Prime Minister Netanyahu & Singer Sarit Hadad

At 5WPR we have worked on many worldwide political campaigns – From Serbia to Albania, Ukraine to Kazakhstan there are certainly entertaining moments in any political campaign.

No different was the official Likud campaign launch conference for the upcoming Israeli elections.   After Prime Minister Netanyahu finished his speech, Israeli pop star Sarit Hadad appeared and sang her hit song “Atah Totach.”

The song translated as: “You are awesome / No one can top you / you are the greatest of them all” was sung with Avigdor Lieberman and other Israeli leaders in the front row.  Certainly something which would only be seen during an election campaign.

Sarit Hadad is one of the most famous Israeli pop singers – she’s Moroccan and Tunisian and performs regularly including in the USA.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu didn’t seem entirely comfortable – but perhaps it’s better than kissing random babies.

Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, and Author of “For Immediate Release.”


SOURCE http://www.jewocity.com/blog/prime-minister-netanyahu-singer-sarit-hadad/7002

Naftali Bennett, Likud & Jabotinsky

As a follower of Ze’ev Jabotinsky, many fine members of the Likud/ Yisrael Beytenu have to be dismayed at the ongoing attacks by Netanyahu & Likud against Naftali Bennett, the Chairman of the Jewish Home party, which is projected to be the third largest party in the upcoming Israeli elections.

Take for example, the words of the fine, ideological man, Energy and Water Minister Uzi Landau who has now rejoined the Likud as a result of the merger of his party Yisrael Beytenu, chaired by Avigdor Lieberman.

As Landau said: “I have been always a member of Herut and Likud, which derives its inspiration from [Ze’ev] Jabotinsky, [Menachem] Begin and [Yitzhak] Shamir. When I talk about the National Camp, I like to use the analogy of a single apartment building – moving from Likud to Yisrael Beytenu I merely moved within the same camp, or just a different apartment within the same building. With this joint list we are strengthening the building and strengthening the National Camp.”

As Ronn Torossian asked in Times of Israel, where would Jabotinsky today stand in Israeli politics? Read more at: http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/naftali-bennett-or-pm-netanyahu-where-would-zeev-jabotinsky-stand/


SOURCE http://www.jewocity.com/blog/naftali-bennett-likud-jabotinsky/6918

Shame on Yeshiva University Silence on Norman Lamm: The Jewish Joe Paterno?

I, Ronn Torossian, am simply in shock that no one in the community has spoken out about the Joe Paterno of the Jewish community, Rabbi Norman Lamm. Yes, I know Lamm is someone who has done so much for the Jewish community – but he has admitted that he was aware of sexual misconduct of staffers and did nothing about it.

He didn’t report it to the authorities – and allowed the teachers to teach children (pass the buck).  Is this not the same (or worse) than what made Penn State fire Joe Paterno?

Rabbi Norman Lamm, who was President of YU at the time of these incidents (and is now Chancellor), said “This was before things of this sort had attained a certain notoriety.”Rabbi:  Get your head out of the chumash – child molestation has always “had certain notoriety.” And you educate Jewish youth?

Fire Norman Lamm now.  Jewish community step up and demand that anyone who turns a blind eye to molesters is fired. Where are you?




SOURCE http://www.jewocity.com/blog/shame-on-yeshiva-university-silence-on-norman-lamm-the-jewish-joe-paterno/6734

Israel-Basher/Iran Apologist Hagel May Become Defense Sec.

Credible and widespread reports that former Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) is likely to be nominated by President Barak Obama for Secretary of Defense has rightly shocked Israel’s supporters and those who want to prevent Iran obtaining a nuclear weapons capacity. Little wonder: Hagel has accrued a record on Capitol Hill as an apologist for Iran and anti-Israel terrorist groups and for relentless hostility to Israel.

In October 2000, when Yasser Arafat’s Palestinian Authority (PA) launched a terror war against Israel after rejecting without counter-offer a plan for Palestinian statehood accepted by Israel, Hagel was one of only four senators who refused to sign a Senate letter in support of Israel.

In July 2001, Hagel was in a minority of only two senators to vote against extending the original Iran-Libya sanctions bill, designed to deny both regimes revenues that would assist their weapons of mass destruction programs.

In November 2001, Hagel was one of only 11 senators who refused to sign a letter urging President George W. Bush not to meet with Yasser Arafat until his forces ended terrorist violence against Israel.

In April 2002, Hagel was one of only 10 senators to oppose banning the the import to America of Iraqi oil until Iraq stopped compensating the families of Palestinian suicide bombers. In November 2003, he failed to vote on the Syria Accountability Act (passed by 89 to 4) imposing sanctions on Syria for its support of terrorism and occupation of Lebanon. In June 2004, Hagel refused to sign a letter urging Bush to highlight Iran’s nuclear program at the G-8 summit.

In July 2006, at the outbreak of the Lebanon war, Hagel argued against giving Israel the time to break Hizballah, urging instead an immediate ceasefire. The following month, he was one of only 12 Senators who refused to formally call upon the European Union to declare Hizballah a terrorist organization. The same year, he gave an interview to former Middle East negotiator,  Aaron David Miller, which appeared in Miller’s 2008 book, The Much Too Promised Land, in which he said that “the Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people” on Capitol Hill.

