Abstract

Public relations practitioners rely on the linguistic capital of words to shape organisational reputations, (re-)position products and services in the marketplace, promote issues and public policy, negotiate and establish community, employee, media and customer relations. In essence, they do this by shaping how people see and interact with the organisation whose position they are representing whilst competing to be seen and heard. In this way, public relations professionals utilise the symbols of appeal by crafting key messages, to influence their audiences and form their opinions in the competing marketplace of words and ideas across cultures.