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 to jail, it’s probably through crimes of upholstery — the cover-up will kill you,” Joseph A. Grundfest, a professor of law at Stanford University who is a former commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission, said at a class for directors of the nation’s Fortune 500 companies which I attended in 2002 in the aftermath of Enron’s collapse.

Oftentimes, I see very public people in very senior financial positions at my gym, restaurants, and at events. You can see on their faces how incredibly difficult it is to be in the public arena and suddenly have the world watching your every move. I expect to see more analysis of how the banks are handling crisis communication in the coming weeks. Either way, this is certainly an interesting read in these very difficult financial times.

Ronn Torossian

5W PR

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 and former CEO of Apple.
 
It’s a very insightful quote for many reasons. Truth be told, although very few brands allocate the sorts of budgets that Sculley had access to, marketing is theater in many ways. As we come up with pitches, guerilla marketing events, and other tactics for all kinds of companies, we realize if we can elicit laughter or positive emotions from reporters or consumers, we are more likely to get coverage — positive coverage.
 
Ronn Torossian
5WPR

People ask me about our five year business plan.  I tell them how we started without a business plan, and we were profitable within 30 days because of hard work and sweat equity.  There are people who theorize endlessly and those who go out and just do it.  Every day of the week, I tell employees go out, create and do. It’s ok to occasionally make mistakes.  Be passionate, care and try.  Don’t over think.  Do.

Along those lines, I wanted to forward the following quote I was sent today: “You could spend years and years figuring out how to take three steps at once. Or you could simply take one step, and then the next, and then the next.  Being able to think things through is a tremendously valuable skill, but don’t let all that thinking prevent you from making things happen. Sometimes, it pays to think of a more efficient, effective or faster way to complete the task.  Other times, you’re better off when you just go ahead and do it.  Although analyzing what you must do can be helpful, analysis by itself won’t get the job completed. After you think it through, go ahead and get it done. Put your clever thinking into action, and you’ll have something of tangible value to show for it.  Put your mind to work, and you’ll create great ideas.  Then put those ideas to work with your efforts and bring them successfully to life.” - Ralph Marston

… and I will mix in a personal quote I am passionate about:  “If you were there and the Romans or the Babylonians were about to destroy Jerusalem and you had the power to do something about it, would you sit and mourn and cry? Or would you turn the world upside down? So what is stopping you? Overturn the world today.” - Chabad Rebbe – July 18, 1992

RONN TOROSSIAN

5W PR

I am a huge fan of quotes.  In every office I have ever had, a framed poster of Ze’ev Jabotinsky’s (a great Zionist leader and personal hero for me) Samson book hangs with the immortal quote: “Tell them three things in my name, and not two: Collect iron , choose a king , and learn to laugh.” There are many life and business lessons one can gleam from this quote.

A friend, colleague and client, Dr. Keith Ablow, emailed me the following quote this morning after we had a discussion in my office about Jabotinsky’s quotes:

“The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dirt and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” - Theodore Roosevelt

Take chances and live life.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

On this rainy Friday afternoon in NYC, a friend forwarded some quotes I wanted to share (my office walls are adorned with great quotes)….

Be ready when opportunity comes…Luck is the time when preparation and opportunity meet: Roy D. Chapin Jr.

Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it: Lou Holtz

Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal: Vince Lombardi

Men who are resolved to find a way for themselves will always find opportunities enough; and if they do not find them, they will make them: Samuel Smiles

Don’t go through life, grow through life: Eric Butterworth

Ronn Torossian

5WPR 

Great quote I heard today I wanted to share:

Luck is the residue of desire and design !

Ronn Torossian

5W PR

This quote sums it up for me from this month’s Vanity Fair, and I wanted to share it with you…it is describing Rupert Murdock:

“Publicity geniuses are different from you and me. They have the stomach for it. This tempermental combination of imperviousness and egomania that allows them, compels them, to dominate the media which means they dominate reality, that’s their world and we just…well you know.”

