Owner: PR Blog URL:http://www.RonnTorossian.com Join Date: Wed, 03 Sep 2008 19:59:37 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: PR blog founded by the CEO Ronn Torossian of 5W PR. Site statistics:Click here
PUBLIC RELATIONS & MEDIA 2008-09-03 17:29:28 There has been a lot of buzz today about the Us Weekly covers below vis a vis bias in the media. Although idealists suggest otherwise, I find the concept of an unbiased media simply impossible. First, as human beings, we have inherent biases that can’t be discarded on a whim. Whether political, cultural or simply a [...]
PR AND RETAIL LOCATIONS 2008-09-02 07:34:16 I (foolishly) spent the day shopping during this major holiday weekend – admittedly at high-end, brand-name stores, and primarily at those establishments that spend a ton of money in advertising in an attempt to draw customers to the stores’ various locations.
Earlier in the week, at a major sporting event, I had a similar thought: Why [...]
CELEBRITY ENDORSERS AND PR 2008-09-02 07:30:43 At the epicenter of today’s branded consumer entertainment culture are consumer/corporate brands hiring (partnering with?) celebrities to represent their products. Whenever a brand hires a celebrity, instant brand associations abound, with tremendous potential upsides and downsides. In my career, I have encountered extremes in this endeavor among CEOs and CMOs of clients. I can remember [...]
THE OLD MEDIUM IS A MESS 2008-08-27 13:26:49 Great cover story today in The New York Observer entitled, “Convention Pits Texting vs. Press.” Amid the buzz surrounding the Obama camp’s intention to release the VP choice via text message, the article focuses on how print journalists at the DNC just aren’t getting many exclusive (or good) stories that aren’t being told elsewhere.
Gail Collins [...]
MARKETING AND PR AS THEATER 2008-08-26 09:12:00 I came across a great quote today while doing some reading: “Marketing after all is really theater. It’s like staging a performance. The way to motivate people is to get them interested in your product, to entertain them, and to turn your product into an incredibly interesting event,” said John Sculley, former president of Pepsi [...]
SOCIAL MEDIA & PR 2008-08-22 16:59:31 So, had a lunch with a handful of staff members today. We had an interesting discussion about social media and how they use it:
Someone made a very wise comment about using Twitter and the value of passively reading comments and thoughts of reporters and writers. He said, “If you had the chance to sit at [...]
TIES, CULTURE AND BRAND PR 2008-08-19 08:28:36 When I graduated from college in 1995, wearing a tie to work every day topped my list of things I wasn’t looking forward to. Even though it was the norm at the time, I always felt constrained in a tie. During my first agency job, I was constantly scolded by my supervisor for not wearing [...]
IT’S THE FAST THAT EAT THE SLOW 2008-08-18 09:33:41 Sunday’s New York Times article entitled “How to Erase That Smea…” is a good read not just for politics, but also for real business. Business these days is very aggressive, and that’s life. One must often respond to half-truths.
As the article states, “the very notion of viral marketing, a phrase that describes the exponential multiplication of [...]
OLYMPICS, SPONSORS, AND PUBLIC RELATIONS 2008-08-18 09:26:15 Admittedly, I haven’t watched much of the Olympics, but I have read a number of articles that I found interesting regarding unofficial sponsors of the Olympics. Athletes and sponsorships are big business, and it is often entrepreneurial brands that (attempt to) find less expensive ways to capture the public’s attention at high-profile events.
These two were [...]
POLITICS, SPIN & PR 2008-08-18 09:16:19 As a PR professional who started his PR career in politics, I remain consumed and fascinated with the art of the spin, particularly in the political sphere. Today’s reality is a McCain vs. Obama race, but the real story is the PR behind the campaign. From how Rudy Guiliani ran his race — focusing on [...]
CASH FOR RECOMMENDATIONS - PUBLIC RELATIONS STYLE 2008-09-19 15:29:50 By now, many in the PR industry have heard about Jason Calacanis’ comments and thoughts on PR firms. His recent post on Silicon Alley Insider, “How to Get PR for Your Startup: Fire Your PR Company,” has caused an uproar in PRland and much commentary.
In general, criticism of PR firms makes sense. Nearly all PR [...]
MEDIA, ECONOMY AND PR AGENCIES 2008-09-16 16:31:27 Whenever there’s an action, there’s a reaction, and the media reacted to Black Sunday from every angle. PRWeek summed up some of the different coverage.
Whenever a significant (or even not-so-significant) event happens, there are countless ways the media can approach the issue, and hence, many angles good PR firms can capitalize on for their clients. [...]
STREET THEATRE, PUBLIC RELATIONS AND FASHION WEEK 2008-09-12 16:05:09 Every day this week, I walked one block south of our offices to the tents at Bryant Park. Out on the street in front of the Fashion Week tents, lights were flashing and people were gawking. But while some were there for the fashion, I was there to people watch. As a marketer, I’m always [...]
