The role of the Indonesia Public Relations Association (Perhumas) in building and maintaining the country's reputation

The advancement of technological development has led to a revolution in the way people are communicating. This situation brings new value to industry and society in ways not possible previously, especially in relation to their contribution to the nation’s reputation. The aim of this research is to analyse how public relations plays its role in building and maintaining a country’s reputation. This paper is an example of conceptual thinking which uses a qualitative approach. Data is gathered by participant observation in developing strategic recommendations based on the organisation’s experiences which were shared in the Public Relations Convention 2015-2018 held by Persatuan Hubungan Masyarakat (PERHUMAS) – the Indonesia Public Relations Association. It also includes interviews with high level management public relations officers. The results show that the Public Relations Association in Indonesia plays significant role in building and maintaining the country’s reputation by its recommendations, implementation and evaluation which are addressed to government, company, media and PR professionals