In 2007, Hagel declined to support the bipartisan Iran Counter Proliferation Act aimed at targeting governments and businesses that assist Iran’s nuclear program. The following year, a congressional aide told the Huffington Post that Hagel was he was “solely responsible” for blocking an Iran sanctions bill.

In 2009, Hagel signed a letter urging President Obama to begin direct negotiations with Hamas, a U.S. designated terrorist group committed in its Charter to the destruction of Israel and the murder of Jews. Just last week, the Atlantic Council, which Hagel chairs, published an article entitled ‘Israel’s Apartheid Policy,’ equating Israel with South Africa’s historic racist policy. Hagel also serves on the board of directors of Deutsche Bank, which is currently under probe in Washington for possible violations of sanctions Hagel opposed as senator.

Even staunch Democrats and supporters of Obama and his Middle East policies are alarmed by Hagel. Former New York City Democratic mayor Ed Koch said last week that Hagel, “would be a terrible appointment … most of the Jewish leaders who have expressed themselves [think likewise and would indicate] that President Obama is seeking to put space between Israel and his administration.”

In 2007, when Hagel was considering a presidential bid, even the National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) said that Hagel “has a lot of questions to answer about his commitment to Israel.” And though silent now, despite requests for comment on a Hagel nomination, former NJDC executive director, Ira Forman, who headed Obama’s reelection campaign’s outreach to Jewish voters, said in 2009 – after Hagel was named co-chairman of the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board – that “If [Hagel] was taking a policy role, we’d have real concerns” and that the NJDC would oppose his nomination.

If Hagel becomes Defense Secretary it will prove to be dangerous for the interests of both the U.S. and Israel.

Morton A. Klein is National President of the Zionist Organization of American and Dr. Daniel Mandel is Director of the ZOA’s Center Middle East Policy and author of H.V. Evatt & the Establishment of Israel (2004). Members of ZOA include Sheldon Adelson, Ronn Torossian and Cherna Moskowitz.


SOURCE http://www.jewocity.com/blog/israel-basheriran-apologist-hagel-may-become-defense-sec/6774

Newest Israel Hasbara Stories

Some interesting new Israel hasbara stories:

n  New Public Relations opportunities with “The Israel Forever Foundation”, where one can help strengthen the connection to Israel, via outreach, publicity and other programs.  It’s a local and global initiative. More information is available at: http://israelforever.org/programs/israel_forever_ambassadors/

n  Most recent polls in Israeli politics show that national religious party Habayit Hayehudi and their leader Naftali Bennett may be the 2nd or 3rd largest political party in upcoming elections.  Bennett and his team are doing very smart things online – asking supporters to post suggestions in text, photo or video suggestions for the party’s campaign, answering the question: What does Habayit Hayehudi (the Jewish Home) mean to you?  Bennett said: “Taking pictures with babies isn’t my thing, and I don’t have a fancy office with a flag and a big library behind me.”

n  Reality TV star Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson of TLC “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” posted a picture of herself with a letter from an Israeli fan and an inflatable Israeli flag and posted it on her digital media accounts.

Ronn Torossian is an entrepreneur and author.


SOURCE http://www.jewocity.com/blog/newest-israel-hasbara-stories/6684

Is The Wanted using celeb groupie Lindsay Lohan to up their visibility in the U.S.?

You might think Lindsay Lohan is using the U.K. boy band The Wanted to take her mind off her problems, and get her out of the country, while they're at it. The troubled star had been hanging out with the band's singer Max George for the past few weeks, before up and getting on a plane with the band and flying to London this past weekend.

But some PR pros tell FOX411's Pop Tarts column that it may be The Wanted who is using one of America's most wanted, with the group using the publicity magnet Lohan to up their street cred in the U.S.

Across the pond, The Wanted have been prompting tweens to scream and sob since their self-titled album debuted two years ago, but in the U.S., the band is only just finding its footing. And until they were linked to Lohan's latest late-night club crisis, many here had never heard of them.

It all started when Lohan, 26, allegedly got herself into a physical altercation with a fellow patron around 4:00 am at a nightclub on Nov. 29 after she thought she was getting too close to George, 24. Earlier that evening, Lohan had watched The Wanted open for Justin Bieber in New York City.

Lohan was arrested for assault, and after being released from jail, has rarely left the band's side, behaving more like a rock groupie then an actress with several criminal charges and big tax problems hanging over her head.

A prominent industry insider told us that Scooter Braun, The Wanted’s manager, is typically pretty “cagey” and knew Lohan long before The Wanted surfaced on the scene.

“Lindsay and Max could have met through overlapping social circles, but the bar fight and such could be totally staged, or perhaps even manipulated without her knowledge,” the source speculated. “If that's the case, a savvy manger could make the most of it, and it would look like what we see now: Lohan's a groupie."

The band has not been reticent in talking about their newest fan to the press, either.

“She can party, like, nearly as hard as we can. We had a big night on The Box where Ed Sheeran (fellow English singer) came with us and a few of our mates as well,” George enthused to reporters at Z100’s Jingle Ball in New York last Friday, while band mate Siva Kaneswaren chimed in that “she’s nice to have around.”