MEDIA, PR & PAPARAZZI: 2008-09-12 09:00:17 Yesterday’s arrest of Kanye West at LAX was surprising to me primarily because it doesn’t happen more often. West was arrested for suspicion of vandalism after confronting paparazzi media and allegedly smashing their cameras. The struggle between celebrities and the paparazzi is an issue that high profile people must deal with on a day-to-day basis, [...] Read more:PAPARAZZI
RUNNING A COMPANY… AND WORKING IN PR 2008-10-08 10:11:57 Yesterday, I only finally arrived at my office in the afternoon, as I was running around all day. I have always been the type of person who operates best in the office, behind a desk, working. Simply old school: rolling up my sleeves and leading by example. To me, this means being the first one [...]
PUBLIC RELATIONS & THE ECONOMY 2008-10-08 08:39:20 I blogged about this recently, but I am still amazed that companies cut their public relations budget at times such as these (and it’s genuinely not just a self serving comment). Yes, we are in a troubled economy and yes, companies must tighten their budgets, but a fraction of advertising budgets allocated toward PR can [...]
PR, RELIABLE SOURCES AND THE BUSINESS OF THE MEDIA 2008-10-07 10:37:31 This weekend while running in the gym, I caught CNN’s Reliable Sources and absolutely loved it. I’m recommending it to all PR people. Until this weekend, I had only watched it sparingly, but now I’ve TIVO’ed it and don’t plan on missing it again. At Public Relations agencies, we spend our days figuring out how [...]
PR, SALES AND REAL BUSINESS 2008-10-02 12:01:11 What too many PR pros fail to understand is why they are hired. Real businesses utilize PR firms in a strategic manner to make more money. A great story is a means to an end, but not the end-all-be-all. Especially during difficult financial times, marketers need to utilize media and press to make our clients [...]
PR & BRAND EQUITY 2008-10-02 11:05:21 Brand equity and brand positioning are both incredibly important. However, an act that gives your brand power today can bring a cloud of negativity tomorrow. Ringing the Opening Bell at the NYSE has long been a coveted photo opportunity and a chance to flaunt a brand in front of hundreds of millions of viewers. But [...]
SPIN, PUBLIC RELATIONS & BANKING 2008-10-01 18:52:05 Read an interesting article in The New York Times regarding the positioning of major banks’ public statements during this tremendously difficult time. Anyone who doubts that spin exists at all levels should clearly read this. The conclusion of the article from a PR viewpoint is also noteworthy:
“If there are ways people in this room go [...]
INFLUENCER MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS 2008-10-01 09:35:44 I attended a major movie premiere last week and found it to be amazingly well organized. Between the after party and the attention to detail, the event must have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars – a major spend for a studio. I enjoyed myself because I had the chance to view influencer marketing at [...]
THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY… 2008-09-29 09:49:39 A friend and former colleague forwards a daily thought that I thought this AM on many fronts was apt to post to my blog and a good start to the week:
“You are stronger than anything standing in your way. Because you have a purpose that cannot be denied. Often that purpose is difficult and inconvenient [...]
MEDIA: SUNDAY NEW YORK TIMES 2008-09-28 08:24:29 For as long as I can remember, first thing every morning, I always looked forward to opening the door, grabbing the newspapers and reading them. On this fall Sunday, I have spent the early morning thoroughly enjoying the Sunday New York Times. Every week there is nothing that beats the Sunday Times. From a story [...]
THANK YOU THANK YOU AND THANK YOU AGAIN… IN PR 2008-09-27 12:07:12 What a day today was…
It started at 8 a.m. in the 5W PR conference room with a presentation to clients, new business prospects and staff by Hank Sheinkopf. Hank is a friend and renowned political consultant, who touches major political and business leaders on a daily basis. I really enjoyed his smart, focused and inspiring perspective [...]
THE ECONOMY, JOE THE PLUMBER & A PR FIRM 2008-10-30 16:11:12 Read today that Joe the Plumber had hired a public relations agency to assist him in getting a record deal? Anyone out there join me in wondering how his 15 seconds of fame translates to people wanting to buy records?
Separately, there’s no doubt the economy is very tough, and while President Bush, both of the [...]
PR AND BUSINESS: 2008 2008-10-29 07:42:40 These past few weeks have been tremendously busy. Case in point: I ate my breakfast at 5:30 p.m. twice in the last week. These are trying times as an entrepreneur, and they require more focus than ever before. Demands on one’s time and on every penny a PR firm charges a client for results require [...]
ENTREPRENEURS AS DUCKS… 2008-10-21 17:27:47 I had a great discussion with a client (Sakiya Sandifer) today regarding the challenges of being an entrepreneur. He described entrepreneurs as being much like ducks. Ducks appear to be floating smoothly and easily across the water at all times, when in reality, underneath the water their legs are constantly kicking, flapping and fighting to [...]
THE WEEK, MEDIA & PR 2008-10-20 07:43:54 I have recently been reading The Week, a publication put out by Felix Dennis of Dennis Publishing (who also publishes Maxim). The magazine’s simple motto is: “All you need to know about everything that matters.”
The weekly mag provides a review/roundup of the top stories from magazines and newspapers all over the world. That’s a great [...]
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