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Ronn Torossian

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Ronn D. Torossian
Ronn Torossian
Born (1974-08-25) August 25, 1974 (age 50)[1]
Brooklyn, New York
NationalityAmerican
OccupationPublic Relations
Employer5W Public Relations
Known forFounder of 5W Public Relations
TitleChief Executive Officer
WebsiteOfficial website

Ronn D. Torossian is an American public relations executive, founder of New York City-based 5W Public Relations (5WPR),[2] author and political commentator.

His public relations firm, 5WPR, was ranked the 24th-largest public relations firm by net fees in the US in 2013, with revenues of about $16 million.[3] As a public relations executive, he is known for his aggressive tactics, and has been called by Business Week "loud, crass, buzz-obsessed... The Bad Boy of Buzz."[4]

Torossian blogs for the online editions of Wired[5] and NewsMax[6] on the subjects of business and innovation, and writes a regular column at the online magazine FrontPageMag.[7] He has also written the book For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results with Game-Changing Public Relations.

Torossian is known for his strong support of Israel's right-wing political factions. He has represented many Israeli politicians who support Israel's policies of promoting Jewish settlement of the Occupied West Bank, and has written political commentaries supporting those policies. His views, and his aggressive PR tactics, have won him both opponents and supporters.

Early life

Torossian was born in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in The Bronx and attended Stuyvesant High School in New York City.[2] While at SUNY Albany, Torossian became national president of the North American branch of Betar,[8] the international Zionist youth movement associated with Israel's conservative Likud party.[9] After college he moved to Israel, and co-founded with fellow Betar members and current members of Knesset Danny Danon and Yoel Hasson an organization called "Yerushalayim Shelanu" (Our Jerusalem), which promoted Jewish settlement in Eastern Jerusalem.[10] He returned to the US after a year and a half.[8]

Career

Torossian began his career in public relations in 1998, working with then New York City Council speaker Peter Vallone, Sr. during Vallone's trip to Israel. He also worked for the Likud Party in Israel.[2][11]

Torossian founded 5WPR in 2003.,[2] and led it to be the 24th-largest public relations firm by net fees in the US in 2013.[3] He became known for his aggressive PR style; the New York Times called him "brash and aggressively outspoken".[2] He styles himself as a "specialist in crisis communication."[12]

Torossian's political work has included various interests in the former Yugoslavia, including Serbian President Boris Tadić and the Albanian American Civic League, in Lebanon[13] and elsewhere.[14] He has worked in the former Soviet Union, including representation of Maira Nazarbayev, the wife of Bolat Nazarbayev (brother of Kazakhstan president Nursultan Nazarbayev), Vitaly Klitschko during his candidacy for Mayor of Kiev, Ukraine and representation of Rinat Akhmetov, the richest man in Ukraine.[15][16]

Since 2013, Torossian has become active as a political commentator. He writes a regular column for FrontPage Mag,[17] the online magazine of the Freedom Center, and is also a frequent contributor to the Times of Israel and Israel National News, the on-line journal of the Israeli movement to settle Jews in the West Bank. He has also contributed to Newsmax,[18] and The Huffington Post.

5WPR

Torossian's PR agency, 5WPR, grew from two employees in 2003 to about 90 in 2012. It has done work for a wide variety of clients: major companies like Groupe SEB,[19] El Al,[20] and Barnes & Noble;[21] rock stars, including rappers Lil' Kim,[22] Snoop Dogg,[23] and Ice Cube.;[24] Russian oligarch Rinat Akhmetov of the Ukraine,;[25] and the soft-porn franchise Girls Gone Wild,[26] which went bankrupt after a series of lawsuits.

