Public relations is managing relationships. Organizations have a lot of publics, such as customers, investors, and employees, and it is essential to build and maintain relationships with all of these publics in order for the organization to survive and prosper. For any relationship to be successful it must be mutually beneficial, with everyone involved receiving a benefit from being in a relationship. It also must be two-way symmetrical, with everyone involved having a say about the relationship. These relationships serve as the foundation for the organizational reputation. This makes public relations a strategic function of reputation management.