Work Ethic And New PR Book

A recent exciting feature story was published on Ronn Torossian, CEO of 5WPR.

Entitled: “In My Business! Public Relations Pro Ronn Torossian Talks Industry Stereotypes, Work Ethic and New Book!”, the full story may be read at:
http://www.urblife.com/the-edge/in-my-business-ronn-torossian/

Article references my new book “For Immediate Release” which can be purchased at:
http://www.amazon.com/Immediate-Release-Deliver-Game-Changing-Relations/dp/1936661160

“Shouting fire in a crowded theatre” is a well known paraphrase of a U.S. Supreme Court decision which served as an example of the limitations on free speech, when the speech is imminently dangerous and has no conceivable purpose.   In a world where we have seen real revolutions in part because of digital media, its interesting that everyone today has digital media to amplify whatever noise they’d like to make – good or bad – and can utilize media without a filter.

Its on the backs of Wikileaks pressure by the American government to shut down – including pressuring financial companies not to process payment, threatened prosecutions and the like – that a close friend of mine for many years, Nitsana Darshan-Leitner of the Shurat HaDin Israel Law Center, is all over the media today threatening to sue Twitter for allowing terrorists to use the digital media network. Trust me, I know her – she is smart, focused and ideological – a formidable opponent raising a valid point. If the US government deems these organizations illegal and they cant raise funds – why can they amplify their message freely to Americans ?

Leitner’s organization, The Shurat HaDin Israel Law Center, is a civil rights organization dedicated to “combating the terrorist organizations and the regimes that support them through lawsuits litigated in courtrooms around the world.” They have done a lot of good worldwide to fight terrorism via lawfare – utilizing the courtroom to battle Anti-Western interests.  Hezbollah, al Qaeda affiliate al-Shabaab and others violate American law by using Twitter. A breakdown of terrorists utilizing social media is at: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2012/01/most-infamous-terrorists-twitter/46852/

The ACLU says “the government can’t force private companies to censor lawful speech just because the government doesn’t like the speech or the people making the speech.” Does that mean I can go online and scream fire in a crowded theatre ? Can I behave however I want simply because I am online and hidden behind a computer screen ?

While Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently cited President Obama as believing that “the more freely information flows, the stronger societies become”, one wonders where the administration will stand if mass rioting was sparked by digital media.  UK authorities say rioters used social networks to coordinate mass civil disobedience earlier this year in London.  State prosecutors in Mexico have accused people of terrorism and sabotage by claiming that their Twitter posts helped spread false rumors about a school attack, leading to real-life violence.

Its no secret that the terrorists are public relations savvy and very concerned with brand and image.  As was recently reported, Al Qaeda is concerned about the baggage associated with that name, and is increasingly going by the name “Ansar al Sharia” because of concern about their brand. Its no secret that American PR Agencies have represented Qaddafi, Assad, and just last year Qatar hired a leading U.S. PR firm to lobby for the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip.

Darshan-Leitner stopped the second Gaza flotilla earlier this year, and has won lawsuits against Hamas, Hizbollah and the Palestinian Authority.  I am sure Twitter’s going to be answering this one pretty soon. I’d venture that a modern “fire in a crowded theatre” discussion may be coming to a courtroom near us very soon.

Ronn Torossian is the CEO of 5WPR, a Top 25 PR Agency and has a best-selling PR book“For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results with Game-Changing Public Relations” an Amazon best selling Public Relations book available for purchase at: http://www.amazon.com/Immediate-Release-Deliver-Game-Changing-Relations/dp/1936661160

There is an old saying that states “clothes make the man,” but in today’s tech-savvy, social media driven society, does that saying still hold the same weight?

In an era where Marc Zuckerberg wears hooded T-shirts non-stop, I’d venture to say what matters the most is the results you can provide for your customers, clients and employers at the end of the day, not your attire. While it’s unprofessional to dress sloppy, one doesn’t have to be uber formal either.

A The Wall Street Journal article asked if dressing up is the new way to stand out. I think the world has forever changed and wont change back.

As the workplace becomes younger and younger, both mentality and in attitude, so does the attire, which similarly can’t follow a certain uniform. When media, like us, train clients at our PR agency, we tell them to dress as they want people to think of them, but at the end of the day results are results. Whether in a three-piece suit and leather loafers or your favorite pair of jeans and Nike sneakers, that’s what people will judge you on.

Please follow Ronn Torossian on Twitter and Facebook.

This week we are in the midst of a lesson in Crisis Public Relations at its worst from two major brands – Blackberry and Netflix.  While blackberry for three consecutive days has seen outages worldwide and users unable to connect, struggles with Netflix continue week after week.

Users worldwide are outraged at being unable to communicate instantly as they have grown accustomed to – and Blackberry spokespersons are communicating with messages like “Message delays were caused by a core switch failure in RIM’s infrastructure”. That’s not consumer friendly English which resonates with people, and few of us know (or care) what a “core switch” is.  We just want our damn blackberries to work. And to make it worse, they have communicated that the service works – only to see it fail minutes later again.

The very basics of crisis PR management involves communicating clearly, honestly and in language which resonates with consumers.  The brand – particularly with the imminent launch of the Apple iPhone 4S – needs to very quickly communicate much clearer – in addition, naturally to fixing the problem immediately.

Netflix is a brand which also is failing miserably at crisis PR. Following weeks of bad marketing decisions – from the price increase which consumers hated, to their decision to split the business, Netflix hasn’t had a shining few months for brand appreciation.  Today, Netflix dropped the ball yet again and lost points with an announcement via a blog post that they no longer intended to split business units. Yes, a blog post.  Did no one have the guts to stand up and face the music?

In times of trouble, brands have to apply a personal, human touch.  It’s necessary for brands to provide a face for crisis – with senior management directly involved, not a blog posting. The media will ask questions, customers will leave, and no interaction allows media to define the issues as they see them and create others without Netflix’s help. A press conference was the way to broadcast a concise and consistent message. Gathering the media together, presenting the same message to everyone, and answering a few questions was the right path.  Amazingly, Netflix is a company that succeed as Blockbuster disappeared and didn’t address issues of importance to their core consumer – convenience, time, and cost.

The Chief Financial Officer of Netflix, Barry McCarthy has said in the past ““We have benefited enormously from the rapid growth in word of mouth (publicity). It has taken us to levels that we thought we would not soon see.”  In bad times, the company needs to apply these lessons as well, not just in good times.

As Warren Buffett has said “It takes twenty years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”

Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, 1 of the 25 largest PR agencies in the US, and author of “For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results with Game-Changing Public Relations” an Amazon best selling Public Relations book available for purchase at: http://www.amazon.com/Immediate-Release-Deliver-Game-Changing-Relations/dp/1936661160

Just came across an article with the headline: “No Publicity Is Bad Publicity? Tell That to Greece”.  In general, bad publicity is worse than no publicity – its very rare that negative perceptions can be advantageous to a business, and even worse, if bad publicity comes following a crisis PR campaign, there’s very significant loss.

Think Tiger Woods career was helped after his adultery scandal ? His brand, both on and off the golf course has plummeted.  Ask Anthony Weiner is all publicity is good, or Toyota after their safety scandal.

While no rule is absolute all of the time, negative media attention is generally very harmful to a business.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR