Digital Survey Results With Ronn Torossian of 5WPR

Interesting survey conducted in Europe recently which has findings that are very relevant for all of us in the marketing world. More than two thousand students were surveyed – and they found that more than 70% of those surveyed believe the “marketing landscape will be 'dominated' by Content Marketing and 'PR Thinking'.”

Great news for all of us in the PR agency world – and it is quite true as we are now able to cut through the filter to reach consumers, brand targets and more. But it is heavy lifting – and not nearly as easy as it was before.
 

All that said, the students overwhelmingly also found that “85% either agreed or strongly agreed that by 2023 social media and digital agencies would not be stand alone specialists and that by then they will be integrated with other marcoms agencies or be full service themselves”- which indeed could also be true as agencies need to consider all forms of communicating to brands and consumers. One track thinking doesn’t work today – as we all have known it is indeed increasingly about integrated marketing as we have pontificated for quite some time.

Ronn Torossian said “These are results which are very interesting – but not very surprising. Pr Agencies have always been about managing conversations – and today’s conversations naturally involve digital thinking. We know that the Public Relations will keep growing – and weren’t surprised at this survey.”
 

Press Release on the survey may be read at:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/social-media-and-digital-agencies-will-vanish-within-ten-years-208264661.html

5WPR CEO reveals why cartoon images are taking the ‘net by storm

Memes. If you use social media at all, they are almost unavoidable. Images with “clever” slogans, sayings or clichés attached. What started as an easy laugh on Instagram or Tumblr has now spread to Facebook and, thus, over one billion users worldwide.

But why is 5WPR CEO Ronn Torossian talking about memes? How is it that something teenagers started to make each other “lol” is now a powerful PR tool? Because these impactful visuals can teach us several things about how to craft engaging and viral public relations messages.

Ronn Torossian: Memes are the new “instant message”

Visuals immediately connect and create conscious and subconscious reactions. Adding text messages to the visuals creates a one-two PR punch that causes the message to land with both feet. People react immediately to the image and then react to the combination of the text message and the image. This allows creators to craft a meme that contains multiple layers of messages within a single easy-to-share image.

Ronn Torossian: Memes have instant “share” appeal

Rather than a long text advert that people may or may not take the time to read, a meme lands instantly. Because the reaction is primarily emotional, this also translates into more shares and clicks. People love to “feel” with their friends. Whether the emotion is happy, sad, fun or simply “awe,” people get more mileage out of an emotion that is shared. The emotional connection offered by a meme hits all the right buttons to compel users to hit that one SHARE button.

Ronn Torossian: Memes can suggest new ideas without seeming unfamiliar

Satire works as a form of criticism because everyone loves to laugh. In the same way, humor can be used to diffuse some discomfort surrounding touchy subjects. Public relations surrounding controversial topics can be made more palatable when wrapped in a familiar or attractive package. The same can be said for new ideas wrapped in a familiar package. When filtered by a fun or familiar image, a new idea will feel less different or “alien.” This can be a great way to elicit buy-in for a new product line.

So, while memes began as a fun new take on old clichés, the format works great for conveying messages in a compelling way.

For help creating your own line of multimedia social media messages, contact Ronn Torossian and the top public relations team at 5WPR.com.

Hire a PR Firm or Go In-House?

It’s a topic that folks debate on a daily basis – use a PR agency or just go with everything in-house. In the business world it’s something that you can go back and forth on for hours and even days. While some think it’s a great idea to keep everything in-house others think dollars are better spent on hiring someone to handle public relations.

Here’s a great excerpt from a recent Forbes article 

that jumped out:

The reality is that the PR (and marketing) industry is pretty much in constant defense mode to those who do not understand it. Sparring over “do or don’t” or pitting one type of employee against another only further fuels speculation that perhaps this industry is not serving the growth of businesses as well as it should. Those outside of marketing who truly understand what about PR makes a brand and its financial success tick, well, they are a small bunch. This type of cat fighting tells the marketing non-believing business leader, “Yeah, we don’t really know what we do, either.” Saying “do or don’t” hire a PR agency or even a PR manager based on generalities is like saying “every business needs a Pinterest page.” 

There are several models of PR that work for different types of companies. Some companies standardize on one global agency. Some companies work only with local-based agency. Some companies have multiple pan-regional agencies. Some companies have dozens of independent specialized firms on their rosters. Some companies’ business leadership manages this directly and others have an interface built with internal PR managers. All of these approaches are dependent on where a company’s business priorities lie.

As has been mentioned in the past, PR is not one-size fits all. There is a lot to consider when it comes to choosing the right firm and right program. Being able to understand the nuances of the industry plays a big factor. As an entrepreneur and CEO of one of Manhattan’s top PR firms, Ronn Torossian knows this is a topic that comes up regularly. And it doesn’t seem like it’s going away anywhere in the near future.   

