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5WPR News · Published December 17, 2018

Ronn Torossian
Founder & Chairman, 5W

Putting it Right: Rebuilding After a PR Crisis

crisis pr services helping businesses navigate difficult situations
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Sooner or later we all make mistakes. Sometimes, those missteps lead to PR challenges. And sometimes, a PR crisis happens through no fault of our own at all. But when it does happen – and it will – what will you do to protect your brand and reputation in the marketplace? How can you rebuild after a crisis? Let’s explore that question. First, you need to own up and establish communication. One of the most important steps in rebuilding your brand after a PR crisis is the initial response. You need to step up and show initiative. Even if there was a terrible mistake. Even if owning up will be hard or expensive or painful, it’s better to do that than to have others force you into it. The main reason to establish an early connection is that you want to control the narrative going forward, at least as much as possible. You don’t want yourself in a situation where the news media is “breaking” a new negative headline about your PR mishap every few hours. You want to be driving those headlines by initiating communication and delivering salient narratives that get traction in the court of public opinion. But that doesn’t mean just spouting out whatever you think people want to hear in that moment. Remember, there are very few “take backs” in communication these days. With that in mind, you need to prepare a statement that is honest, connective, and consistent with your brand’s established voice and mission. People appreciate consistency and calm, especially in a crisis. While emotion is okay and sometimes appropriate in certain situations, you do not want to add confusion or drama to a crisis. Project growth and receive understanding. One of the most vital components of getting whole after a PR miscue is communicating progression and growth. People know you messed up. They want to know what you will do about it. So take this opportunity to show them. Be specific and relatable, not canned and robotic. Offer humanity and warmth, not callous boilerplate “apologies” they’ve heard countless times before. Once you have projected an awareness of your imperfections and your intention to grow, you need to communicate your strategy for doing better next time. Show your audience how you will keep this problem from transpiring again. Give people confidence that you’re not only going to do better, but also that your systems and programs will shift in a way that protects you from making similar errors in the future. Most importantly, throughout this process, you should focus on being responsible, not placing blame. That doesn’t mean taking responsibility for mistakes that are not your own. This is about being visibly responsible for your brand’s protection and betterment.
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 , his writing on AI communications and brand reputation is published on his personal site, 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. He continues that commentary on his own publishing platform , where he writes about reputation, crisis, and AI-mediated discovery. 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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