I went to see The Social Network this weekend, which I found to be a fascinating movie. But, wow, could Mark Zuckerberg have been portrayed any more negatively? Towards the end of the movie, a woman says to him, “The Internet isn’t written in pencil, it’s written in ink.” Along those same lines, an article in the Sunday New York Times had an article entitled: “Is Your Online Identity Spoiling Your Chances?”

You should be aware that the concept of privacy no longer exists, and if you get drunk and act dumb, do not post online. Do not send questionable jokes publicly and keep your personal thoughts to yourself. It’s something which few people think of and realize, but nearly every company is doing an online search on their tentative employees pre-hire. The New York Times article is a must-read.

As an aside, one of the fastest growing divisions of our Public Relations agency at 5WPR (CEO Ronn Torossian) is our Search Engine Optimization (SEO)/Online Reputation Management work.  We are able to influence what people see online when they search a name or title and, as such, can ensure that any negative “ink” available on the Internet will appear on the 5^th or 10^th page of results, rather than the 1^st or 2^nd.

It’s amazing to think that Facebook was only created in 2004 – really unbelievable.  That’s just some food for thought, and motivation for entrepreneurs like myself.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

I remember when my daughter was born I said to my wife, “I already have a baby.” In shock, she turned hurt, until I immediately told her – “Dont worry darling, its my business, 5WPR.” Of course, entrepreneurs feel that the business they founded, sweat and bleed for is like their baby. I say this writing from a “business center” in the South of France, on vacation, where people are on vacation, relaxing, but like many other entrepreneurs, the concern, care and passion for my business arent on vacation. An entrepreneur always is caring for and nurturing their business, much like a child.

Being away for the last week, in the beauty of the French Riveria has left me time to think about items which are often neglected day to day, but are vital. Entrepreneurs dont realize how much in fact they are brands – To their employees (who often watch their every move), clients, competitors, and others. Any business owner’s personality and character are part and parcel of the company’s very fabric and being.

In the honor of July 4th, I’d like to offer four easy and applicable “independence” tips for you to apply this weekend. They wouldn’t take long, but can impact your business and reputation.

1.       Who are you? Understand the important role of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) vis a vis your brand. ”Everyone is “Googled” often, and what comes up when someone does in fact google you ? (and the 1st few pages count a lot more than the last)… Tip #1: create your public Google profile. Google prompts you to do that once you type your name on their search. Include links to your website, social media accounts, blogs, or any other source of information about you

2.       What are you up to? Social media: you should, at the very least open a Facebook, LinkedIn and twitter account, for yourself and your business. Did you visit them lately to update your network? Twitter is like a pet: if you don’t feed it and give it attention – it dies. And it takes your social media presence with it. Once you have active social media accounts, they will influence google, and therefore you will contribute directly to your brands “google” reputation. This weekend make sure to go to your social media accounts and update them: are your links set in properly? Is your professional doings updated? Have you optimized your network by bringing in more friends, colleagues and business partners? Look up for potential clients and partners to your ventures.

3.       What can you tell me? The online arena has turned to be one huge social setting. People are there to share. I am certain you have a lot to share too. First and foremost – on yourself, your skills, your talents and strengths. State them clearly over your different online accounts. Sign up to forums that revolve around your business. One of the greatest goals you can set for yourself in this venture is for you to come up and be recognized as an expert in your field. In order to achieve that you must be active and share opinions, expertise and knowledge in professional forums, your own blog or two, and in the business and professional settings that are meant to meet this goal. One of them is the BusinessWeek business exchange forum found here.

As featured in today’s Bulldog Reporter, the following Op-Ed:

http://tinyurl.com/295rph3

Social Media Relations Sinners or Winners? Hospital PR Pro Behaved Appropriately in Viral Video — But M.I.A.’s Tweet Missed the Mark

By Ronn D. Torossian, President and CEO, 5W Public Relations

Public relations professionals walk a difficult tightrope between serving clients who pay our bills and satisfying the media whom we usually have to convince to write about our clients. This is a delicate balance, and sometimes PR agencies (although we don’t often discuss it) are hired to keep our clients out of the media or deflect negative stories. We believe clients often hire us to protect them from the media, much as they would hire an attorney to protect them in legal proceedings.

A recent video making the rounds online—and attracting controversy—features an ABC San Francisco reporter, a PR representative for Laguna Honda Hospital (both male) and another hospital employee (female). The PR professional is being widely condemned for his behavior. I strongly disagree. Watch the video, and consider the following:

The reporter, a man, stands directly in the path of the shorter hospital administrator as she enters the room, and again as she tries to leave the room.

