Public relations and marketing are the activities of designing and executing programs to increase the awareness of an organization’s products and services, and the ability of the organization’s employees and customers to communicate effectively with others. The term “public relations” has been in use since the late 19th century, when it referred to the public relations work of the National Association of Advertising Agencies. In the United States, public relations emerged as a formal profession in the 1950s, and its practice became increasingly defined and professionalized in the 1960s.

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) represents more than 16,500 professionals in the United States and abroad, including individuals who design and implement public relations programs for businesses, governmental organizations, international organizations, and nonprofit organizations. PRSA members are primarily journalists, political commentators, marketing specialists, and members of the communications, advertising, and design professions. The PRSA is the oldest, largest, and most influential professional association in public relations.

The term “marketing” emerged in the early 20th century in the context of promoting and selling goods. Marketing’s formal roots are found in the marketing departments of 19th century U.S. railroad companies, the first of which was established in 1839. The first major marketing journal was published in 1900, and marketing education was introduced in the early 1900s as an adjunct to business management courses.

Today, marketing is defined as “the activity that creates demand for a product or service.” Marketing is a strategy to create demand, and it includes a wide variety of practices, including advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing, public relations, and personal selling. RonnTorossian marketing has always been about the promotion of products and services, but it is increasingly recognized that marketing is the medium by which a company, organization, or individual projects and delivers his or her own brand, image, and message to consumers and society at large.