Random musings from a NYC PR guy -

As the owner of a Public Relations agency, I realize that the PR business is ‘go-go-go’ all of the time; it is hard to find opportunities to reflect, an opportunity to lament on an NYC August day. It is hard work all of the time and, to make it in this business, resiliency, hard work and persistence are necessities.

I am quite proud of our read and react PR programs. Part of garnering media results is continually checking the news, and when something happens, coming up with an angle that fits, and getting the client quoted.

I was cleaning up some emails, and came across this inspiring article by Jay-Z, which is an interesting read for self-made entrepreneurs of any kind.  A truly inspiring piece:

http://www.menshealth.com/men/best-life/career-money/jay-zs-secrets-for-personal-success/article/ebb1b36e20405210vgnvcm10000030281eac

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

When I twitter so regularly, I find myself not blogging as much.

Some random thoughts:

People (unfortunately) hate winners.  Accidentally came across this study and wasn’t surprised at all.
Wish it was different. I love to win !

Website “design” is a lot less important than SEO friendly design.  I remain amazed at how few Public Relations folks understand the importance behind key words, search words and the like.

Public Relations in 2009 and 2010 will continue to be about business development, not just brand development.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

I remember as a kid watching Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, a movie about a High School wise guy who cuts school and gets into various teenage adventures around Chicago. A central issue in the movie was trust – between parents and their kids and schools and its students. Clearly in today’s A.D.D. generation, such a thing could never happen as the new media world now allows everyone to serve as “citizen journalists.” Videos and messages, via YouTube and Twitter, would be everywhere before anyone could feign illness at home.

This post came to me after a few simple weekend observations:

Dining alone at a mid-tier Japanese restaurant on a leisurely Sunday afternoon, the woman next to me was served the wrong order twice. She told the servers that she planned to post to the Internet how bad the restaurant was and relay this experience to everyone she knows.  While she was telling the truth, what’s to stop others from spreading lies?

A couple was in line behind me at an amusement park joking about a friend who was fired because someone else posted inappropriate pictures of him smoking marijuana to the Internet on a day he was supposed to be working.  People can “tag” photos without permission.

A close friend is firing an employee today because he discovered the employee twitters and blogs every hour while at work and on his payroll. His reasoning: “Why am I paying someone to twitter instead of work for me?”

Many questions still remain and I believe they will continue to evolve along side these changing forms of communication.

Amazingly, by 10 AM Tuesday post Labor Day we have eight new business leads, all of which have materialized since close of business Friday. While I am far from optimistic that the economy is close to recovery, there has definitely been a slight uptick in people’s interests in marketing and PR programs.

Post-Labor Day, summer is really gone in NYC – Musings from a PR Agency.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

I admittedly haven’t blogged as much as I’d like to the last few weeks. Day to day work and traveling has worn me down. I’ve been posting a lot at Twitter, which regrettably means less blogging.

Some random musings:

1:  While Goldman Sachs received negative press this week for reportedly “telling employees to tone down their spending,” I thought it wise on their part. If employees do not heed wise messages from their CEO, I believe they should rightfully be disciplined. Much like Mafia movies where characters are told to watch their spending, Wall Street today is under intense scrutiny. Business people have to be careful to not become the poster boys for gluttony and greed. In today’s world, a black card is something to be hidden rather than flaunted.

2: The communications industry remains confused about where the business world needs us most.  After multiple discussions with CEO’s from other PR Agencies, I think many don’t realize that clients need us now more than ever.  PR is a relatively light expense, but it can greatly impact SEO, consumer confidence, brand messaging and shape public perceptions. I believe it requires more focus and precise targeting than ever before. Clients demand more… but there is ample opportunity if we look in the right place.

Lastly, I remain confused as to why more of my colleagues don’t utilize blogs or twitter.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

I read a great article in the Sunday NY Post,  entitled “Life in the Media Bubble,” and found it to be a must read for all in PR, and anyone interested in the media.  Owning a PR agency, I have known for a long time that despite claims otherwise, all media, just as all people, are biased.  I have battled many reporters who claim to be un-biased, but I find that to be an absurd claim. Do some folks like hamburgers while others don’t? Do some people like the color blue and others don’t? That’s bias, as is one’s religion, race, income, sexuality, and many other factors, and reporters are, after all, only human. 

Good PR firms understand the media they are pitching and tailor their pitch to the “bias” of that publication.  Whose reality carries the day is a question for media and PR pros… and of course self-publishing user generated content via Twitter, text messaging and blogs allow that reality to be created by many people other than “major media conglomerates.”

Interesting read… and the bar continues to move as traditional media consumption continues to decrease.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

Every media training which we have recently given begins with telling our clients to assume everything they say is being recorded, in every forum.  Every public discussion they have, every speech to an obscure group can constitute media, and we direct them to ask if anyone in the room is recording their speech (and should always assume it is). Anything and everything is searchable, not deniable, and on the record.  It can be posted on Youtube and elsewhere, leaked to the media (including trade outlets), given to competitors (or family members), twitted about, and it becomes instant “media” – Leaving no room for misstep.
 