The band also discussed the night Lohan allegedly struck the clubgoer, calling it “a blur” before referring to the actress as a “sweetheart.” And during an interview on New York radio station Z100, George again remarked, “I think we’ve proved to ourselves, if we can stay out of trouble and keep her (Lohan) out of trouble this week, then we’re obviously outstanding citizens of the community, and we’ve managed to do both, so I’m quite proud of that.”

This week, Lohan was snapped strategically stroking George’s knee, hugging him, strolling alongside the band, and another member, Jay McGuiness, has been spotted donning a “Free Lindsay” shirt following her nightclub arrest.

“There are a lot of acts that occupy an aesthetic space similar to The Wanted. As far as resorting to her, I've heard that any press is good press... And you don't just need a starlet, you need a mess,” remarked Jed Smith of Beta Fish Music. “The paparazzi may seek out notable faces, but they froth at one that might embarrass herself or give them a before picture when she might catch a DUI, or get in a fight, or invoke some fresh PR hell. Rolling to a spot with Lohan guarantees a lot of shots and a lot of coverage, right?”

However, Lohan may want to caution herself before she falls too head-over-heels for the pop prince.

"I do think there is sometimes value in unknowns attaching to larger brands even if they are somewhat tainted. Clearly The Wanted can attract media attention via a connection to Lindsay Lohan,” noted Ronn Torossian, President & CEO of 5W Public Relations. “Lohan doesn't gain much, but she may be so far gone she may be oblivious to the whole thing. Lohan may not even realize the degree to which she is being used."

According to public relations expert  Lisa Elia, the added attention might be a two-way street.

“The bright light of the media that Lindsay Lohan is bringing to The Wanted should help them become more known to people who would not necessarily have known about them previously. With all the Lindsay Lohan attention around them, people will become curious about who they are. Undoubtedly, more people will then be curious enough to listen to their music, some people will buy it, and some people will develop crushes on the handsome Max George,” she said. “The way that Max George and The Wanted are positioning their relationship (and Max' relationship) with Lindsay, it appears to be casual. If anything, Max and the group seem to try to provide a stabilizing force in Lindsay's life.”

And let’s not forget that a few years ago, Lohan attempted her own bubblegum pop career – releasing club-popular singles such as “Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)” and “Bossy.” Coincidentally, or perhaps not-so-coincidentally, the music video released in 2006 for the Lindsay hit “Rumors” (not to be confused with the classic Fleetwood Mac album) featured a model with a striking resemblance to current squeeze George. And yes, they too got it on in a club setting.

Life imitating art?

Reps for Lohan and The Wanted did not respond to a request for comment.


SOURCE http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/12/12/is-wanted-using-celeb-groupie-lindsay-lohan-to-up-their-visibility-in-us/#ixzz2EuAxBk00

Ze’ev Jabotinsky

I, Ronn Torossian was educated in the Betar youth movement of Ze’ev Jabotinsky and it is just great to see his influence continue on Jewish and Israeli life.

“It seems that the Zionist feuilletons of Zev Jabotinsky, on which so many were brought up at the beginning of this century, continue to influence and guide others.” Menachem Begin, “The 1972 Jabotinsky Ferment Among the Jews of Russia.”And today, in the Israeli government, Ze’ev Jabotinsky a great Zionist prophet who died in 1940 continues to have many followers in the halls of power in Israel.  The man founded the Betar youth movement and his thoughts  continue to have such a role in Israeli public life.

In some of his writing he stressed that  “..the Zionists wanted “civilized public opinion to know that our cause is just and that our opponents are in the wrong.” Jabotinsky noted that there were two compelling aspects to the Zionist problem: Jabotinsky was firmly convinced of the moral justness of Zionism, Jabotinsky noted the Jewish claim to Palestine while historic, was not based solely on historic rights, which he argued were only valid when supported by actual necessity. “When this is the case, the historic right becomes at once a factor of supreme magnitude; and there is no more striking example of historic connection between a race that lost its land and a country severed from its people than the connection between Israel and Palestine.” He believed (in the 1920’s and 1930’s) that this connection “was recognized by the conscience of all the civilized peoples of the world and was one of the most widely known facts of history.”

Ze’ev Jabotinsky spoke constantly of Jewish pride – as was reflected in the Betar anthem: “

Even in distress the Jew is a prince. No matter if a slave or a tramp, You were created son of kings, Crowned with the diadem of David…”

And in a rarity of his day, he was a proud capitalist – “[T]he first consequence of ‘every man a king’ is, obviously, universal equality, and the second consequence [is] individual liberty.” “In every-man’s life and activity—in his individual ‘kingdom’—as much as possible should be left outside of the state’s interference; the best rule would be that as long as one ‘king’ does not encroach upon his neighbour’s ‘sovereignty’, he should be left alone; if that is really impossible, for there unfortunately are dangers without and needs within which compel a collective effort, let it be strictly limited to the really inevitable minimum.”

He often said “Silence is Despicable” and spoke of the need to speak truth to power, which is why today people shouldn’t be afraid if condemned for the right reason.“You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” -Winston Churchill.

Ronn Torossian is an entrepreneur, author and philanthropist.


SOURCE http://www.jewocity.com/blog/author/ronn_torossian

5WPR: The Power Of Food Marketing

Owning 5WPR, a PR firm daily I get different messages about effective marketing tactics to generate media attention or capture consumer awareness.  It’s a more crowded market than ever before and diversity is very needed.

