At 5WPR, every staffer actively pitches the media regardless of title because we believe it’s the bread and butter of PR. There are two types of media pitching (…that work).  Proactive media relations, and reactive, rapid response which is dependent on the news cycle.

 A friendly TV Producer passed along a tip today – “It’s the pitch, the timing and the face when it comes time to pitching TV for media interviews.”

It’s the pitch (What Is your guest going to say on the topic)?

It’s the timing (24/7 news cycle means real time, and yes media still runs after 6 PM and on weekends). Now is now, not after your conference call with a client and coffee.

It’s the face (Is your guest good looking? A Female or African-American? (pluses to resonate with audiences who aren’t all white males)… or does your guest have a face more suited for radio?)… In which case you may be better off pitching other outlets, or not including a picture with the pitch in the hopes that you get your guest on the air and he’s a star they invite back).

 Always remember the basics.
Ronn Torossian

5WPR

Our PR agency handles a tremendous amount of crisis communications work, and as such our role is often similar to that of corporate attorneys.  We are hired to protect our clients, which means, at times, the media can become our adversary.

This article in The Wall Street Journal lambasts a company for not permitting media into their annual meeting.  I completely understand the company’s guardedness. Why is it assumed the media should always be present or that public relations people have to kow-tow to reporters?

 My favorite response from reporters is… “I am just doing my job.” I always return with, “I am just doing my job – protecting our client.”

Until the media promises to only publish material that we approve, I’d advise PR pros to not allow unfettered access. 

So, in response to the question posed in The Wall Street Journal: “If a company holds an annual meeting and there are no reporters around to cover it, does it make a sound?” The answer may be no… but who says the company wants the type of “noise” you are proposing.  There’s a time to “control” the message and the amount of information disseminated publically.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

Thinking positively is important in both business and life, as such I make a concerted effort not to pay attention to negative commentary on the Public Relations industry.  That being said, I was quite pleased to read a recent survey that indicated PR people are more trusted by the general public than journalists, bankers and politicians.  Additionally, another study found that a Public Relations career is the 8th most stressful profession in America.

From my earliest years, I was always taught than being “right” is more important than being well liked, and I still stand by this same principle today. At my PR firm, we focus on building a strong and fruitful business by doing exemplary work for our clients. Companies sometimes expect “magic” from PR, placing unrealistic expectations on what can be achieved. Thus, we partner with leaders who are focused, intelligent, realistic, and aware of what PR can offer them.

As a result, 5WPR has grown nearly entirely by word of mouth and client referrals. It’s gratifying to know we do great work, and I remain confident that we will continue forth on this path to success.

On a closing note, I am very much looking forward to tonight’s event for the semi-finalists of the 2010 Ernst & Young Metro New York Entrepreneur of the Year Program.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

Dealing with the media is stressful and challenging even for seasoned veterans. Some simple interview rules (led by preparation) can serve as a checklist to prepare you for stepping in front of the lens. While most of these rules seem intuitive, I witness people on a daily basis falter.

Know what you want to say and how you want to say it – Ask yourself what am I trying to accomplish and who is my audience

Practice, prepare and have a message – Sounds simple enough, but without practice and preparation, the results usually speak for themselves (not in a positive way)

Body language- a roll of the eyes, a harsh look, or a awkward physical stance speaks louder than words

Be honest and consistent – hypocrisy is a killer

Don’t keep talking – Many stories have grown legs overnight by interview subjects who continued to talk

The bottom line is, you don’t learn to drive a car without practice, you don’t master your craft without learning, and it is very difficult to master media interviews without proper training.

At this PR firm, we always advise media training – it’s a necessity.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

I always wake up and get going super early. When I arrive at work before the world begins, I find it is easier to be productive.

Today, I found myself sitting at my desk before 7:00 AM because I had an early interview on CNN American Morning in which I provided PR commentary on the Tiger Woods Brand.  Besides CNN, this week I appeared on CBS, ABC, Fox New York and have Fox Business, ABC, ESPN Radio and more interviews scheduled for later on today, all Tiger related.

I think the Tiger Woods brand will never return to where it was, but today is the start of re-building his image and brand. To date, he has received an F in how he handled this Public Relations debacle.

This week…

I had a slew of client meetings, executive changes, crisis management, and general activity.

Some new business meetings were great, some were good, and some otherwise.  We aren’t the right PR firm for everyone.  We will not always tell prospective clients or current clients they are right when we strongly believe they aren’t, and we will not simply follow marching orders.  We provide PR counsel, brand building advice and want great clients who want results and appreciate hard work.

