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Public Relations · Published June 28, 2018

Ronn Torossian
Founder & Chairman, 5W

How PR Agents Can Become Strong Storytellers

public relations story about building brand awareness and reputation
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Press releases and marketing campaigns naturally contain a lot of storytelling characteristics. For instance, a good PR story should have a plot - outlining the company as an introduction, what it achieved as the "middle" and what it plans to do next as the end. The ending of a press announcement, in particular, needs to really appeal to an audience to make the content memorable. Creating heroes can also be a great way to boost the emotional potential of a brand's story. By giving an audience something to resonate with - like an underdog brand fighting against injustice, or an innovative company creating a new world, PR agencies can make their marketing campaigns far more appealing.

Tips for Better Storytelling

Telling great stories isn't always easy, but it's an important strategy for PR agencies who want to resonate with their chosen audience. The right storytelling strategy can give depth to campaigns that wouldn't grab anyone's attention in a cluttered marketplace. Of course, the stories any PR company create need a few features to make them truly incredible, including:

Emotion

Storytelling is a powerful PR strategy because it builds around emotion. Using personal stories that customers can resonate with makes it easier for brands to create emotive narratives for their clients. After all, people make decisions based on how they feel, so it's always worth taking emotion into account when building brand strategies.

Visuals

It's often easier for customers to understand the context or nature of a story when there are pictures to accompany the narrative. Integrating visuals like infographics, pictures, and videos into the marketing mix can give brands the edge when it comes to engaging with important customers.

Shareability

The emotional nature of stories makes them easier for people to share on social media and forums. The best way to make sure that a target market shares the stories a PR agency creates is by adding sharing buttons and brand hashtags to the bottom of each article or publication. Telling the Right Stories Human beings are naturally built to respond better to emotional stories than clinical press releases and statements. By learning the art of storytelling, agencies in the PR and marketing world can help their clients to have a more memorable impact on their chosen niche. Storytelling can be the key to stronger advertising, better relationship management, and even an increased chance of lead generation.
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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  • communications
  • pr strategy
  • 5wpr
  • branding
  • strategy

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