A note today I received from The Connect Group caught me as different – the power of culinary marketing.  As I was told today: “Most often Sports and Entertainment (music) are seen as the main tent poles to reach consumers, but it is my belief that Culinary is a third viable alternative and powerful option. Pay attention to your daily activities. How often is food a part of your conversation or conscious thought each day? Maybe a meal you had last night, figuring out where you are going to eat for lunch, where you are eating during your next business trip or what you are picking up for food on the way home for the family. The point is, its not a trend, it’s a cultural shift…”

Food, restaurants and chefs has become a bit of an obsession in popular culture, as evident by the explosion of cooking/food-related television shows, food blogs, dinner events, celebrity chef products/endorsements, food trucks, cooking magazines, cookbooks, products and Food & Wine related events.

And some stats which further validated the point:

•Restaurant food sales in the U.S. have jumped from $379 billion in 2000 to $632 Billion in 2012 (was $42.8 B in 1970)

•50% of Americans watch TV shows about cooking very often or occasionally (Harris Poll, 2010)

•More than half (59%) of viewers say they made purchases as a result of something they’ve seen on a cooking show.

Ronn Torossian is an author & entrepreneur.


SOURCE http://www.jewocity.com/blog/author/ronn_torossian

5WPR & Ronn Torossian on Internet Marketing

As CEO of 5WPR, a leading PR Agency I have recently started writing for Search Engine Journal, a leading online publication.  It is an enjoyable experience – as now, more than ever people are checking search engines before making decisions.  SearchEngineJournal.com has a monthly audience of more than 500,000, and they offer different content on marketing, with exclusive op-eds, regular interviews and many other great things to help anyone better understand the ins and outs of online traffic.

Read my columns at http://www.searchenginejournal.com/author/ronn-torossian/

On an interesting note, I recently learned that Full Sail University has recently launched an Internet Marketing Master’s Degree Program.  By this degree people can learn how to develop a brand online – and learn the difference between Pay Per Click Campaigns, Organic Search Engine Optimization, Banner Advertising (and how to embed links), and many related fields.

Internet Marketing and driving traffic is the wave of the future – and certainly I’d expect to see many similar academic degrees in the area as its only going to grow as mobile marketing and other arenas continue to capture marketers (and consumers) attention.

Written by Ronn Torossian


SOURCE http://www.jewocity.com/blog/author/ronn_torossian

Round-up Of Interesting Brand Israel Stories from 5WPR

Round-up of interesting Mid-East related stories concerning Brand Israel as deemed good reading by 5WPR:

• Many different stories appearing online about Israel digital media: “…the notion of a “Twitter battlefield” had become a journalistic truism. Numerous pundits mulled over the meaning of this vanguard shift in military and political strategy. Was Israel charting new worlds of warcraft? Would future war plans be molded in Israel’s likeness, employing a toolbox comprised of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr? Evident in much of the voluminous commentary was a tone of something like wonderment — as if once again, and even under rocket fire, Israeli technology cum modernity had triumphed….”http://www.merip.org/mero/mero112412
• Shame on Stevie Wonder for pulling out of the annual Friends of The Israel Defense Forces Dinner.  Hope he gets a lot of heat from the Jewish community for it. Shame on him.
• Great video describing continued fraudulent pr work of the Palestinian Arabs -
• http://www.aish.com/jw/mo/Photo-Fraud-in-Gaza.html
• Strong op-ed by Paul Eidelberg says Israel has to be more like Machiavelli – and “Israel’s prime ministers are pathologically concerned with favorable public relations in the international media.” http://i-ari.org/sacrificing-jews-on-the-altar-of-pr/

5WPR is a PR agency which was founded by Ronn Torossian in 2003.


SOURCE http://www.jewocity.com/blog/author/ronn_torossian

Public Relations & Marketing Jobs

n  The Promised Podcast is seeking someone for a part-time marketing and public relations position to manage the podcasts Facebook page, and increase exposure of the podcast in English-speaking Jewish communities in Israel and worldwide. The Promised Podcast reflects on the events of the week and brings unique perspectives on Israeli politics and culture. More information at: http://www.facebook.com/promisedpodcast

n  Marketer is sought for a publisher of Jewish educational materials in New York City.  They are seeking someone with a background in Jewish education and its NYC based.  More information is available by emailing gbdtx-3424149536@job.craigslist.org

n  Via LinkedIn, an Online Marketing Manager is being sought in Tel Aviv to build & manage online marketing.  This includes SEO, PPC, and other tasks focused on driving online traffic.  Israel has many companies focused on this arena and many jobs exist for people skilled in driving online traffic.  More information on this opportunity is available at http://us.linkedin.com/jobs?viewJob=&jobId=4118722&srchIndex=9&trk=njsrch_hits&goback=%2Efjs_*1_*1_*1_Y_il_*1_*1_1_R_true_*1_*2_*2_*2_il%3A0_*2_mrkt_*2_*2

n  EMM Group owned by Mark Birnbaum & Eugene Remm invites resumes at: http://emmgroupinc.com/careers

My PR Firm 5WPR is always hiring skilled PR professionals.  Send resumes to careers@5wpr.com

“For Immediate Release” by Ronn Torossian is available on Amazon.