I had two crisis communications new business meetings this week. I always leave time every week for last minute crisis PR.  It still amazes me that this boy from the Bronx will read stories about big name people, and 3 hours later they will call me and arrive in my conference room ready for counsel.

I went out 3 nights this week with clients, never arriving home before 10 PM.  Building and investing in important relationships for my PR agency are part and parcel of any business, but it’s tiring. In this economy particularly, we provide more than just traditional PR service.  It’s about being a good partner and keeping an eye on our clients business.

I am eagerly awaiting the weekend and some rest. It’s not easy… but it’s not supposed to be. Onward and upward…

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

Many members of the “elite” media are criticizing Jasper Schuringa, hero of the Northwest flight terrorism attempt, for requesting payment to conduct media interviews. Why is this so shocking? The media is a money-making business (or at least supposed to be). Why shouldn’t its subjects be entitled to monetary compensation as well? This rings particularly true for those who have been thrust into the media spotlight out of circumstance, not by choice—like Jasper.

I, for one, am not surprised by his request. The media will invade his life and make it much more difficult for this hero to regain some semblance of normalcy post-frenzy. PLUS, interviews are very time consuming. Like it or not, it’s the way of the world. He is doing a job and should be compensated accordingly.

Kudos to Jasper Schuringa – I am sure I am not the only one hoping you make millions of dollars.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

Working day to day with the media is a humbling task. Reporters are very busy, overworked, always stressed, and notoriously impatient.  As PR professionals, we work hard to convince reporters to write stories about our clients’ issues or products– and it’s a tough job.

It will become even tougher with the recent announcement that the Dallas Morning News will now have journalists reporting to sales executives.

This will further blur the lines between advertising and media relations. As it stands now, I often get calls from clients excited about news opportunities. But oftentimes these “opportunities” are just representatives from cold-calling to offer editorial space for a fee, which is all fine and dandy, but it’s called advertising.

At my PR firm, we believe in good old-fashioned media relations.  We build relationships with the media, pitch journalists and place stories. It’s certainly not easy, but now with situations like the Dallas Morning News, it’s going to get harder.  That being said, we will keep pushing, and keep succeeding with the continued hope that this will help clients realize the vast undervalue of PR and PR agencies in general.

“The toughest thing about being successful is that you have to keep being successful,” said Irving Berlin.

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

Two random musings from a day in the life of the CEO of a PR firm:

1: This morning, I received a standard client request to call a reporter and vet an opportunity he was presented with.  The reporter answered his phone at the designated extension of his major business publication, and proceeded to ask a series of questions.  I found these questions to be quite unorthodox given the usual style and length of articles in this particular publication.  After 10 minutes of prodding and back and forth, I learned that this reporter was working on a book and using this publication’s resources and credibility to call sources for it.  

When I established that my client wouldn’t participate in the book, the reporter got very upset and spoke of editorial rules, none of which exist when dealing with a book writer.  Quite simply, remember to always investigate media opportunities; evil may be lurking, and journalists can’t always be trusted.  Don’t be naïve.

2:  Yesterday, I received a package in an expensive bag filled with a great new product – a consumer packaged good.  I received the gift I imagine as part of the target demographic of business owners, or entrepreneurs I imagine, and my estimate is the package cost $75 or so per piece.  I imagine I was gifted with the hope that I’d love the product and tell employees, clients, and friends about it – maybe even purchase it. 

And I did love the product.  But when I tried to reach out to the people who sent it to me, I found that they had sent the package without the card of a contact person.  So, after spending all that money to research who I was and then deliver me the package, they overlooked one of the most basic tasks: I didn’t even know who to thank. And it’s far from the first time it’s happened.  Don’t forget the basics.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

Why is it that so few people, including professionals, and business owners understand media relations and the essence of how the media works?  Conceptually, it’s really not that hard, but every day I’m amazed by the basic questions I receive from smart business people.   Just today, someone with a very successful business asked me how much we pay news anchors to place clients on the air.  (Any PR or Marketing 101 class we tell you in this country, one can’t pay news anchors to book guests. At least not in the PR business.)

Public relations, particularily media relations, is a fairly easy to understand business: find a story angle, pitch it to the media and open the paper (or turn on the TV) and there’s your story.  Yet one of the reasons PR budgets are so low in comparison to advertising budgets is that so few understand PR.  If they did, you’d see many more businesses spending much more on all aspects of public relations in general.

Ronn Torossian
5WPR