What are your thoughts? 

Ronn Torossian On Maxim 100 Cross-Over Appeal

It’s a given that any “Hot 100” list will be chock-full of superstars from across the entertainment spectrum. When people read these lists, they do not expect to find their coworkers, friends or the supermarket cashier featured. Beyond the obvious eye candy, they are looking for two reasons:

• To see if their favorite star made the list
• To find a reason to complain about their favorite not making the list

However, NY PR firm CEO and Finalist for the 2013 American Business Awards, Ronn Torossian says these lists have another purpose. They keep stars front of mind, especially when they are promoting other products. And the publications use that star power to create a mutually beneficial public relations situation.

No matter which media outlet is putting together the list, they are gleaning their “contestants” from previous news stories, press releases or media kits submitted by fashion, beauty or entertainment PR firms. That process creates a list of stars in three groups:

• Stars with a current hit
• Stars with timeless appeal readers expect to see
• Stars with upcoming projects they need to promote

It’s this last group that Ronn Torossian highlights in this article. There is no doubt that, subjectively, all the people on the list are beautiful. But how can the publisher or editor narrow down a list when everyone in music and movies is “hot” in his or her own way.

The deciding factor is “how hot” they are right now. Often, this decision includes a consideration of “how hot they will be” when the issue drops. That means editors and content creators have to look weeks or months ahead to learn who will be front of mind when the issue hits the stands or the web. They depend on forward-thinking public relations agencies for that information.

For an example of this, check out these selections on a recent Maxim Hot 100 list:

• Miley Cyrus – reinventing her career as an adult
• Selena Gomez – just had a movie in the theaters
• Rhianna – constantly in the news
• Jennifer Lawrence – just one an Oscar and has a summer movie coming out
• Beyonce – performed at the Super Bowl
• Lea Michele – Glee season about to end
• Demi Lovato – about to release an album

These are just a few examples of the crossover appeal and mutually beneficial entertainment PR these lists create. For information on how to conduct similar PR campaigns, read this article on how to execute a successful entertainment PR plan.

Of course, depending on the publication, you can bet more than a few of their cover girls will be featured as well. After all, nothing works quite so well as publicity wrapped in public relations and sprinkled with PR.

To find out how to get you, your product or your client the type of PR that will keep them at the top of their market’s list, click here.

The line between controversy and free publicity

5WPR sometimes works with clients on PR messages that are out of the box. Our ability to react effectively to tough PR situations has made 5WPR a top agency. 

Where is the line between controversy and free publicity?

There is a difference.

Ideas that may be outside of the norm can stir up conversation and create gratis publicity. However, if an idea is intentionally intended to get a reaction from a particular group, that message might turn into a controversy that swallows the message and drowns the messenger in unwanted press.

Recently, an “exotic taco” restaurant down in Florida decided to tempt the line by announcing that it would be putting lion meat on the menu. The place already served ostrich, shark, gator, rabbit, duck, camel and kangaroo, so it may not seem that much of a stretch to insinuate that you may add the king of beasts to the menu. However, whether you’re taking a serious stand or just trying a publicity stunt, you have to be ready to deal with the backlash of decisions such as these.

The point here is not to offer an opinion on this restaurant’s decision. That venue is well served by the newspapers. My point in even bringing up this controversial issue is to offer some suggestions for businesses that are considering toeing the line between controversy and free publicity.

Is it worth the risk?

Before engaging in any sort of PR campaign, 5WPR strongly suggests considering both the financial cost and the price you will pay in public image. Yesterday in the media, this taco vendor was being hailed as a visionary who stood on principle. Today, as more facts about the international exotic animal trade have been inserted into the conversation, he is being challenged by people with very cogent points. If, at this point, he were to pick up the phone and call Ronn Torossian, I would ask him from a PR standpoint, “What did the restaurant owner know before he did this, and is the controversy surrounding this trade part of his plan?” If he cannot answer this question, that business owner unintentionally put both himself and his business at considerable risk.

Better to avoid the “gotcha”

If the restaurant owner did not have all the facts, his attempt at “positive” controversy could easily derail. The same thing goes for any business that engages in this sort of “shock” publicity. Everyone’s line between shock and awe may be different, but certain facts can quickly build a consensus. The “gotcha” happens when those facts create a negative consensus. Suddenly, what may have been intended as a “harmless” attempt at guerilla PR could end up turning into a PR crisis. Here’s information on how to prevent a PR crisis. The best way to avoid the gotcha is to have all the pertinent facts before you launch the campaign.

