hotel public relations

As incendiary headlines go, this one is tough to beat. Apparently, the owner of the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas has filed a lawsuit against more than 1,000 victims of the mass shooting that took the lives of 58 people and wounded many more at a concert back in 2017.

Reaction to the headline, as it made the rounds on social media, was swift and vitriolic. People reacted with rage, directed against the Mandalay, the ownership, and, in general, the class of people assumed to own such establishments. That anger and criticism continued even as representatives of the hotel sought to explain the point of the legal action.

According to MGM Resorts International, the lawsuit is “does not seek money” and is intended to avoid liability and dismiss claims against the hotel, which has been named in several lawsuits as partly responsible for allowing Stephen Paddock, who was staying at the hotel, to use one of its rooms as his sniper’s nest. He had, reportedly, brought 23 weapons into the hotel.

So, a fair reading of the legal action offers at least some understanding of why it was undertaken, as well as why the ownership felt it was necessary. However, consumers, in many cases, are not really interested in offering sympathy for wealthy hotel owners when many people they can identify with – i.e. “regular folks” – suffered so greatly for just trying to have a good time at a concert.

Attorneys for some of the victims dismissed the hotel’s perspective as “outrageous” as well as “unethical.” And that sentiment was certainly popular among the countless millions who reacted in horror to the news of a gunman opening fire on a peaceful concert from his hotel room.

So, as far as tough audiences go, this is a prime example. That’s not to say the Mandalay ownership can’t successfully argue their case, either in court or in the court of public opinion. They just need to be patient with people who don’t understand their reasons or their motivations, but do understand what it feels like to be afraid just to go out in public, afraid that their next good time will be their last… that some “crazed gunman” will target their movie, their concert, or their vacation.

Because consumers tend to more easily identify with the victims in the case, rather than the hotel ownership, that’s a bias the ownership will have to address if they hope to position their messaging in a way that gains sympathy in the general public. So far, they aren’t scoring many points in that regard.

Ronn Torossian, 5WPR  CEO.

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Ronn Torossian is the Founder & Chairman of 5W Public Relations, one of the largest independently owned PR firms in the United States. Since founding 5WPR in 2003, he has led the company's growth and vision, with the agency earning accolades including being named a Top 50 Global PR Agency by PRovoke Media, a top three NYC PR agency by O'Dwyers, one of Inc. Magazine's Best Workplaces and being awarded multiple American Business Awards, including a Stevie Award for PR Agency of the Year. With over 25 years of experience crafting and executing powerful narratives, Torossian is one of America's most prolific and well-respected public relations executives. Throughout his career he has advised leading and high-growth businesses, organizations, leaders and boards across corporate, technology and consumer industries. Torossian is known as one of the country's foremost experts on crisis communications. He has lectured on crisis PR at Harvard Business School, appears regularly in the media and has authored two editions of his book, "For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations," which is an industry best-seller. Torossian's strategic, resourceful approach has been recognized with numerous awards including being named the Stevie American Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, the American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year, twice over, an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist, a Top Crisis Communications Professional by Business Insider, Metropolitan Magazine's Most Influential New Yorker, and a recipient of Crain's New York Most Notable in Marketing & PR. Outside of 5W, Torossian serves as a business advisor to and investor in multiple early stage businesses across the media, B2B and B2C landscape. Torossian is the proud father of two daughters. He is an active member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and a board member of multiple not for profit organizations.