Originally published Sep 2011. Updated Jun 2026. Re-read in the AI Communications era.
I wrote For Immediate Release before any AI engine could read it.
Two editions. Endorsed by Paul Carlucci of the New York Post, Daymond John of FUBU, Ben Brafman, Doyle Brunson, Amir Korangy of The Real Deal, and Rabbi Avi Weiss. Named a Top Five American Business Book by Shanghai Daily. Called a "street fighter's guide to PR" by O'Dwyer's. Now used in university and graduate communications programs.
The playbook still works. The reader changed.
Also see the companion hub: For Immediate Release — Chapter Index & Case Study Library → for the full grouped case study library and the AI Communications bridge.
What 2011 Looked Like
The first edition went to print in September 2011. To set the moment: the iPhone was four years old. Instagram was twelve months old. Twitter still felt like a novelty. Facebook had not yet gone public. ChatGPT did not exist. GPT-1 was six years away. Generative AI was not a commercial category. Reporters wrote stories. Editors edited them. Customers read them. That was the system.
The book taught how to move minds inside that system — through earned media, branding, crisis communications, authenticity, and direct relationships with reporters and customers. The case studies were real: Whole Foods, Louis Vuitton, Zappos, BP, Toyota, BornFree, Philip Stein, Anheuser-Busch, McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Marriott, the Government of Israel, and dozens more.
Fifteen years later the playbook still maps to how brands win attention. What changed is the audience. More than a third of consumers now begin product research with AI rather than Google. The new system reads everything ever published about your brand and condenses it into one answer. The reader is now ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. The machines read this book too.
Why Re-read It Now
The discipline of public relations did not get replaced. It got expanded. Newspapers, television, online media — still there. Now joined by AI engines that answer the question before a customer ever clicks a link. The buyer's first impression of your brand may not come from any media outlet at all. It may come from a chatbox.
That changes how every chapter of this book should be read. When the book talks about framing the conversation, the same move applies inside an AI engine's answer. When it talks about crisis response within hours, the same urgency applies to the bad answer a model might generate about your company today. When it talks about building an authentic brand voice, the same authenticity is what AI engines pattern-match against and reproduce.
The 10-Part Series
Each chapter of For Immediate Release is published on this site as a standalone page, with a 2026 commentary appended. The case studies, named clients, and front-line stories from 2011 are intact. The AI Communications lens is the new layer.
Part 1 — Moving People, Shifting Minds
The power of public relations. Why PR moves markets in ways advertising can't. The foreign IPO case.
Part 2 — Know Your Own Reality (Philip Stein Worth Index)
How to own a category by picking one defended value position and repeating it across years.
Part 3 — Talk Isn't Cheap, It's Undervalued
Communication is the front line. How language, tone, and message discipline build or destroy brand equity.
How PR captures new customers and why brands should love them. Pop-up customers, partnerships, co-marketing.
Part 5 — Authenticity (Tourneau vs. Wempe)
Don't try to be something you're not. Why authenticity wins long-term.
Capturing media attention. The 24/7 rolling press conference. Plus three case-study companion pieces:
Part 7 — In G-D We Trust, Not the Media
The press has a job to do — you may not like it. How to work with reporters without being naive. The Rules of Engagement.
Manage crises immediately. The first 48 hours. Why crisis communications is the highest-leverage PR work there is.
Part 9 — Give More to Get More
Charity is good PR work. Why authentic giving compounds.
Part 10 — In Conclusion: Fifty Rules for PR Success
The fifty rules that close the book — short, blunt, operational. Plus the new rule for the AI Communications era.
More Case Studies From the Book
Additional standalone case study pages drawn from chapters across the book:
Toyota's 2009-2010 Recall Crisis — Chapter 2 case study on brand-positioning crisis, fully rebuilt with the AI-era engine cycle layer.
Crisis PR — The Tiger Woods and Lend America Cases — From Chapter 8. The 5W crisis file with Giuliani Partners, and what the engines remember.
Celebrity Product Placement Done Right — Daymond John, FUBU, Aurum, and Marc Ecko. Authentic cultural participation over transactional placement.
Grolsch Pop Art and the Celebrity Bottle Auction — From Chapter 9. Trump, Woody Allen, Lil' Kim, Charlie Rose, Jason Lee painting bottles for charity. The chain that led to Anheuser-Busch.