SOURCE http://www.jewocity.com/blog/public-relations-marketing-jobs/6094

Follow Chabad to Succeed In Marketing Judaism

On a recent Shabbat where Shabbat commences at 420 in New York City, I was surprised to see a Rabbi from another local shul walk into the shul I usually daven at.  He unabashedly told all of us “My minyan is still at work.” This Rabbi with an uber-successful synagogue focused on outreach clearly understood the reality of Jewish life in America.  He may not have liked it – but he didn’t pretend it didn’t exist. He reminded me how lucky I am to work for myself – and noted he will have a full house of 200 plus for Shabbat lunch.

This Sunday evening was the annual International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries, which thousands of Jews will attend – and who knows how many hundreds of thousands will watch live online via a live webcast of the gala banquet.  Every shaliach for the largest Jewish movement in the world, Chabad sent emails to their email lists informing them about the opportunity to watch the event live. It’s a very special event, and undoubtedly Jews of all religious levels tuned in online and got a sliver of extra Judaism in their lives.  What a victory.

Contrast that to August’s Siyum HaShas where 90,000 Jewish men and women attended a celebration for the completion of reading all six orders of the Babylonian Talmud, the compendium of Jewish oral law that was written down in the fourth and fifth centuries. It wasn’t available online – and so the impact was naturally limited.

The reality of life is that there is work – and Rabbis like it or not shouldn’t ignore it.  The reality of life is that there is an Internet – and whatever the level of one’s observance they need to control their behavior online just as they do offline. Different homes have different rules for how families should engage online – and for some, Rabbis have a role in helping to determine what’s permissible and what’s not.  But why not make it online to adapt to the reality of life in the 21st Century?  Chabad having tonight’s program online is undoubtedly the right decision – for who knows what Jew somewhere may be excited and inspired – and that’s a step in the right direction.

Chabad is the largest and most successful Jewish organization in the world –because they do an enviable job of listening to constituents, and becoming an integral part of their lives.  Chabad.org is the largest Jewish educational website in the world – promoting Judaism and providing daily Torah lectures and Jewish news and insights.  With 1.3 million unique visitors monthly, Chabad.org uses social media platforms effectively.

As the head of PR for Chabad, Rabbi Motti Seligson says “It is about a traditional movement with traditional foundations harnessing the power of technology. Everything in this world was created for a divine purpose, and it is our job to use the tools we are given for a higher purpose, whether it is TV or the Internet.” Judaism has to adapt to the 21st century – and that doesn’t mean sacrificing Halacha or losing authenticity.  It simply means dealing with reality.

A Rabbi I respect greatly invites people to his home every Shabbat from all over. He knows they are people, who don’t observe Shabbat, and some of them may ask ok but how should I get home? He will tell them “I invited you over for Shabbat dinner – I won’t ask what you do afterwards.” Owning 5WPR, a Public Relations Agency, the most effective marketing for established, successful companies is done through evolution, step by step – rather than radical change which could scare people away.  Judaism should be marketed similarly. For many, Judaism is a series of steps – someone who takes 2 steps forward and then falls back a step it’s not the end of the world. But if they take 10 steps forward and then 10 back, it’s much harder to climb back up.

Organizations like Chabad are marketing authentic Judaism the right way – and it’s why they are the most successful Jewish organization in the world.

Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, a top 25 US PR agency.


SOURCE http://www.jewocity.com/blog/author/ronn_torossian

Media Round-Up & Like 5WPR on Facebook!

Ronn Torossian asks “Why Are Terrorists Allowed To Use Social Media If They Can’t Scream Fire In A Crowded Theatre” http://frontpagemag.com/2012/ronn-torossian/why-allow-terrorists-to-use-social-media/

n  PR firms help Spin Iran & Syria But Rebuke Israel: http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/pr-firms-help-spin-iran-and-syria-but-say-no-to-israel/

n  The media’s despicable silence on Israel – which was apparent this week as usual: http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-medias-despicable-silence-on-israel/

n  Thank You Ze’ev Jabotinsky – “In the past 10 years, Israel’s stock market produced better risk adjusted returns than all other developed stock markets in the past decade. The Tel Aviv TA-25 returned 161 percent, including dividends, over the past 10 years. What a beautiful Israel Public Relations success story. It must not be overlooked that it is precisely because the nationalist camp is in power that the economy has thrived – as the ideological leader of the right Ze’ev Jabotinsky had clear support for economic freedom. Jabotinsky believed “every individual is a king” and the state should not impair his freedom. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/11816

The CEO of 5WPR contributes regularly to media. Like 5WPR on facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/5WPublicRelations


SOURCE http://www.jewocity.com/blog/author/ronn_torossian

Join in Supporting Israel’s Right to Defend Itself

Can you imagine going to work and have someone waiting for you on the other side of the street and trying to hit you with a stone every morning? How about 800 rockets that were fired on Israel since the beginning of 2012? Have you ever seen a sleeping baby wake up crying to the sound of a police car going by with the sirens on? How about the sirens warning from a potential missile falling on his bedroom?

Remember how your dad walked you to school, showing you the safest place to cross the street? Can you imagine him having to show you the nearest shelter, just in case an alarm catches you on your way? This is reality for too many Israelis for too many years, and this Tuesday we come together to stand in support of them and with Israel.

