public relations

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun plural The art or science of establishing and promoting a favorable relationship with the public.
• noun plural The methods and activities employed to establish and promote a favorable relationship with the public.
• noun plural The degree of success obtained in achieving a favorable relationship with the public.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• noun Communication by a person or an organization with the purpose of creating a favorable public image; commonly referred to as PR.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun a promotion intended to create goodwill for a person or institution