The firm boasts a "tight working relationship with the Christian Right", as well as many members of the Israeli political echelon, including the Tourism and Foreign ministries, Likud Party, members of Knesset and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat.[27] They have also represented Israel Prime Ministers Ehud Olmert and Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu.[28] The agency has trained Israeli government officials for media appearances.[29] They have represented Evangelical Christian groups, including the Trinity Broadcasting Network, Christian Coalition of America, Pastor John Hagee and Benny Hinn Ministries.[30]

Commentary and reception

As a political commentator, Torossian is an avid supporter of Israel's right wing, an advocate for the Israeli faction that supports Jewish settlement in the Occupied West Bank, and a virulent opponent of US President Barack Obama. In a column for FrontPage Mag, he wrote, "From Syria to Iran, Benghazi to Egypt, Obama has taken American self-respect and honor to a terrible place... Obama is a complete and utter disaster."[31] Regarding Israel's policy of settling Jews in territory occupied from Arabs in 1967 he wrote, "Anyone truly interested in peace should join me, Ronn Torossian, in applauding those responsible for building settlements in Israel – the only liberal democracy in the Middle East."[32]

His political views and his aggressive PR tactics, have won him both praise and criticism. Atlantic Monthly writer Jeffrey Goldberg called him "the most disreputable flack in New York", particularly criticizing his representation of what Goldberg called the "lunatic fringe" of Israeli politics.[33] Gawker’s Hamilton Nolan wrote that Torossian "embodies the public’s worst ideas about what a PR person is: loud, brash, more flash than substance, dirty, manipulative, amoral, and, in the end, not particularly bright.”[34]

On the other hand, his PR style has won him devoted supporters. Clients have cited his "unlimited energy" and his unique approach to public relations as reasons for hiring him.[4] Jameel Spencer, former CEO of Bad Boy Entertainment-affiliated Blue Flame Marketing and Advertising, called Torossian "one of my most trusted business counsels,"[35] A The Jerusalem Post profile of him cited his "meteoric rise in the business world today".[36] Another client compared Torossian to former basketball player Dennis Rodman, whom "Everyone hated to play against. But if he was on your team, you loved him".[35] A Forward story said, "His aggressive style may not always be pretty, but the results speak for themselves."[8]

Some commentators see Torossian's style as a sign of the times. He is "one of the New Yorkiest practitioners of this quintessentially New York profession... the consummate scrappy publicist"", wrote the New York Times.[2] Businessweek wrote, "Torossian has anointed himself the brash new face of PR ... echoes the raw, unvarnished discourse of the blogosphere... Few seem better equipped to navigate a celebrity-obsessed culture."[4]

Achievements and recognition

  • 2006 – Advertising Age "40 under 40"[11]
  • 2007 – PR Week "40 under 40"[37]
  • 2010 – Semi-finalist, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of Year[38]
  • 2013 – PR Communications or PR Executive of the Year, American Business Awards – Torossian was honored with a Silver Stevie Award on June 17, 2013 [39]
  • 2013 – Public Relations Agency of the Year, American Business Awards – 5W Public Relations was honored with a Gold Stevie Award on June 17, 2013 [39]
  • 2014 – Public Relations Agency of the Year, American Business Awards – 5W Public Relations was honored with a Bronze Stevie Award on June 13, 2014 [40]
  • 2014 – PR Communications or PR Executive of the Year, American Business Awards – Torossian was honored with a Bronze Stevie Award on June 13, 2014 [40]