We do not encourage war – rather the opposite, we encourage the right of men, women and children to go to sleep peacefully in their bedroom and not a shelter.

We do not promote war – rather the opposite, we promote the right of Israelis to celebrate their lives, birthdays, and weddings without fear.

We do not support war – we simply support Israel’s right to defend itself and give its citizens the normal life they deserve.

Tuesday Nov. 20th at 12:30pm there will be a rally to support Israel.

This article was submitted by Ronn Torossian.


SOURCE http://www.jewocity.com/blog/author/ronn_torossian

Ronn Torossian: Small Businesses and Social Media

Many small businesses realize there is “something” about social media and online marketing, but are more hesitant in this arena than others.   Today, at 5WPR my PR agency, social media is an integral part of any PR plan.

The Ami-Partners research group reported the results of a study they conducted under the title “U.S. Small Business Marketing Activity and Spending Study: Where and How U.S. Small Businesses are Spending Marketing Dollars”. Social media in these businesses is under the responsibility of the existing marketing division and staff. The greatest implication is the time resource these staffers and managers lack, which directly impedes on any possible social media planning and implementation.

But there is a stronger factor kicking in: the economic downturn. AMI predicts that an acceleration of U.S. small business social media marketing adoption is expected. Budgets and good adaptive character are not enough.

There are millions of small businesses. If they all rendered at social media like advertising savages we’d lose the whole point of “social” and would merely be left with “media”, – as simple as any other familiar media till now. Social media was not meant to be an advertising and aggressive-marketing channel. There is more than enough TV for that.

For an effective adaptation by small businesses to social media, there is a need to check things out step by step – as small as these steps may be. Here is some insight:

·         Don’t fall into the temptation of selling through your social media channels. Yes, people are present – but they’re tuned out of advertising slogans. To get a sense of social media is about – even for your business pages – go back to your own private profile and skim through your connection’s posts. How often do you see people selling each other products or services? What you witness is conversation and virtual interaction. Start a relatively private conversation with your followers, be a little informal about what they feel/read/know of your service

·         It is highly recommended that you designate a person, team, division – depending on your business size – for the new media planning and implementation. It requires and deserves a special attention and consideration. Yes, it can include different marketing initiatives that go on occasionally – but not necessarily. As you become more new media adept you will find out that marketing models on social media are based on totally different “rules” that those more traditional ones you are used to even from recent innovations like direct email marketing. People have different expectations.

·         Reflect some of your daily thoughts and whereabouts. People need to be reminded that behind every Facebook business fan page, every twitter profile, and every business-based YouTube page there is a person, not a “bot”. The best way to show that is to share something “human” like your feeling out of a meeting, a hectic day, a curios question regarding other people’s opinions.

Engage your audience, accept and expect feedback and reactions, encourage debate and product-related discussions. Whatever you do – start small, start authentic, start today.

Ronn Torossian is president and CEO of 5WPR. Named to the “40 under 40” list of PR Week & Advertising Age, Ronn Torossian was a semi-finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and may be reached at Rtorossian@5wpr.com and followed on twitter @rtorossian5wpr


SOURCE http://www.jewocity.com/blog/author/ronn_torossian

Why is the Jewish and Israeli Left so Extreme?

While Arab nations bordering Israel don’t permit women to vote, Israel was the first nation in the world to have a woman Prime Minister – Golda Meir. Described as the “strong-willed, straight-talking, grey-bunned grandmother of the Jewish people”, Meir led the Jewish nation for many years.

While many of Meir’s views on economic policy would differ from those of today’s Prime Minister, as she was a member of the left-wing Mapai political party, her views on security coincide with the leaders of the Israeli government today.

Nowadays, the Left has moved to the extreme far-left – far further than many of the Zionist forefathers of the State of Israel (Meir was one of 24 signatories, two of which were women, of the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948). They are well beyond the pale of consensus.

Golda Meir’s ideas in her own words:

    “Now they say we should go back to the ’67 borders, but that’s where we were so why was there a war? And we had ’47 borders… we didn’t like them very much but we said yes to them. But there was still a war. And after the ’48 war they said we should go back to the ’47 borders. But that’s where we were…and that’s where they wanted to get us out from…They still nurture a hope that at some time we’ll disappear.”

    “One need not have a fertile imagination to realize what the situation of the State of Israel would have been if we had been deployed on the June 4th 1967 lines… The Arab rulers pretend that their objective is limited to reaching the lines of June 1967 but we know their true objective: the total subjugation of the State of Israel.”

    “There can be no greater mistake in assessing the current situation in the Middle East than to assume that the conflict continues because of a specific Arab grievance – the plight of the Arab refugees, the Israeli presence on the West Bank, the reunification of Jerusalem. The heart of the problem is what caused the Six Day War… Simply put the root issue is the Arab attitude to Israel’s very existence…They don’t want us here. That’s what it’s about. It isn’t true that they don’t want us in Nablus or Jenin. They don’t want us, period.”

    “Everybody today tells us there is no such thing in the world today as secure borders. Yet I haven’t seen any people stepping back from their borders and saying “we don’t care what our borders are.” They tell us there will be international guarantees. … does any other people depend on international guarantees? No. But we should. And if we don’t, we’re stubborn or intransigent or not accommodating or we don’t care about public relations.”

