ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book considers how public relations practitioners have taken on a pivotal role in corporate brand reputation management because of their stakeholder focus, dialogical communications skills, and their understanding of how 21st century brands have to dynamically respond to their social environments. It aims to challenge existing ideas about corporate identity and corporate brand personality management arguing that a digital turn in public relations has realigned public relations as an important discipline in determining and focusing corporate brand personalities and narratives. Public relations is often conceptualised as a servant of marketing and sales-led branding practice but with the paradigmatic changes to communications practice brought by digital media, and considerable citizen activism around social and environmental concerns, it might be argued that public relations is evolving as a dominant branding discipline.