References

  1. ^ http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/5W.Public.Relations.212-999-5585/picture/view/4595112
  2. ^ a b c d e f Kurutz, Steven (February 20, 2005). "Brash P.R. Guy Grabs Clients, Ink". The City. The New York Times. Retrieved September 5, 2008. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ a b "Public Relations Firms Rankings – 2010 Worldwide Fees of Independent Firms With Major U.S. Operations". J.R. O'Dwyer Company. March 2011. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
  4. ^ a b c Brady, Diane (November 12, 2007). "The Bad Boy of Buzz and His PR Problem". Businessweek. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ "Ronn Torossian's Blog". Wired Innovation Insights. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  6. ^ "Ronn Torossian". NewsMax Insiders. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  7. ^ "Ronn Torossian". FrontPageMag. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  8. ^ a b c Popper, Nathaniel (April 2, 2004). "Publicist scores with rappers, right-wing politicians". The Forward. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ "World Zionist youth movement – Home". Betar. September 23, 2011. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
  10. ^ Popper, Nathaniel (August 28, 2009). "Birthright Scored for Picking P.R. Firm Tied To Scandal, Hard Right Politics". Forward. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
  11. ^ a b "Special Report – 40 under 40: Ronn Torossian". Adage.com. Advertising Age. August 7, 2006. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
  12. ^ http://www.5wpr.com/
  13. ^ Herskovits, Beth (March 10, 2005). "Lebanese organization challenging Syrian occupation taps 5WPR for strategic counsel". PRWeek US (subscription required). Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  14. ^ "Info – US lobbyists work for both sides". B92. October 26, 2006. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
  15. ^ Fenton, Reuven (July 10, 2001). "$20M apt. 'thief': I'm still happily married to Kazakh accuser". New York Post. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
  16. ^ "5W Public Relations". Holmes Report. October 1, 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
  17. ^ http://www.frontpagemag.com/author/ronn-torossian/
  18. ^ "Ronn Torossian – America's Business". Newsmax.com. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  19. ^ "5W Public Relations: Agency Business Report 2012". PRWeek US. August 28, 2012. (subscription required)
  20. ^ Bruell, Alexandra (September 14, 2009). "El Al Airlines names 5W its AOR". PRWeek US.(subscription required)
  21. ^ "Roblox names 5W as agency partner". April 15, 2014.
  22. ^ Hauser, Christine; Grant, Jason; MacRopoulos, Angela; Mascia, Jennifer; Tangel, Andrew; Warren, Mathew R. (August 8, 2008). "A Fan's Night Out, Hoping to Meet Lil' Kim, Then a Deadly Turn". The New York Times.
  23. ^ by Bloomberg Businessweek (November 11, 2007). "The Bad Boy of Buzz and His PR Problem". Businessweek.com. Retrieved March 24, 2014. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  24. ^ "5W Public Relations Signs JoonBug Productions, Dr. Leslie". Bloomberg.
  25. ^ "Rich Rinat says to world: I'm No.1 in Europe". Kyiv Post. January 9, 2008. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
  26. ^ "Girls Gone Wild CEO Announces the Launch of Girls Gone Wild Magazine". Kyiv Post. February 21, 2008. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  27. ^ Blum Leibowitz, Ruthie (August 5, 2009). "One on One: 'It's all about shaping a story'". The Jerusalem Post.
  28. ^ http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/new_york/confident_comeback
  29. ^ McKenna, Ted (December 14, 2006). "Israel branding effort aims to humanize nation's image". PRWeek US. (subscription required)
  30. ^ Brady, Diane (November 11, 2007). "The Bad Boy of Buzz and His PR Problem". Businessweek. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  31. ^ "Nobody Believes In America's Strength Anymore". FrontPageMag. March 7, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  32. ^ "The Barrier to Peace". FrontPageMag. June 15, 2014. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
  33. ^ Goldberg, Jeffrey (October 27, 2008). "The Jewish Extremists Behind "Obsession"". The Atlantic Monthly. Retrieved June 17, 2012. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  34. ^ Wheaton, Ken (March 10, 2008). "Ronn Torossian: No Poster Child for PR Industry". Advertising Age. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  35. ^ a b Nolan, Hamilton. "Famous Publicists: Self-promoting publicists and clients who love them". PR Week. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  36. ^ Blum, Ruthie (August 5, 2009). "One on One: 'It's all about shaping a story'". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
  37. ^ "40 under 40". PR Week. December 3, 2007. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  38. ^ "Ronn Torossian Named 5W Public Relations CEO selected as semi-finalist for Ernst and Young". Eturbonews.com. April 27, 2010. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
  39. ^ a b "Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Awards Category Stevie Award Winners". Stevie Awards. American Business Awards. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
  40. ^ a b http://www.stevieawards.com/pubs/awards/403_2941_24922.cfm
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Further reading

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