Q.The element of promotion mix which involves a variety of programmes designed to promote or protect a company's image and its individual products in the eyes of the public is : (A) Personal selling (B) Public relations (C) Marketing (D) Sales promotion

The key idea is that Public Relations is the promotion mix element focused on building a favourable company or product image through non-paid, credible communication.

Reasoning:

1. The question describes programmes that "promote or protect a company's image" with the public.
2. Personal selling and sales promotion are direct, short-term selling tools, not image-building. …

The promotion mix is a set of tools a company uses to communicate with its target audience. Each tool has a distinct purpose. Personal selling is about one-on-one persuasion. Sales promotion offers short-term incentives like discounts or contests. Advertising is paid, non-personal mass communication. But the element that focuses on building a favourable image and managing the company’s reputation — without directly paying for media space — is Public Relations.

Public Relations (PR) includes activities like press conferences, charity sponsorships, annual reports, and crisis management. Its goal is not an immediate sale but long-term goodwill. For example, when a company donates to disaster relief or issues a press release about a new eco-friendly initiative, it is using PR to protect and promote its image.

Now, let’s eliminate the other options:

1. Personal selling involves direct interaction between a salesperson and a customer to make a sale. It is personal and persuasive, but it does not aim to protect the company’s overall image — it aims to close a deal. So (A) is wrong.

2. Marketing is a broader concept — it includes all activities from product design to pricing to distribution. The promotion mix is just one part of marketing. The question specifically asks for an element of the promotion mix, not the entire field. So (C) is too broad and incorrect.

3. Sales promotion uses short-term tactics like “buy one get one free” or contests to boost immediate sales. It does not focus on long-term image building or crisis management. So (D) is wrong. …