WET SEAL/VIA FACEBOOK

In a world where some CEOs are in hot water for telling customers only the “cool kids” should wear their clothes, and others refuse to stock larger sizes at all, at least one company has elected to choose humanity over image … and they are reaping amazing benefits.

Not too long ago, the mother of a middle school girl with Down’s Syndrome (DS) posted a “back to school” picture of her daughter on social media. Many other moms with DS daughters commented on how stylishly dressed the young girl was. They asked where “mom” got those clothes that were both appropriate, and still stylish.

Mom replied that she found them at Wet Seal. She also mentioned that her daughter dreamed of being a model for the company. So, in a fit of Facebook pique, the mom and her friends created a FB page showcasing her daughter modeling the Wet Seal wardrobe.

You know what happened next. The page went viral, and thousands liked the positive message. Then Wet Seal caught wind of the deal. What would they do? Condemn the mother? Chastise the daughter for the presumption of being an “imperfectly shaped” person wearing their clothes? Nope. THEY LOVED IT!!!

And rightly so. Ronn Torossian calls what happened next one of the best examples of combining goodwill, and great PR in the realm of social media. Wet Seal challenged Karrie to get at least 10,000 LIKES on her page over the next two days. If she could prove to be a profitable model for Wet Seal, the company would make it official, and make Karrie’s wish a reality.

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Bet you can finish the story.

Karrie’s page BLEW UP, and Wet Seal made good on its promise. They brought Karrie in for a full fledged professional modeling shoot. Karrie walked away from that experience with a story that will live well beyond that day, and a memento of her shoot, a photo collage with the words: “Welcome to the Wet Seal Family, Karrie!”

Not only was this girl accepted in the clothes … she was accepted into the family! This is a hugely powerful statement for a person who will struggle to be accepted in many phases of life, and a beautiful sentiment from a Big Nameless Faceless Corporation.

“You know what?”, Torossian said, “In that moment, Wet Seal showed us their face … and it’s us. They care about people, not just selling clothes.” You want to get to the heart of public relations? It’s all about relating to the public. Other companies have forgotten this.

Let’s take a moment to be thankful for one that remembered.

 

Discover more from Ronn Torossian

Ronn Torossian’s Professional Profile on Muck Rack
GuideStar Profile for Ronn Torossian Foundation
Ronn Torossian’s Articles on Entrepreneur
Ronn Torossian’s Blog Posts on Times of Israel
Ronn Torossian on SoundCloud

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Ronn Torossian
https://www.5wpr.com
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.

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