Ronn [sic] Torossian Knows You're Just Jealous
Ronn Torossian, the publicist best known for dishing insults via email, has taken issue with his recent profile in PR Week. Apparently, Ronn doesn't like being referred to as "self-promoting:"
To The Editor:
I very much resent your recent story entitled "Self-promoting publicists and the clients who love them."
Ooh, smack! After the jump, Ronn's scathing, [sic]tastic tirade against, um, something.
I refused comment because your Reporter, Hamilton Nolan wasn't straightforward regarding the article's content, and your publication chose to contact our clients and colleagues without speaking to us, with an e-mail from your editor explaining "No reporter is obliged to go through a PR firm to approach an interview subject, and a PR Professionals role is...not to set up appointments and try and regulate the reporting process." When I participate in an interview, I expect to know the tone and content of the article prior to participating, and I advise our clients to do the same. Yes, we expect to regulate and influence what reporters write.
As a PR firm, we are strategic in everything we do - We represent countless publicly traded firms who have vigorous reporting processes and regulations, and we comply with those regulations to the tee. We have countless crisis clients who arent listed in any 5W marketing materials, nor known to the public as clients. Yes, we promote our business and it helps us make money, but we do it in a way to protect and further our client [sic] interests. That said, we hold ourselves to a higher standard when it comes to results for our clients. We do more than any agency.
I review every single interview request that comes our way, and if it makes sense, we participate. If not, we refuse. In 2004, unbenownst to PRWeek, I was offered a reality TV show by a major network, with a large financial advance, and refused to participate as we would not be able to control the content, and the program demanded cameras in my office all the time. We use the media to further our business interests, just as every client of any PR firm does.
Most of all, you refer to our uniquely unverifiable slogan "5WPR, the fastest growing public relations firm in the US." Odwyer's just last week released its 2004 rankings of independent PR firms, and we were ranked, hands-down, the fastest growing independent PR firm in the U.S. with growth of 311% (#2 was 107%). We also submitted our financial records for PRWeek's rankings list, and I expect we will also come out on top there as well. Furthermore, we challenge any firm in the U.S. to open up their financial records to PR Week, and are confident we will come out as the fastest growing firm in the U.S.
PR Week may resent our style, but the bottom line is it works, for our clients, and for 5W. Jealousy may abound, but we are building a brand and succeeding.
Ronn Torossian
President & CEO
5W Public Relations