Using a camera as his bully pulpit, the reporter disrupts a planned meeting and follows the woman throughout the room and the hospital facilities as if he owns them.

If someone repeatedly blocked your way at work, what would you make of it? Additionally, both before the meeting and after, the reporter talks loudly over the woman, forcing her to repeat seven times that she is not available for an interview.

The PR pro appears to be doing his job: He didn’t raise his voice and, to my eyes, did all he could to deflect the reporter’s attention to himself. The PR professional is clearly an annoyance to the reporter. In the end, the PR person seems to have shut down the reporter’s planned ambush. (And doesn’t the reporter display a certain haughtiness?)

The spokesperson seemed to be protecting his staff (similar to how a good attorney would), and I for one fail to understand why one assumes that the media has the right to question people. Do people not have the right to “defend” themselves?

A completely separate controversy now surrounds the musical artist M.I.A., who was profiled this weekend by the New York Times Magazine in an article by Lynn Hirschberg. She subsequently tweeted to her over 111,000 followers the journalist’s cell phone number to express her displeasure at the reporter’s clearly negative story.

Wow! This is clearly harsh, and one can understand why M.I.A isn’t happy with the story. I’d ask why she did an interview regarding these issues? What was the artist trying to accomplish by allowing herself to be interviewed? I’d have suggested if she is concerned, why do the interview with the same journalist that wrote an extremely harsh article on Courtney Love (which also stirred up quite a bit of controversy)?

Clearly, this article will do quite a bit of lasting damage. Does M.IA. have any proof that the article is biased? Did she or her assistants record the interview (as we often do if we are entering sensitive interview ground)? If they did, they could then release interview segments showing its inaccuracy.

When dealing in the world of crisis communications, consider taping the interview and discussions for yourself (to guard yourself against a reporter’s possible agenda).

Understandably, Lynn Hirschberg called M.I.A.’s tweets “fairly unethical” and “infuriating.”

M.I.A. clearly misstepped. As an artist, M.I.A. may indeed have stepped over the boundary, but one wonders what the next moves from her PR team will look like.

Ronn Torossian is president and CEO of 5WPR, one of the 20 largest independent PR firms in the U.S. Named one of the top “40 Under 40″ by PR Week & Advertising Age, Torossian is a semi-finalist for Ernst & Young 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and his PR agency works with a roster of iconic brands.

In order to conduct a successful PR campaign, one must understand the need for strategic targeting. Since Day 1, we have been very successful at identifying different categories of influencers, as they suit our clients’ needs. The goal of such an undertaking is to reach the ‘influencers’ in a given field, who will help to broadcast your message. This concept of an “influencer” is relevant for every business – Whether a VC for a tech brand seeking funding, the right celebrity for a consumer brand, or an analyst for a publicly traded company.  Owing a PR agency, I know that any of these can move a company’s sales, alter public perception, or change their future.

This morning I came across a very interesting post on social influencers at  and while I am not sure I agree with it all (All numbers aren’t strategic… because many people don’t really “know” their “social” friends)… but nevertheless there are some wise comments here, and I recommend reading it.

Over 2 years ago, I wrote this post on influencers, and I think in many ways the social media influencers of today are as relevant as some of these folks were a few years ago (and in many ways, continue to be).

Ronn Torossian
5WPR

This week, I read one of the most absurd articles I have seen in a very long time in The Wall Street Journal.  A quarter of a page was devoted to – stop the presses! – $25,000, the amount that CVS spent on golf outings for its top executives. Using that amount of ink on a non-story like this is simply absurd. If this environment continues, many businesses will simply not be able to function.

Every single day, businesses hold conferences and conventions, entertain clients, and even golf with them. In the year 2009 (and for quite a while before that), business isn’t conducted 9 to 5, and relationships are often built in non-traditional ways. What’s the big deal? Twenty-five thousand dollars? How many deals does that close? Two summers in a row, during different economic times, I rented a luxurious house in the Hamptons (at a significantly larger fee than CVS paid for their bigwigs to golf) to entertain clients, allow employees a getaway, etc. It was good for business and garnered many relationships that had a return well beyond the summer rental fee. I would venture that CVS receives ROI from perks.

The media and the government need to stop this craziness. Sponsorships aren’t bad, marketing isn’t bad, and perks aren’t bad. They are necessary in business, and not allowing them will cause the economy to suffer even further.

Ronn Torossian
5WPR