How does Five Blocks define reputation management vs public relations?

The disciplines are complementary, and the strongest programs run them coordinated rather than parallel. PR works at the source: pitching journalists, placing thought leadership, managing executive visibility, responding to press inquiries. Its work product is media coverage in credentialed outlets. Reputation management works at the layer above, the digital layers where stakeholders actually encounter the brand: the Google SERP (the Google results page) composition, the Wikipedia article, the Knowledge Panel, the AI engine response. Its work product is structural accuracy and authority across those layers. The handoff between disciplines works in both directions: PR-placed coverage feeds the sources the engines read that reputation management depends on, and reputation work ensures that placed coverage is actually accessible to stakeholders through search and AI. Many engagements coordinate Five Blocks with the client’s external PR firm explicitly, with documented handoff protocols and shared monitoring data. The two functions are most effective when they operate from the same playbook.