so Eilish,maybe you could begin by telling us about your duties as the PR Manager.

Well,my job is to plan and manage the public relations strategy for the Skoda brand in the UK.This means I'm responsible for dealing with the press,television and radio,as well as communications with the public and personnel in our UK dealerships.

How would you describe the role of the PR Department within the company?

Well,the primary role of PR is to create understanding with the public.My job involves talking and listening to both the press and the public,providing them with information from the heart of the organisction.Our objective is to give an accurate picture of the company,its brands and what it believes in.We have to make sure that the public has a positive image of the company.

So how does the role differ from that of the Marketing Department?

Marketing has more to do with identifying customer needs and developing the right products to satisfy those needs,PR,on the other hand,is more concerned tith establishing and maintaining goodwill and understanding between the company and its public.Marketing reaches the public through advertising,whereas we work more with the press and broadcast media.

But how much control do you have over what the press says?

None really.But that's what makes the way we deal with the press so important.Our job is to make sure that journalists always have a very clear understanding of what the company is trying to do .Maintaining good relationships with the press is a very important part of the job.In PR you have to build long-term relationships with journalists because you work with them on a regular basis and trust is absolutely essential.