Ever since the Kotler's promotion-mix concept based on the most traditional model of four pillars -advertising, public relations, sales promotion and direct sales has become commonly known, PR has been treated as one of many, typically marketing, impact tools. This perception is particularly characteristic for the science of marketing management and publication. Meanwhile, it is often forgotten that public relations is the management of communication, which may be used in marketing communication, however it is a much broader meaningful concept, giving greater perspectives of use. This article refers to defining a place of public relations between two asymmetric areas of communication -social and marketing one. Basing on literature analysis, the authors define key factors differentiating both perspectives, they also evaluate the proposals for introducing new concepts into the media and communication terminology, indicating the distinctiveness of both conceptual categories.Public relations, as well as en bloc communication, is identified by its exceptional interdisciplinary character, deriving from the achievements of at least several scientific disciplines and even a greater number of sub-disciplines. Depending on the context of deliberations on PR, in Polish conditions, the most common is its relationship with two disciplines, although separated and different from each other, but in many areas, however, complementing each other -in the sciences of management and the sciences of the media and social communication. In addition, there are numerous connections with such disciplines as sociology, political sciences, psychology and many others, because the universal nature of interpersonal communication and the wide range of impact that PR strategies and tools result in a diverse spectrum of practical use of public relations' achievements. This is partly due to the fact that PR, as one of the tools used in marketing, is also common in increasingly diverse areas of social activities. Marketing itself is no longer the domain of enterprises and other entities, pursuing mercantile goals and 1