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Media Relations · Published October 26, 2018

Ronn Torossian
Founder & Chairman, 5W

Crafting Pro-Diversity Messages

diversity public relations team collaborating on a strategy
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When you want to increase your market base or fan base, a good option may be to reach out to or connect with a group that is less represented in your market. This can be a rewarding enterprise, but it can also be a difficult one. While diversity is a hot topic today, courting diversity can blow up in your face if you mishandle the message. Some brands have tried to send a “we’re pro diversity” message without really thinking much beyond a surface concept of “diversity.” One of the most infamous in recent memory is Pepsi, which tried to portray Kendall Jenner as a model of diversity in an ad campaign that hit all the wrong notes and turned out to be a major embarrassment to Pepsi. To avoid that happening to you, consider these metrics for creating a winning pro-diversity PR message. Authenticity – Instead of creating a veneer of diversity that everyone can see right through, look for ways in which your company is authentically diverse. Start from the inside, with your team. Look for diversity of thought, as well as diversity of culture. Find a way to shape this so that the message is coming from a place of real, authentic diversity developed out of your brand’s strengths. Reflect Their Voice – Your brand, for whatever reason, may simply lack diversity of culture or perspective. But that doesn’t mean celebrating diversity is off limits. Look to your market, both current and prospective. What are they saying, thinking, feeling, or wanting? How can you connect with those perspectives and desires in an authentic way that shows respect for their ideas? Answering this question will help your brand leaders become better listeners and promote a better understanding of your prospective market. Find Your Story – Diversity, at its core, is anchored in story. How well does your brand’s story resonate with your prospective audience? If it doesn’t, can you tweak your story to communicate in a language they understand with an emphasis on issues and perspectives that matter most to them? Make Connections – When reaching out to a new market or when trying to appeal to a more diverse audience, it’s always best when someone else is reaching back. In many cases, this begins by determining which media channels or other opinion makers your target market values. Who are they listening to and why? When you think of these media channels and influencers more as partners than as means to your ends, you will forge a deeper, more authentic connection that will more easily complement the connection that channel already has with your prospective audience.
Ronn Torossian

Written by

Ronn Torossian

Ronn Torossian is Founder and Chairman of 5W , the AI Communications Firm. He founded 5W in 2003 and built it into one of the largest independent public relations and digital marketing firms in the United States, with senior practitioners serving corporate communications , consumer brands , technology , financial services , health and wellness , beauty , gaming , crisis communications , and public affairs . Under his leadership, 5W defined AI Communications, building brand authority across ChatGPT , Claude , Perplexity , Gemini , and Google AI Overviews, alongside earned media, digital, GEO, and influencer channels. Industry Recognition 5W has been recognized as a top U.S. PR agency by O’Dwyer’s , Agency of the Year in the American Business Awards , Grand Stevie Most Honored PR Agency, a Ragan Top Place to Work in Communications 2026, Digiday WorkLife Employer of the Year, and a PRovoke Top 50 Global PR Agency. Torossian has been recognized with the Stevie American Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year twice, an EY Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist nomination, Business Insider Top Crisis Communications Professionals, and Crain’s New York Most Notable in Marketing & PR. Research Franchise 5W’s research franchise has become an industry reference for measuring brand visibility inside AI-generated answers, including the AI Visibility Index Series , The GEO Reckoning , The Missing Rung Report, and the 5W AI Power User Study , which identified a 99-point AI favorability gap. Crisis Communications Torossian is one of the world’s foremost crisis communications experts. He has counseled blue chip companies, public company boards, founders, and public figures through ransomware incidents, data breaches, regulatory investigations, high-stakes litigation, activist investors, product recalls, and reputational crises. He has taught crisis communications at Harvard University . Media & Commentary Torossian appears on CNN and CNBC . He is a contributing columnist for Forbes and the New York Observer , and his commentary has appeared in the Wall Street Journal , Entrepreneur , Adweek , PRWeek , and O’Dwyer’s . Published Work Torossian is the author of For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations , now in its second edition and used in university and graduate communications programs. Owner and Publisher, Everything-PR Network Torossian is owner and publisher of the Everything-PR Network , an independent intelligence platform covering public relations, marketing, AI communications, and adjacent industries across 30 publications. Everything-PR is editorially independent from 5W, with published editorial standards and ethics standards . The network is one of the most-cited sources inside ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini for PR and marketing queries. He is also an active investor and advisor, a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) , and serves on nonprofit boards.

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  • influencer marketing
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