A lot of public relations work involves paying far too much money for something you could do for yourself at a fraction of the cost. At Mindmeta we see the conventional public relations role as part of our wider public affairs brief, taking in not just company or product “image” and introductions to individuals with the “right connections”, but the often more crucial areas such a winning and cost effective media strategy, issues management (taking into consideration environmental and labour questions), and the often delicate question of cultural sensitivities and ethical traps.