Last week I had dinner at the home of a friend for 20 years who has recently been elected to the Israeli Knesset (Parliament), and despite the fact that he’s one of the straightest people I know, he relayed that he assumes every phone discussion he has is taped. He refuses to make any decisions on the phone at all for fear of one’s ulterior motive.  This is symbolic of something many here, I assume, will now adopt (albeit for different reasons).
 
With media layoffs occurring daily, the Twittergate Affair should be examined closely by all media analysts – A major major story was leaked by an insider.  More self-reporting (which happened to be accurate this time) – It costs a lot of money for media to be instantly available to be available and respond quickly, and not many media outlets are able to adapt.
 
Moving forth, will people confess to crimes via these non traditional media outlets? What about marriage proposals? This is real and actual media, continuing to take eyeballs from traditional media – Television, newspapers and the like. Everyday we learn more. This Al Roker Item is also worth nothing; it happens every day, but received attention simply because it was Roker.
 
The world is changing by the minute (and please feel free to record that).
 
Ronn Torossian
5W PR

Anyone who’s spent more than 30 seconds next to me knows of my intense blackberry addiction; I have slept with my blackberry next to my bed for years.  If that need for instant communications wasn’t enough, I recently joined Twitter (pre CNN, Oprah and Ashton’s high-profile media).

As 5WPR matures along with the industry, we have expanded our leadership and focus in emerging and social media campaigns for our clients. 

This continues to be an important space for PR and communications.  As the Public Relations industry evolves and our firm continues to grow, I invite you to follow me on Twitter to engage in a greater conversation about public relations.  And while you are at it, friend me on Facebook.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

This weekend I read a very interesting survey of journalists.

Prior to the recession, traditional media had tremendous challenges. Now, with the onset of this economy, things are changing even faster, with mass layoffs and newspaper after newspaper folding. The survey spoke volumes and led me to ask how long it may be before blogs publicly (or privately) sell content to the highest bidder. In a world that — to date — has no established rules, do bloggers have the same ethical responsibilities as traditional journalists?

Anyone with mass traffic and early-mover SEO may eventually be able to do a lot with content. I have very much enjoyed Tina Brown’s new site, and wasn’t surprised to see last week’s announcement re: advertising, nor comments re: “sponsored content.”

For me, there’s a very clear link in terms of the survey item I led with in this post and the concept of sponsored content. The world has changed, and one wonders how traditional journalism schools will adapt in the years to come, as well as how the public relations industry will evolve.

Companies like NAPS have been servicing the PR agency world for years. For a fee, NAPS writes articles and incorporates them into newspapers and magazines. They guarantee hundreds of placements, and the articles they write are rarely labeled as advertising. As their website states, “The CDC and the AMA, for example, contribute timely health stories on food, safety for children, or cutting edge medical technology and techniques; experts write about home maintenance and decor; home economists at General Foods send recipes; and financial gurus at such companies as Primerica (a member of Citigroup) offer advice on investing and money management.” Will someone incorporate this concept for the internet world? Without mass publishing or distribution costs and with simple, smart SEO, it can be done a lot quicker, and a ton cheaper.

Food for thought.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

Given the carnage affecting the media industry, it has become even harder to pitch and secure stories.  As such, we have advised many of our clients to write op-eds.  If they are well written, they can be an excellent opportunity to secure positive, lengthy media coverage.  The same goes for high profile blogs: its easy for media to insert, and its essentially do-it-yourself journalism.

Op-eds are a great way to get an opinion or position into the media.  The following link I came across today may be helpful in this arena: The Op-Ed Project

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

For those of us in the heart of the beast, public relations isn’t a social exercise or an academic debate – it’s business.   And like all businesses, we focus on the bottom line.   Lately, we’ve spent a lot of time discussing social media with prospects and clients, but the fact remains that very few are willing to spend any real money on social media.  There’s a lot of talk, and publicly they say otherwise, but this AdAge article expressed the reality, and for me wasn’t a surprise at all.   It reveals that, “three-quarters of those surveyed who knew their budgets said they allowed for $100,000 or less for social media tools over a 12-month period, according to the report.”

Less than $100K (which for most brands I bet is under $25K in reality) to manage twitter accounts, dabble on blogs, create facebook pages, and tap all of the other various social media communities.  Those budgets include agency fees, so how much work can an agency, or anyone for that matter, really do when budgets are that tiny?

Clients need to spend more – much more – on social media to succeed.  We do have a number of clients for whom we have succeeded tremendously in this arena at low cost, but it does take some money.  Here’s to hoping that brands don’t just do interviews lauding social media, but actually spend money on it, allowing for success.

Ronn Torossian
5WPR