For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results with Game-Changing Public Relations is a public relations book by Ronn Torossian. BenBella Books published the hardcover on October 18, 2011, and an updated and revised paperback followed in 2021. The book covers earned media, branding, crisis communications and authenticity through ten chapters and named client cases, all indexed below with reviews and purchase links.
What are the facts about the book?
For Immediate Release exists in two print editions from BenBella Books, plus a Kindle edition sold through Amazon.
| Edition | Format | Published | ISBN-13 | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edition 1 | Hardcover | October 18, 2011 | 978-1-936661-16-9 | 288 pages |
| Edition 2 | Paperback, updated and revised | 2021 | 978-1-953295-09-5 | Not listed |
The author is Ronn Torossian, who founded 5W Public Relations in 2003 and led it as chief executive when the first edition appeared.
What are the ten chapters of For Immediate Release?
For Immediate Release has ten chapters, and each one has its own page on ronntorossian.com that re-reads the chapter's theme for 2026.
- Part 1: Moving People, Shifting Minds argues that earned credibility moves markets that advertising cannot reach.
- Part 2: Know Your Own Reality explains why brands that pick one clear position and defend it outlast brands that try to be everything.
- Part 3: Talk Isn't Cheap, It's Undervalued shows how language, tone and message discipline build or destroy brand equity.
- Part 4: Surprise Party covers pop-up customers, partnerships and co-marketing, and why brands should welcome unexpected attention.
- Part 5: Authenticity Is Your Personal Calling Card explains why authenticity wins over the long term.
- Part 6: Getting Out in Front covers the 24/7 rolling press conference, the BornFree BPA case and education-first PR.
- Part 7: In G-D We Trust explains how to work with reporters without being naive, including rules of engagement for press relations.
- Part 8: Life Happens, Manage Crises Immediately covers the first 48 hours of a crisis, from product recalls to government investigations.
- Part 9: Give More to Get More uses the National Prostate Cancer Coalition case and the Anheuser-Busch entertainment engagement to show why authentic giving compounds.
- Part 10: Fifty Rules for PR Success closes the book with fifty short, operational rules.
Which case studies come from the book?
Standalone case study pages from the book are grouped here by theme, with the chapter each one comes from.
Crisis communications case studies
Three pages cover the book's crisis material, from a corporate recall to celebrity and lending crises.
- Toyota's 2009-2010 Recall Crisis is a Chapter 2 case study on a brand-positioning crisis.
- Tiger Woods and Lend America is a Chapter 8 excerpt on two crisis files.
- Crisis PR Book Excerpt is the December 2011 excerpt on crisis public relations.
Brand identity and positioning case studies
Four pages cover how a brand defines itself and how it speaks.
- Might Makes Right Excerpt is a Chapter 1 excerpt on the U.S. military as a brand and on never believing your own publicity.
- Philip Stein Worth Index is a Chapter 2 case study on how Philip Stein owned a well-being luxury watch position.
- Tourneau vs. Wempe is a Chapter 5 case study on why language is identity.
- Celebrity Product Placement Done Right uses Daymond John, FUBU, Aurum and Marc Ecko to show authentic cultural participation over transactional placement.
Getting out in front case studies
Four Chapter 6 pages cover how to reach the press before a story forms.
- The 24/7 Rolling Press Conference explains why everyone is in PR now and why getting out in front matters.
- Build on Every Media Hit treats a media hit as a starting point, not a finish line.
- BornFree and BPA, Part 1 shows how a baby-bottle company took on the chemical industry and framed the debate.
- BornFree and BPA, Part 2 shows how BornFree defined its category and filled shelves when competitors cleared them.
Giving, tips and launch coverage
Four more pages cover the book's charity campaign, its PR tips and its launch.
- Grolsch Pop Art Bottle Auction is a Chapter 9 campaign in which celebrities painted bottles for charity, and the chain of outcomes that led to Anheuser-Busch.
- 10 PR Tips for Success is the author's 2012 list, updated for 2026.
- PR Tips, Part 2 is a second set of ten tips from the book, re-tested for 2026.
- The 2011 Book Release is the launch announcement for the first edition.
What do reviewers say about the book?
Reviewers and endorsers describe For Immediate Release as a direct, experience-based guide to public relations. Shanghai Daily named it one of the Top Five American Business Books, and getAbstract summarized it and recommended it to PR professionals, including beginners.
"Torossian's book is a street fighter's guide to PR. It's brimming with spunk and attitude."
O'Dwyer's
"The foundation of so many of Ronn's observations is something we all get: LOGIC."
Paul Carlucci, Publisher, New York Post
"A fearless, bold, clear, honest, and practical look at how PR shapes minds, ideas, and businesses."
Daymond John, Founder and CEO, FUBU
"His stories are real war stories and can't be taught in a classroom. I loved the book."
Doyle Brunson, ten-time World Series of Poker champion
The full list of endorsements and press coverage is on the Reviews, Accolades and Press page.
Why does a 2011 PR book still apply to AI search?
A 2011 PR book still applies to AI search because answer engines build their responses from published coverage, and the book teaches how to earn that coverage.
When BenBella published the first edition in October 2011, Instagram was one year old, Facebook had not yet listed on Nasdaq (it did in May 2012), and OpenAI would not release ChatGPT until November 30, 2022. The audience for a brand's story was reporters, editors and customers.
That audience now includes ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews, which summarize what third parties have published about a company into one answer. Chapter 3 on message discipline matters because consistent wording across many outlets gives an engine one description to repeat. Chapter 8 on crisis response matters because a wrong or damaging AI answer is corrected at the published pages it draws from.
Where can I buy For Immediate Release?
For Immediate Release is sold in hardcover, paperback and Kindle editions through Amazon, BenBella Books, AbeBooks and bookstores.
- Edition 1 hardcover on Amazon
- Edition 2 paperback on Amazon
- Kindle edition on Amazon
- BenBella Books product page
- AbeBooks paperback listing
- Amazon author page
Buy Edition 2 for the updated and revised text, or Edition 1 for the original 2011 hardcover. Readers building a reading list can also use the required PR reading list.
Frequently asked questions
When was For Immediate Release published?
BenBella Books published the first edition of For Immediate Release as a hardcover on October 18, 2011. BenBella released an updated and revised paperback edition in 2021.
What is For Immediate Release about?
For Immediate Release is a guide to public relations. The publisher describes it as covering how to define brands, court or avoid the press, grow without alienating loyal customers and resolve crises quickly.
How many chapters does For Immediate Release have?
For Immediate Release has ten chapters, from Moving People, Shifting Minds to Fifty Rules for PR Success. The full list with links is in the chapter section above.
What is the difference between the two editions?
Edition 1 is the 2011 hardcover, and Edition 2 is the 2021 paperback. BenBella describes the paperback as an updated and revised edition.
Who wrote For Immediate Release?
Ronn Torossian wrote For Immediate Release. He founded 5W Public Relations in 2003 and was its chief executive when BenBella published the first edition.
Where can I read the chapters online?
Each chapter and case study has a page on ronntorossian.com, listed above. The complete book is sold through the retailers in the buying section.
Last updated October 8, 2026.