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

Every day this week, I walked one block south of our offices to the tents at Bryant Park.Out on the street in front of the Fashion Week tents, lights were flashing and people were gawking.But while some were there for the fashion, I was there to people watch.As a marketer, I’m always inspired by the creative street theater and guerrilla marketing events saturating the Bryant Park sidewalk during Fashion Week.People watching allows me to see trends and make observations first hand.Reading a media report is a far cry from the palpable excitement on the street.

This morning, for instance, I encountered a few cross dressers promoting the Janice Dickinson show swarmed by photographers and a crowd of people.It’s a great example of a low cost, high impact way to capture influencers.

While I won’t reveal here the many successful stunts 5WPR executed for Fashion Week, I can say that street theater and guerrilla marketing are amazing ways for brands to capture mind share and media share at huge events, without incurring huge costs.

If you’re open to big ideas and have a entrepreneurial mindset, you can always find a way to incorporate your brand into the mecca of huge events, without having to pay the multimillion dollar price tag.Whether Fashion Week, The Superbowl or Sundance, 5WPR always finds creative ideas and angles to enter the media landscape, permeate the discussion and penetrate the tastemakers who attend.Brands need to seek creative, winning concepts… and winning sometimes means being outside rather than inside the box.Those who take the biggest risks with their brand often reap the biggest rewards.And by far the most attention.

Ronn Torossian
5WPR

Yesterday’s arrest of Kanye West at LAX was surprising to me primarily because it doesn’t happen more often.  West was arrested for suspicion of vandalism after confronting paparazzi media and allegedly smashing their  cameras.  The struggle between celebrities and the paparazzi is an issue that high profile people must deal with on a day-to-day basis, and it is extremely trying on both physical and emotional levels. It is incredible that today, even after the death of Princess Di, celebrities still have very little protective barriers between them and an intrusive swarm of prying media. Yes, people in the public-eye lose their right to complete privacy when they perform, appear in movies, or get rich by possessing rare athletic ability, but does that mean that there should be no boundaries whatsoever?  Should their children be endlessly subjected to flashing lights? Should they not be allowed to lead somewhat normal lives?

Ronn Torossian: 5WPR has worked with countless celebrities.  I vividly remember walking out of court with Lil’ Kim after she was sentenced in her perjury trial a few years ago. We were managing her crisis pr, and as we walked out the front door, we (Lil’ Kim, one security escort, two attorneys, two of her family friends and I) encountered at least 100 members of the media all jockeying for a shot or a comment.  It was a wall of reporters and photographers, flashbulbs blinking in her face. To say it was a mob scene is an understatement.  After the paparazzi got their pictures, they still wouldn’t move.  There was no choice but to push forward for the two blocks we were required to walk.  It was a very dangerous situation, and in LA, this happens every single day.

Managing the media for corporate clients is far different than managing celebrity-driven paparazzi media.  Every type of public relations, whether crisis-based or paparazzi, consumer or technology, requires different skills and a completely different set of “rules.” I don’t believe for a second that today’s incident between Kanye West and a swarm of paparazzi is an isolated occurrence, nor will it be the last time we read about a celebrity fighting for his privacy with paparazzi.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

Reporters surrounded Lil Kim