(Courtesy of a client)

Ronn Torossian

5W PR

Yesterday (Friday) afternoon a client and friend came to see me enroute to his summer home in the Hamptons urging me to go to the Hamptons with him (I have only been once to 5W’s East Hamptons house this summer which our employees and clients have for their use all summer). I told him in the last 3 weeks I have been to Costa Rica, LA and Boston and this weekend I wanted to relax, sleep in my bed, work out in my gym and just enjoy the weekend in the city. I asked this successful, self made entrepreneur “Don’t you want to sleep in your bed, work out in your gym? Just do every day things in your home?”

He said “Growing up without much, I am living the dream – To be able to fly, to have people wanting my time, living life? I have a bed everywhere I go, gyms everywhere I go? It’s a virtual world and you need to realize that – There’s no longer such a thing as only one bed for worldwide entrepreneurs… ” He made me think…. Not sure I agree….. but certainly interesting (and I say that at 4 PM from my NYC office as I didn’t listen and go to the Hamptons… and woke up, went to my gym and came to work…).

At 3 Amish last night I had a very interesting hour long discussion with a colleague, music mogul Andre Harrell who spoke about passion and focus as being the key to success…and told me countless fascinating Hollywood stories…. So who wanted to not be in NYC?

New York, New York – The greatest city in the world…

Ronn Torossian

5W PR

As a self made entrepreneur, one of the biggest concerns I always have (and when I started the business) was how do I find business – How do I interact with people who can help me grow and learn. The key I believe is to put yourself in situations in which you can “win” – Places you can feel comfortable and meet people…

Yesterday for me was a workday which began at 7:30 AM and ended at 3:00AMish… And I saw in small intimate settings 2 billionaires within a 5 hour period.

In between the actual work day and meetings, I went to a private club (to shower and change) and encountered Mark Cuban on a cellphone/Internet at 7ish PM. Later in the evening, went to a private party and saw Ron Burkle. While I admittedly didn’t speak to either (hate cold handshake/introductions), placing yourself in the line of fire is half of the key to winning…

Surrounding yourself with positive environments allows you more of an opportunity to succeed.

I remember a few years ago a reporter from a trade magazine asked me if there were enough clients like our “types” to hire us and I answered “OF COURSE – We can become a $100 Million PR firm with entrepreneurial, aggressive clients.”

Both Cuban and Burkle struck me as very real guys (both were alone/without staff)….and they are both embodiments of the new American business person – Uber successful, don’t play by the rules… real people and hard working individuals.

This boy from the Bronx amazingly came across both in the course of a few hours – Put yourself in the eye of the storm.

Will end with a great quote:

PROFILE: ROGER AILES – AMERICA’S BEST LEADERS
U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT

Ailes: “If you run into people who are negative and always telling you that the cat got run over, and you couldn’t get the car started, and you’ve got a cold, the suits are idiots and life isn’t fair, you know, you need to get away from those people because they will suck you under and hold you down and drown you.”

Ronn Torossian

5W PR

Although I rarely agree with business magazines that I read, this month’s Entrepreneur Magazine had a really great op-ed I feel compelled to quote from – It talked about entrepreneurs and their lack of patience…

“If you are waiting for the right opportunity you are wasting valuable time. Entrepreneurs are generally not patient people – They make things happen. Don’t wait to raise money, for a better economic cycle or for interest rates to come down.” I AGREE WITH ALL OF THESE THINGS – SLEEP IS THE COUSIN OF DEATH…. DON’T WAIT – Create, figure it out and maybe you’ll make a few mistakes but speed matters.

“Waiting is a waste of time, and perfect timing is a myth. Perfect moments happen in movies.”

When I started my business, I took control… and didn’t wait. As Entrepreneur Magazine wisely points out, plan, research and explore… just don’t wait too long. Move quickly and be flexible.

As 5W grows (Over 70 employees these days), its harder to move as quickly as I’d like, and I often need to remind myself of the importance of going with my gut.

“Waiting doesn’t bring anything. It not only wastes time, it also costs opportunity.”

Ronn Torossian

5W PR