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Public Relations · Published October 21, 2015

Ronn Torossian
Founder & Chairman, 5W

PR Services are Changing

public relations services for businesses
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Let's face it, traditional PR services are changing; making way for a digital first approach to many PR Agency service offerings. One of the interesting things about current changes is we see them from a time-lapse view more and more. Social media and the internet have catapulted the pace, and we must learn to adapt. Here are some of the latest PR trends we’ve noticed: PR agencies are becoming integrated. Good firms these days are integrated – doing PR & marketing.  Some successfully focus on just one or a few fields of specialization, like crisis communications or public affairs, but most firms need PR, marketing, and social media skills in-house at a bare minimum. Outsourcing these can prove difficult unless you know those you contract with have an innate understanding of your clients and what they need. Beyond that, compartmentalizing can be dangerous with the immediate nature of social media. If your people can’t see the full picture, they cannot respond in real-time effectively. Traditional and social media – at this point, these too have become blended. Traditional media sources also have websites where they run content. Traditional print media is expensive to produce by comparison, and fewer people are willing to pay to receive information in print they have immediate access to on the internet. Because of social media, they don’t even have to go looking for information. Big data has made major inroads to social media, and if you’ve expressed a recent interest in a topic, your newsfeed will probably show you more information on that topic to click and read. Find a way to bring big data services to clients. Learn how it works and it offers. Big data is used for much more than sales pitches, it can save big money for clients in utility fees when they have several properties, or manage health care issues. Those are not traditionally PR or marketing concepts, but it doesn’t hurt to know how to save your clients money, so they have more to spend on marketing. Sometimes in the volume of information available it is easy for PR professionals and those affiliated with the business to temporarily forget their job is to provide the client with what they want. Usually that’s to increase target audience awareness of their product or service and entice customers to purchase what they offer. That remains constant in PR, but the methods of accomplishing that goal keep changing, morphing, rearranging into new ideas and approaches. The need for creative and innovative thinkers also remains constant. People who can spot the trends, and dive in with approaches to set their agency apart from all the followers. When your people know how to see what’s on the horizon and how to use that information for building brand awareness and sales for clients, PR matters more.
Ronn Torossian

Written by

Ronn Torossian

Founder Ronn Torossian Ronn Torossian Founder & Chairman, 5W 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. Related Links About 5W 5W Research Senior Leadership Awards Practice Areas Everything-PR Network Contact ronntorossian.com Frequently Asked Questions Who is Ronn Torossian? Ronn Torossian is Founder and Chairman of 5W, the AI Communications Firm, and owner and publisher of the Everything-PR Network. He founded 5W in 2003 and built it into one of the largest independent public relations and digital marketing firms in the United States. When did Ronn Torossian found 5W? Ronn Torossian founded 5W in 2003. Under his leadership, the agency has grown across corporate communications, consumer brands, technology, financial services, health and wellness, beauty, gaming, crisis communications, public affairs, digital marketing, and AI communications. What is Ronn Torossian’s current role at 5W? Ronn Torossian serves as Founder and Chairman of 5W. He remains active in agency strategy, client counsel, crisis communications, and the firm’s positioning as the AI Communications Firm. What is Ronn Torossian known for? Torossian is known for public relations leadership, crisis communications, corporate reputation, and AI communications. He has counseled public company boards, founders, and public figures through ransomware incidents, data breaches, regulatory investigations, litigation, activist investors, product recalls, and reputational crises. Has Ronn Torossian written a book? Yes. He 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. What awards has Ronn Torossian received? Recognition includes the Stevie American Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, the American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year twice, an EY Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist nomination, Business Insider’s Top Crisis Communications Professionals, and Crain’s New York Most Notable in Marketing & PR. Where does Ronn Torossian publish his writing? He is a contributing columnist for Forbes and the New York Observer. His commentary has also appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, Adweek, PRWeek, and O’Dwyer’s. He appears on CNN and CNBC. What is the Everything-PR Network? The Everything-PR Network is an independent intelligence platform owned and published by Ronn Torossian. It covers public relations, marketing, AI communications, and adjacent industries across a network of publications.

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