What is publicity? What are the main types of publicity tools? What is the main objective of each type of tool?

Publicity is a nonpersonal presentation of an organization, product, or service without direct cost. Many companies use the news release, consisting of an announcement regarding changes in the company or the product line. The objective of a news release is to inform a newspaper, radio station, or other medium of an idea for a story. A second common publicity tool is the news conference. Representatives of the media are all invited to an informational meeting, and advance materials regarding the content are sent to them. This tool is often used when new products are introduced or significant changes in corporate structure and leadership are being made. Nonprofit organizations rely heavily on public service announcements (PSAs), which are free space or time donated by the media.