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Ronn Torossian

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Ronn D. Torossian
Ronn Torossian
Born
Brooklyn, New York
NationalityUnited States, Israel
CitizenshipAmerican, Israeli
OccupationPublic relations
Employer5W Public Relations
Known forPublic relations
Height6'2
TitleChief executive officer
WebsiteRonnTorossian.com

Ronn D. Torossian (b. 1974) is an American public relations executive and entrepreneur. He is the founder, president and CEO of New York City-based 5W Public Relations.[1]

He was named to the PR Week "40 under 40" in 2007[2], and Advertising Age "40 under 40" in 2006.[3] PR Week noted his "nose for the media", and that his "real notoriety comes from his relentless quest to promote himself and his firm along with his own clients."[2] He is known for his aggressive and self-promotional style of both his clients and his firm.[4] His style has been both cited as integral to his success, and criticized."[4] The New York Times called him the "New Yorkiest practitioners of this quintessentially New York profession."[5]

Torossian specializes in corporate, technology, crisis communication and celebrity representation. He is one of the youngest CEOs of a PR firm.[6]

Personal

Torossian was born in Midwood, Brooklyn but grew up in Riverdale, The Bronx.[5] He graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1992 and afterward attended the State University of New York at Albany.[5] Torossian was national president of the Israeli youth movement Betar, a Likud-affiliated youth organization that counts some of Israel's most well-known political leaders as former members.[7]

In an interview with El Al magazine Atmosphere, Torossian credited his involvement with Betar for connecting him to his Israeli and Jewish roots.[8] It also fostered professional ties, as Torossian's clients have included the Israeli Ministry of Tourism,[8] Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Likud party itself, amongst others.

Career

Early

Torossian began his career in public relations in 1998, helping then New York City Council speaker Peter Vallone, Sr.'s trip to Israel.[1] In 2002 he was the media director for the Christian Coalition of America.[9] He was Vice President/Group Director for MWW Group, one of The InterPublic Group’s largest PR agencies. At IPG he worked on large corporate accounts, including Clinique, Fox News Channel, DHL and others. In 2003 he founded 5W Public Relations in a rooftop shack with one telephone and an unpaid intern.[5]

5W Public Relations

Main article: 5W Public Relations

On generating news stories for his clients, Torrosian expressed his preference for provocative stories.[1] His orchestration of the product placement of client Belly Maternity's shirt on Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt made the shirt famous after People magazine put the newborn wearing it on the cover.[10][4][11][12]

Inc. ranked 5W Public Relations No. 153 in its 2007 Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in America annual survey, and ranked it No. 11 in the New York City metropolitan area.[11] The magazine cited the Shiloh photographs and Torossian's marketing as reasons for the company's growth.[11]

Clients

Torossian has represented a diverse client base, including Evian Water, EDS, Anhueser Busch, Pamela Anderson, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and Snoop Dogg.[13][14] In the past, additional clients have included the Christian Coalition of America, Bad Boy Entertainment, the State of Israel,[15] Binyamin Elon (the former Israeli government Minister and Knesset member of the Israeli right-wing National Union Party),[7] and Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis.[16] Torossian has said the seemingly contradictory clients' common thread is that both religious groups and hip hop artists have been been unfairly characterized as extremists.[4]

Torossian was quoted in February 2009 regarding Angel Food Ministries, a $100 Million food bank that was raided by the FBI, noting the organization's cooperation with authorities. [17]

Reputation

Torossian is particularly known for his aggressiveness and penchant for self-promotion, a style that has been both credited for his success and criticized as a failing.[18][4][5] Torossian himself has described the importance of aggression and focus in his work, and he considers a strong influence on his philosophy to be Antoine de Saint Exupéry.[8]