    “There are those who threaten with a gun and those who try to defend themselves…to say a plague upon both your houses is an injustice.”

    “If we are criticized because we do not bow – because we cannot compromise on the question, ‘To be or not to be,’ it is because we have decided that, come what may, we are and we will be.”

    “There is nothing Israel wants so much as peace – With all the bleakness of the desert, the desert of hate around us is even more bleak.”

Another Zionist leader, before Meir was Ze’ev Jabotinsky who wrote in 1929: “The Jewish people – all of us, 100 percent want peace” – but more important than peace is survival.  The mistake the Left makes today was highlighted by Jabotinsky when he said:  “A great commotion is currently afoot in Zionism, caused by the community of the seekers of peace, whose intention is to achieve (by way, of course, of preaching to the Jews alone) agreement with the Arabs.”

Whether one defines themselves as a Revisionist Zionist like Jabotinsky, or a Liberal Zionist like Meir, Zionists must be concerned with the security of the Jewish state more than “peace” with an enemy who wants to destroy Israel piece by piece.

Based in New York, Ronn Torossian founded 5WPR, a leading Public Relations Agency.  He is a Jewish community leader, and author of “For Immediate Release”.


SOURCE http://www.algemeiner.com/2012/11/09/why-is-the-jewish-and-israeli-left-so-extreme/

Israel Public Relations News & Happenings

n  Hebrew University of Jerusalem is hosting a “Leadership and Public Diplomacy”together with the Israeli Government.   Programme fellows will meet twice a month, where topics will include “techniques of Hasbara, standing before an audience…image of Israel in the world…”, and other topics. The Fellowship is offered at seven universities in Israel, including Hebrew University – and the fellows at each university work as a group to initiate and implement a public diplomacy project, “the echoes of which {are} heard throughout Israel and the world.”

n  The latest celebrity to visit Israel is American tennis champion Serena Williams – who visited Eilat and other cities.  So great and important for Israel when high-profile people visit the State of Israel.

n  “Living on the liberal Upper West Side of Manhattan, as a self-made successful entrepreneur who grew up in this great city, I see people every day who I think must come from another planet. When I see people in my über-luxury condominium building, where 1-bedroom apartments cost approximately $1 million dollars, sporting buttons and t-shirts for socialist causes, they get angry when I tell them if they want to share their wealth I’d be happy to take their money. They aren’t humored (and I am not joking).” I welcome your thoughts and feedback on my op-ed at: http://frontpagemag.com/2012/ronn-torossian/hating-the-successful/

“No city in the world, not even Athens or Rome, ever played as great a role in the life of a nation for so long a time, as Jerusalem has done in the life of the Jewish people.” David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel

The view of Jerusalem is the history of the world; it is more, it is the history of earth and of heaven.” Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield and British Prime Minister

Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, an active philanthropist and author. Ronn Torossian contributes often to media.


SOURCE http://www.jewocity.com/blog/author/ronn_torossian

Jewish & Israel Community Leaders Comment on “For Immediate Release” by Ronn Torossian

“For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands and Deliver Results with Game-Changing Public Relations” by entrepreneur Ronn Torossian continues to sell well, and Jewish and Israel community leaders continue to offer very strong commentary on the book.

Rabbi Avi Weiss of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, who was named to the 2010, 2011 & 2012 Newsweek list of most influential American Rabbis said: “Ronn Torossian has always had a brilliant ability to present complicated, sophisticated ideas with clarity and simplicity. For Immediate Release is no exception. In it, Ronn demonstrates his unique talent for understanding the issues, deciphering and filtering them, and then presenting them to the public in just the right way. This book takes the reader into Ronn’s world, and gives a glimpse of his passion, brilliance, and rare aptitude for communicating well.”

The Deputy Speaker of the Israeli Knesset, Likud Member of Knesset Danny Danon said the book is “the best book ever on Israel public relations.”

A book review this week on Israel National News said: “In this remarkable book that delves into the gritty underside of the tough public relations world that so many people, governments and companies seek out to help build, improve or repair images, Torossian demonstrates in vivid written illustration, that “It’s not enough to simply convey a message—you need people to listen. The terrific part of reading “For Immediate Release,” is that he not only shares with you his strategies for making people listen, but he offers fact-filled proof of how it worked in specific situations. If Israel’s leaders are looking for a solid approach to making sure its narrative is told clearly and supported around the world, they would be smart to pick up a copy and read it…”

And not to leave out the Christian Pro-Israel community, Roberta Combs, the National President of the Christian Coalition of America said: ““For Immediate Release is the perfect handbook for navigating public relations. My good friend, Ronn Torossian, a master of the PR world, has written a thorough, easy-to-understand resource. Read this book!”

The book is available for purchase at: http://www.amazon.com/Immediate-Release-Deliver-Game-Changing-Relations/dp/1936661160


SOURCE http://www.jewocity.com/blog/jewish-israel-community-leaders-comment-on-for-immediate-release-by-ronn-torossian/5597

Ronn Torossian, 5WPR CEO: 5 Tips On Positive Thinking & Public Relations

While positive thinking is immediately associated with self-help, its also something that can help with all aspects of marketing and public relations.