While, as in investing, everyone’s risk tolerance may be different, controversial PR campaigns can easily backfire. Before pulling the trigger on one of your own, we strongly suggest you consider the risk and benefits involved. For more information on various types of PR campaigns by Ronn Torossian, click here.  

Oreo’s Hit’s a Homerun with Latest Tweet

It seems as if Oreo has once again struck social media gold. This time with a tweet in regards the newly acclaimed movie, The Great Gatsby. To preface things, brand Oreo stole the show and this year’s Super Bowl when the lights when out and the company tweeted with a photo, “You can still dunk in the dark.” The tweet was a hit with football fans and public relations professionals alike.

The company’s most recent tweet this past Friday also caused a stir.

Dozens of Great Gatsby fans took notice and within hours the post was favorited and retweeted hundreds of times. 

Twitters reaction to the post was overwhelmingly positive and the brand once again won over returning and new fans alike. It begs the question - is real-time marketing always appropriate? While many are abuzz with the term, others are hesitant to adopt the practice. It takes a perfect storm of strategy, witty thinking and perfectly timed content to have success. 

Many PR agencies are jumping on board the real-time bandwagon. However, in the PR world hasn’t this practice always been around throughout the PR industry? As PR professionals, have we not always been proactive in finding the most relevant and trending stories for our clients? 

What do you think? Will real-time content creation be a hit in the future or just a fad that will fizzle out? 

5WPR & Ronn Torossian Pleased To Announce Being Named Finalists for 2013 American Business Awards

5WPR and Ronn Torossian are excited to announce that they have both been named finalists in The 2013 American Business Awards. 5W Public Relations have been named a finalist in the Public Relations Agency of the Year category and CEO Ronn Torossian was named a finalist in the Communications, Investor Relations, and PR Executive of the Year category.

For those who aren’t familiar with The American Business Awards, they are the United States’ premier business awards. This year alone there were more than 3,200 nominations from a variety of establishments and organizations in a wide range of categories.

Finalists were chosen by more than 140 business professionals across the country and judging was based on a number of different details and criteria.

The 5W nomination that was submitted was titled Re-writing the Rules of PR: 5W Builds an Agency for a New Media Landscape. While 5W has seen tremendous growth and a number of client wins throughout the first few months of the year, everyone at the PR firm is looking forward to what the remainder of 2013 has to offer.

The American Business Awards banquet will be held in Chicago on June 17. For more details about The American Business Awards and to view a full list of all the finalists and categories that were announced visit www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.  

Take a look at the full press release here. 

5WPR discusses 3 keys to managing a crisis

Ronn Torossian, CEO of NY public relations agency 5WPR, has been watching events unfold in the cruise industry with great interest.

It’s no secret that Q1 has come with its share of travel PR complications for the cruise industry. Carnival mainly has felt the brunt of this negative publicity, but other cruise lines are now having to answer a series of questions from reticent passengers that they have not encountered before. While not a textbook case of crisis PR, we here at 5WPR would deal with this sort of passive damage control using similar crisis PR techniques.

Direct accountability

When the first negative news rocked the cruise industry, executives gave the press unprecedented access. They were forthright, open and, as far as the context allowed, welcoming. Then, a few weeks later, in what would have been the tail end of the news cycle on the first issue, more negative news hit. These were minor – and fairly common – issues with major cruise liners. But coming as they did when the world was still talking about the first issue, they made national news. Twice.

While accepting responsibility for the issues, corporate officers at the cruise line in question qualified the subsequent incidents as “mostly normal incidents that would not have drawn intense media attention had they occurred over a longer period of time.”

Perhaps not the best response. Frustrated tourists don’t want to hear about corporate hard luck stories. But the response is understandable. It also serves as an example of how some incidents can’t be solved with a “we’ll fix it.”

Incentives

Sometimes “it won’t happen again” just isn’t enough. Customers need more than just verbal encouragement to give you another shot to keep their business. In these times the incentives you offer may not be any different than typical sales or discount offers. But they must be packaged differently … and generally offered with no strings attached.

Good times

When you are in the entertainment industry and your clients are not having a good time, the best solution is to do whatever is necessary to show them a good time. Nothing blows dark clouds and doubt away like a great party. While you can never go back and change problems of the past, you can provide praiseworthy service going forward. It may not happen all at once, but, eventually, if you continue to deliver a good entertainment experience, your fans will return. And they will tell their friends.

Professional sports teams have come back after labor disputes and lockouts due to great PR campaigns. Movie companies have rebounded from bad sequels with terrific third movies and, the cruise industry continues to show their passengers a good time. As long as they keep this up the travel industry will be just fine. In fact, if it learned something from all the negative press, it will likely be better than ever.

