A great example of how public relations manages good relationships is the McDonalds case study. A few years ago, Greenpeace, an independent global environmental campaigning organization, attacked major multi-national organizations, such as McDonalds, that had poor environmental practices. McDonalds was blamed for the deforestation of millions of acres of land in developing countries due to their need for agricultural expansion. The public relations practitioners for McDonalds did not fight back, but rather listened to the criticism and used it to change for the better. McDonalds reached out to their environmentalist publics, apologized, and created positive social change. In 2006, McDonalds and Greenpeace joined together to create a more environmentally friendly business. Through two-way communication, McDonalds was able to save its relationships with its publics and maintain a successful business. This is an example of how organizations can avoid conflict and maintain stable relationships when responding to pressure. Great PR!
http://www.instituteforpr.org/files/uploads/UsingResearch_DriveBusiness.pdf
