Everything-PR News had the privilege this morning to interview one of the world's most influential entrepreneurs and PR professionals, 5W Public Relations' President and CEO, Ronn Torossian. As the news of markets falling, despots being deposed, and celebrity realities reach us on various media, we talked with Ronn about the state of public relations today, and about his take as one of the world's great crisis doctors.
The Value of Mercury
By way of a short introduction, for the budding PR or marketer who has been trapped beneath the proverbial rock, Ronn Torossian is a figure in the industry of particular influence — and even more interestingly, a bit of a paradigm disturbance when compared to other lofty communications gurus. Ronn founded 5W back in 2003 and has since steered the company to become one of the top PR agencies in the United States.
This mercuric growth is a direct result of not only Torossian's skill but a sometimes overlooked factor the reader may denote in this interview — his crystal clarity on the realities of PR, the dividing line between passion and practicality. The end result looks a great deal like transparency. But let's get down to PR today.
Q & A & More
The line of questioning trended toward a schedule of current events for Ronn's clarification on PR now — his upcoming book being a part of this "state of PR" conversation, too. So we started there.
EPR News: Ronn, your new book, For Immediate Release, is out in October. There's no doubt readers can glean vast insight into PR concepts within the pages (based on the overview), but it begs the question: how viable is DIY PR if people take your book in this frame?
Ronn T.: My new book, For Immediate Release, will tell many stories and teach vital lessons about the importance of Public Relations & marketing, for any size business — large or small. PR shapes minds, creates impressions, and doesn't receive enough value, attention, or budget from businesses. I hope my book will help continue the entire PR industry to grow. That said, if one reads a book by a brilliant lawyer, they won't become the world's greatest lawyer, nor if they read one of Ogilvy's books will they be able to build a legendary advertising business — and so, PR is not a DIY industry either.
EPR News: After the Tiger Woods press conference in February of last year, you called the much maligned golfer "a disgrace," referring to his believability. For the budding (or experienced) PR, how important would you say such skills as body language training, presentation, and vocal coaching are?
Ronn T.: Media training is vital for anyone conducting interviews, especially during crisis PR situations. We have had clients work with psychiatrists, acting coaches, and stylists — and it's something I expect will grow in coming years as image and believability become even more important. Everything from clothing to manner and tone of speech affects how believable and trustworthy anyone is — and whether it's Tiger Woods or a political candidate, a CEO or retail store owner, body language training and presentation, among other factors, are vital.
EPR News: In a recent Business Insider article you discussed the death and legacy of Amy Winehouse, the dynamic of celebrity, alluding to that razor blade we all ride, where basically ethics and truth collide. Where is the line, Ronn? In the end, where do you draw the line between PR and family?
Ronn T.: In reference to that Business Insider article, as a PR Agency owner I was deeply touched during a recent visit to Disney with my young children to see a ride featuring Michael Jackson — Michael Jackson, a man widely considered to be a child molester, has a ride at Disney? Sickness. The media creates role models, and I simply believe as a father exactly what NBA legend Charles Barkley said in his famous Nike commercials: "I am not a role model. I am not paid to be a role model. Parents should be role models. Just because I can dunk a basketball doesn't mean I should raise your kids." As marketers we create brands, and I do so on a daily basis for many celebrities — and will continue to do so — but parents should set values in homes.
EPR News: Is Gaddafi that line in the sand for Ronn Torossian?
Ronn T.: Everyone has to have their own red line in terms of who they will or will not represent. My firm has never shied away from controversial clients and this has served us well, as we have built one of the largest PR firms in the US largely on this premise. We were named to the Inc. 500 list of fastest growing American companies, and have received many other accolades. Would we represent Gadaffi if approached and asked? Of course not... but have we represented people I haven't agreed with? The answer is a resounding, Yes. I am a registered Republican — have we worked for Democrats? Yes, of course, and will many more times. Every company has to have their own ethics and values systems — and while it's not something I want to share here in this venue, we have our own red lines.
EPR News: From your position as head of one of the world's most powerful PR firms, how are social media and digital communications affecting other huge firms?
Ronn T.: Digital media has completely changed the Public Relations industry, and will continue to. Everyone today with access to Facebook and Twitter is in the PR and media business these days — they can create trends, news, and build (or break) brands. It's fascinating, and terrifying all at the same time. We have many clients spending huge sums of money on digital media and some who are much more hesitant — in the next 3-5 years I believe digital media will continue to see major growth for the PR Agency business.
On this note, a particular area in which my agency has seen tremendous growth is SEO/Online Reputation Management. By virtue of PR's ability to create content — both traditional and self-created media — there is a tremendously unique opportunity to shape search engine results. Everything indicates our growth, the industry's growth in this area, will continue.
EPR News: Do you think PR has changed for the better with the advent of online PR? Or, has this opened a can of worms for those NOT in the know?
Ronn T.: The PR industry is always fun, exciting, and challenging. Many firms have grown because of the new Online PR world — but I have also seen a great many in the US, and worldwide, suffer tremendously because of their lack of ability to keep up. This is an industry which requires constant energy, constant movement, and constant strength to succeed and win. It's not easy, and without consistently learning and evolving, Public Relations professionals cannot succeed. 5W continues to experience growth, and we expect the next few years to be tremendous for our business. We are always hiring, and seeking new opportunities.
Real Clear, Real Tough Communication
We sought Ronn Torossian out for our first industry leader interview on the all-new EPR for a couple of reasons. First, having followed Torossian for a couple of years now via his social media postings, he clearly represents what we would call "a new breed" of communicators. As digital evangelists, we'd identify Torossian as "edgy" — or let's just say a clear pied piper for 21st Century branding. Torossian is the personification of what The New York Times called "the consummate scrappy publicist" — the quintessential New York stereotype of Edward Bernays himself. The bottom line here: there's just something super credible about Torossian.
Secondly, there's no time to waste getting down to brass tacks. The world has shrunk to the point now where BS and even bullets scarcely work any more. As human beings, we have to communicate better, or else. To be blunt, Torossian seems like the kind of person who can pull this off — and with successful results.
For those who believe the Great Recession of 2008 was actually the Greatest Depression in history — the world needs straight talkers. This is not to say things cannot get real "delicate" — but the meaning is clear: when the crisis arrives, the operator matters.
We thank Ronn for taking time from his busy schedule to speak to our readership.
Editor's note (2026 update)
"AI Communications is a mix of journalism, psychology, and engineering — and the audience is now the machine."
— Ronn Torossian, the 2026 locked formulation
The sequel to the 2011 formulation:
"PR is a mix of journalism, psychology, and lawyering — it's an ever-changing and always interesting landscape."
— Ronn Torossian