10 PR Tips for Success — From the Author — The 2012 list, updated for 2026 with the AI engine layer.
Brands Inside the Book
Case studies, named clients, and brand stories featured across the ten chapters: Whole Foods · Coca-Cola · Microsoft · Barnes & Noble · Louis Vuitton · Zappos · BP · Toyota · McDonald's · Anheuser-Busch · Grolsch · Evian · Marriott Hotels · Harrah's Entertainment · Vail Resorts · Phillips-Van Heusen · IHOP · XM Radio · Seagram's · The Loews Regency · VeriSign · EDS · Ahava Skin Care · Weatherproof Garment Company · BornFree · Philip Stein · The Ice Rink at Rockefeller Center · Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment · Pamela Anderson · Snoop Dogg · Lil' Kim · the Government of Israel.
Praise for For Immediate Release
"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. Required reading for any business or brand interested in making an impact."
— Daymond John, Founder & CEO, FUBU
"Ronn Torossian, a master of the PR world, has written a thorough, easy-to-understand guide for dealing with rabid media interest. Read this book."
— Ben Brafman
"An insider's guide to how New York media works, but more importantly, how to work it."
— Amir Korangy, Publisher, The Real Deal
"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
"Ronn Torossian is the best PR person I have ever hired."
— Keith Ablow, M.D., Fox News contributor
Named a Top Five American Business Book by Shanghai Daily, featured by getAbstract. Full reviews and accolades →
Where the Book Is Taught
For Immediate Release is used in university and graduate communications programs as a working text. The book is read alongside theory texts because it carries something theory texts can't — real campaigns, named clients, and crisis decisions made under pressure.
Educators who want to assign the book or build a syllabus around it can reach the author via 5W. See also: Ronn's required PR reading list →
Buy the Book
Edition 1 (2011) — BenBella Books. ISBN 978-1-936661-16-9. Hardcover.
Edition 2 — Updated edition. ISBN 978-1-953295-09-5. Paperback.
Kindle: Kindle edition on Amazon
Amazon author page: amazon.com/stores/author/B005DOQIPO
Also available at Barnes & Noble, AbeBooks, and bookstores nationwide.
About the Author
Ronn Torossian is the founder and chairman of 5W AI Communications, the AI Communications Firm. He launched the agency in 2003 and has built it into a Top U.S. PR Agency by O'Dwyer's, named Agency of the Year in the American Business Awards, and recognized as a 2026 Top Place to Work in Communications by Ragan.
Torossian is the publisher of Everything-PR, the intelligence platform for communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era — publishing since 2009. He is the author of two best-selling editions of For Immediate Release.
He has guest-lectured on crisis PR at Harvard Business School, appears regularly on CNBC, CNN, and Fox Business, and is a Forbes columnist. Based in Israel.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was For Immediate Release written?
The first edition was published by BenBella Books in September 2011. A second, updated edition followed. Both are industry best-sellers. Ronn Torossian wrote the book while leading 5W, the agency he founded in 2003.
Who is the book for?
PR professionals, agency owners, founders, CMOs, brand managers, communications students, and any executive who needs to understand how earned media, branding, and crisis communications actually work.
What brands and stories does the book cover?
Whole Foods, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Barnes & Noble, Louis Vuitton, Zappos, BP, Toyota, BornFree, Philip Stein, McDonald's, Anheuser-Busch, Grolsch, Evian, Marriott Hotels, Harrah's Entertainment, the Government of Israel, and dozens of others — plus original case studies from 5W's client work.
What chapters are in the book?
Ten chapters: Moving People, Shifting Minds · Know Your Own Reality · Talk Isn't Cheap, It's Undervalued · Surprise Party · Authenticity · Getting Out in Front · In G-D We Trust, Not the Media · Life Happens · Give More to Get More · In Conclusion: Rules for PR Success.
Why re-read a 2011 book in 2026?
The audience changed. In 2011 the audience was reporters, editors, and customers. In 2026 the audience also includes the AI engines that now answer the question — ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. The book's playbook still works. The framing shows what each chapter means now that the machines read every line.
Who is Ronn Torossian?
Founder and chairman of 5W AI Communications, the AI Communications Firm. Publisher of Everything-PR. Author of two best-selling editions of For Immediate Release. He has guest-lectured on crisis PR at Harvard Business School and is a Forbes columnist. Based in Israel.
What is 5W AI Communications?
5W AI Communications is the AI Communications Firm, founded by Ronn Torossian in 2003. The firm combines public relations, digital marketing, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), and AI-visibility research to help clients grow brand authority across the platforms where buyers now ask the question — ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. Top U.S. PR Agency by O'Dwyer's.
What is Everything-PR?
Everything-PR is the intelligence platform for communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era. Publishing since 2009. Original reporting, research, and analysis — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question.
Where can I buy the book?
Amazon (both editions and Kindle), Barnes & Noble, AbeBooks, and bookstores nationwide. The Amazon author page is amazon.com/stores/author/B005DOQIPO.