Harnessing the Power of LinkedIn for Professional Use

It’s no longer a question of whether or not professionals should be using LinkedIn. In today’s world it is a must. Some folks have even mentioned that LinkedIn is basically the online equivalent to professional offline networking. Whether you agree or not, as LinkedIn celebrates its 10th anniversary this week, the social media platform for professionals holds a lot of klout and there are a number of ways to leverage it.

As an entrepreneur and CEO of a New York City based PR firm, time is of the essence. Every professional out there fights this battle every day. The time suck and struggle of having to be at this meeting at that time while also juggling a number of other deliverables. However, it all comes down to how you use the site.

LinkedIn allows you to connect up to three different websites to your profile, aside from your Twitter account. For example, this was a great way for me to link back to my business (5WPR), my professional blog, and my book on Amazon: "For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results with Game-Changing Public Relations."

Due to the fact that LinkedIn is also a site for business professionals, it also conveys an heir of credibility. Make sure your profile is completely updated; this includes adding a summary, skills and experience and yes, even a clearly visible and professional headshot.

One of the most important things that professionals need to remember while on LinkedIn is to consider using the platform as a tool for not only building relationships but nurturing them as well. 

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5WPR CEO on Searching Staying on Point

Google is the undisputed search champion. But, as more consumers are abandoning the desktop computer for mobile devices, how they search for information online is changing. Google is changing with it. 5WPR CEO Ronn Torossian explains how the search giant stays on point

Be about what you are about (not about what you do)

While Google was so branded, its name became a verb (“Google” anything lately?) the company has never stopped working to expand and stay out in front of the technology curve. Yes, they are about search, but what they are really about is innovative and useful technology. Search is what they “do.” Now they also do a great number of other things. While consumers worldwide still use their search function 8 out of 10 times online, the company has rolled out a series of equally popular applications consumers love.

The advent of Gmail and the partnership with YouTube changed the way people communicate and share life online. Today, it’s not so easy to describe what Google does. But it is still easy to describe what Google is – a dominant force in web applications and mobile life.

Communicate a customer-centered model

Throughout its existence, Google has made no secret about its goal to dominate web-based user applications. However, in each step Google has worked to create easy-to-use and easy-to-understand products and services. Within a few minutes, Google product users can acclimate comfortably and advance to the habit-forming stage of use.

That may sound cynical but consider – is it easier to use intuitive tech that makes your life easier or tech that always requires you to learn something new or different just to operate it? In that sense, habit-forming tech can be a huge blessing. Even if something changes, the basic functionality is the same.

Apple hit a gold mine using this approach with its single-button iPhones and iPads. New models can do more, and they do it better and easier, but the basic functionality is the same. The PR principle here is that no new technology or consumer PR related to these products has to include a new user interface.

Focus on adaptability

As technology transitions from stationary users to almost exclusively mobile users, adaptability is the only plausible approach. This means creating products for a diverse, consumer-focused market that is now accustomed to using technology how they want where they want. That they will search the web is a given. Everything else concerning the operation of mobile technology is wide open.

The companies whose technology PR brands them as being adaptable and customer-centered will thrive.

Public Relations Jobs

5WPR is of course always hiring – here too are some more interesting PR jobs being offered recently:

• Director of Online Marketing - Quirky, Inc: Serve as digital and social media thought-leader, creating and executing Quirky's digital, mobile and social media storytelling strategies. Act as liaison between Brand, Platform, E-Commerce, Community and Design teams to build a world-class online marketplace with a user interface, navigation flow and design the reflects Quirky's brand priorities, brand positioning, brand voice and consumer target.  More information available at:http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/jobview.asp?joid=149164&c=jejppr

• Coordinator, Global Business Development - Bond No. 9: New York's first ever luxury fragrance company dedicated to paying homage to the life, style and history of New York City is looking for an enthusiastic, eager, professional International Export Assistant to join the growing Bond No. 9 team. Will work in a fast-pace, creative environment and have the opportunity to be part of a rapidly expanding luxury fragrance company. [http://www.indeed.com/cmp/Bond-No.-9-New-York/jobs/Coordinator-aaabbe76348e81a8]

• Manager Digital PR – L’Oreal: This position will be responsible for internal and external Media and PR initiatives for Matrix, including proactive and reactive public relations, media planning, trade show and local market events for both trade and consumer media. In addition, this role needs to liaise on a daily basis with other groups within Matrix Marketing and Sales to ensure our initiatives are fully integrated and communicated to the press, and across Matrix and L’Oreal. [http://www.aplitrak.com/?adid=ZXNlbHR6ZXIuMTk3MjguMTc2MEBsb3JlYWx1c2EuYXBsaXRyYWsuY29t]

More information on 5WPR jobs is available on twitter here: https://twitter.com/5WPRJobs