In his profile of 5W in the industry trade letter The Holmes Report, Paul Holmes wrote "Torossian revels in his firm's maverick personality and isn't at all worried that some of his antics...might ruffle a few feathers."[19] He is noted for bombast. Of 5W's growth, Torossian has said "One of the reasons I've grown so quickly is that I'm bright. Another is that my competitors are not so bright." [4] He has taunted rivals, calling them "dinosaurs" and dismissing famed publicist Howard J. Rubenstein as "old and tired", promising to take Rubenstein's storied place in public relations.[5] His style has caused him some problems. After criticizing competitor Lizzie Grubman, attorney Benjamin Brafman severed his ties with 5W in 2005. Brafman spoke at the agency in 2009 and lauded Torossian. [5] Calling him "The Bad Boy of Buzz", BusinessWeek wrote that "even in an industry fueled by hype, Torossian stands out," and that for it, "few seem better equipped to navigate a celebrity-obsessed culture."[4]

His self-promotion has raised eyebrows. One unnamed former client reportedly complained "I saw more press releases on him than any work for my firm."[4] Atlantic Monthly writer Jeffrey Goldberg called him "the most disreputable flack in New York" and in particular criticized his representation of what Goldberg called the "lunatic fringe" of Israeli politics.[20]

Torossian himself is popular with clients, a fact even some of his harshest critics concede.[21] Clients have cited his "unlimited energy" and his unique approach to public relations as reasons for hiring Torossian.[4] Jameel Spencer, former CEO of Bad Boy Entertainment-affiliated Blue Flame Marketing and Advertising, called Torossian "one of my most trusted business counsels."[21] New York Daily News gossip columnist Lloyd Grove said "Ronn is somebody who gets it."[1].

Recognition

References

  1. ^ a b c d Kurutz, Steven (February 20, 2005). "Brash P.R. Guy Grabs Clients, Ink". The City. The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-09-05. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ a b c "40 under 40". PR Week. December 3 2007. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ a b "5WPR, Ronn Torossian". Advertising Age. August 7 2006. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Brady, Diane (November 12 2007). "The Bad Boy of Buzz and His PR Problem". Businessweek. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Brash P.R. Guy Grabs Clients, Ink, Steve Kurtz, New York Times, February 20, 2005; Accessed November 26, 2008.
  6. ^ Meet the young(er) boss, Marilyn Gardner, Christian-Science Monitor.
  7. ^ a b Popper, Nathaniel (April 2 2004). "Publicist scores with rappers, right-wing politicians"". The Forward. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ a b c Speedy Torossian, Avihu Kadosh, Atmosphere, November 2008; accessed November 26, 2008 via 5wpr.net.
  9. ^ The Christian Coalition and the Jewish Community, Ronn Torossian, The Israel Report, October 12, 2002.
  10. ^ Shiloh Makes Money for Ronn [sic Torossian], Gawker, June 9, 2006.
  11. ^ a b c Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in America profile of 5W, ranked No. 153 in 2007 survey; accessed November 25. 2008
  12. ^ The T-shirts that Shiloh made famous, William Keck, USA Today, June 13, 2006; accessed November 27, 2008.
  13. ^ http://www.dcexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/CheersandJeers/Cheers--Jeers--A-Rod-brand-not-prospering-39412277.html
  14. ^ www.5wpr.com/clients
  15. ^ http://israelinsider.ning.com/forum/topics/ronn-torossian-israels-pr?page=1&commentId=2018399%3AComment%3A20694&x=1#2018399Comment20694
  16. ^ New charges for 'Girls Gone Wild' founder, USA Today, April 12, 2007; Accessed November 26, 2008.
  17. ^ http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2009/02/12/angel_food_fbi.html
  18. ^ A P.R. Nightmare, Stewart Ain, The Jewish Week, July 16, 2008.
  19. ^ Client Guide 2005 profile of 5W Public Relations.
  20. ^ Goldberg, Jeffrey (October 27 2008). "The Jewish Extremists Behind "Obsession"". The Atlantic Monthly. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  21. ^ a b Famous Publicists: Self-promoting publicists and clients who love them, Hamilton Nolan, PRWeek, March 14, 2005.


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