Promotional Culture

When public opinion gained importance was when public relations

developed into a specialized profession. Public relations was a form of what Edward

Bernays called “conscious and intelligent manipulation”, the ability to manipulate

the beliefs and behaviours of society. However, its recent gain in importance and

popularity has lead to a shift in power, from the nation-state to transnational bodies.

Although public relation was created to manipulate and control the public, it has

essentially backfired in that there is now a “globalization of protest”. The protests

are in opposition to the marketing, PR and advertising used by these transnational

bodies. The public no longer wants to see public relations used in a capitalist way to

gain profit. It seems that the tool created to hinder society’s understanding of

capitalist profiteering is now the tool used to create revolt against it.