, in a rime socially-responsible manner. It is here that public relations has come to the fore as the function perhaps best able to respond to such pressings. Moreover, there has been an increasing recognition of the need for strategically managed communications programs that can contribute effectively to the achievement of corporate and business objectives.