The legendary Sir. David Ogilvy used to walk into his start-up agency every single morning and ask “Did Coca-Cola call yet?”.  Until they eventually did – and while not everyone can be a legend, positive thinking does help.

Some suggestions we have used at 5WPR, as we have grown our PR Agency:

·       Use the power of imagination:  Imagining can be the first achievement to get you where you want to go.  Whether you can visualize success, a feature story or that corner office, make it happen, don’t watch it happen.

·       Act as if you already possess what you want. As it has been said, dress for where you want to be. A simple tip: Pretend you are there and you’ll find yourself happier, and more fulfilled with what you are currently doing.

·       Communicate positively.  Passion and communications matter.

·       What you give out is what comes back. Pay it forward and try your hardest.

·       Communicate. Yes, it’s a funny tip to offer communicators and public relations practitioners but it’s easily forgotten. Pitching the media? Connect over the phone.! When we express ourselves verbally (and positively) we attract better results.

Look forward to hearing from you via twitter @rtorossian5wpr on your tips for success.

Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, a top 25 US Public Relations agency. Named to the “40 Under 40″ by PR Week & Advertising Age, Ronn Torossian was a semi-finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

SOURCE http://www.jewocity.com/blog/author/ronn_torossian

PR and advertising: What’s the difference?

If you work in PR, what’s the best way to answer this question?

As CEO of PR agency 5WPR, I still have to explain to friends and family what I do for a living—and the differences between public relations and advertising. Yes, they are very different, and no, I really don’t work in advertising.

What do you tell people outside of the industry? Here are some of my favorite quotes related to the topic:

    “PR is about creating content and managing communications—in whatever format it is.” - Lord Chadlington (Peter Gummer), Huntsworth

    “PR builds credibility, Advertising builds visibility.” - Elena Verlee

    “Both PR and advertising are important in the marketing of your business, depending on what stage your business is at.” - Elena Verlee

    “PR is great for building a connection with your audience and promoting your key messages, consumers are more likely to believe and take note of something written in an article, rather than an advertisement that has been paid for.” - Catriona Pollard, CP Communications

    “There's a saying people use to explain the difference between advertising and PR: "Advertising you pay for, PR you pray for." - old quote, pulled from Vault.com

    “By creating product awareness, PR often lays the foundation for advertising.” - Unknown author, Vault.com

    “Advertising and PR are all about selling products.” - WetFeet.com

Are there any I missed?
Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, and author of “For Immediate Release.”Contact him on Twitter at @rtorossian5wpr.


SOURCE http://www.ragan.com/Main/Articles/45733.aspx

Reading For American Jews Pre-Election Day

Some random reading and stories from around the Internet of interest:

• Op-ed by Ronn Torossian in Arutz 7 – Call All American Jews in Swing States – http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/123
• When American Jews go to vote, remember that Nancy Pelosi, the minority leader of the United States House of Representatives said Jews vote Republican because they are rich and want a tax cut.  Pelosi said in an interview “…Republicans are using Israel as an excuse, what they really want are tax cuts for the wealthy. So Israel that can be one reason they put forth.”  She then said Jews vote Republican because “they’re being exploited.” http://thejewishreporter.com/2012/07/29/pelosis-stereotypical-comment-about-jews/
• As this oped by Rafael Medoff states, Jews did not Vote Democrat for Truman in 1948. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/12342 – I highly recommend “The Deafening Silence” by Medoff about American Jews during the Holocaust.
• What is the Jewish vote, and who will get it ? http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/guest-voices/post/what-is-the-jewish-vote-and-whos-earned-it-to-win-the-white-house/2012/10/25/c58f932c-1ecf-11e2-9cd5-b55c38388962_blog.html

Ronn Torossian is an entrepreneur and author of “For Immediate Release.”


SOURCE http://www.jewocity.com/blog/reading-for-american-jews-pre-election-day/5525

Integrated Marketing at PR Firms: Torossian Talks About 5W's Rebranding

After nearly ten years in business, the PR agency I founded, 5WPR recently went through a re-brand. We created a new tagline: "REAL. RESOURCEFUL. RESULTS." To better reflect who we are today, and a large part of it is about integrating many different elements of communications.

We have grown for many reasons — but first and foremost because we are client-centric and creative. Success today is about understanding what a client wants and needs — and many different initiatives beyond simple media relations today encompass public relations.

Some exciting quotes about integrated marketing which came into our decision-making process as we rebranded:

"A good idea uncoordinated is still better than a lousy idea that is well-coordinated." Martin Sorrell

"The point of integration is not simply to use the same image and ignore the strengths of a particular medium. We call this re-purposing without purpose. The point of integration is to have a consistent voice while maximizing the strengths of each medium. True integration delivers the brand statement from mass to grass, from mass marketing to grass roots activities, with the Internet residing firmly in the middle as both a mass and one to one marketing weapon." Unknown "It is no longer enough to satisfy your customers. You must delight them."

"I'm a strong advocate of social media. But I also know that this marketing medium alone will not deliver the results you expect, want, and need. Nor will email marketing, which has a huge ROI, fill the bill on its own. Components like social media, email, direct mail, Internet marketing, public relations, and others each have individual strengths and weaknesses. To gain the best results, use them together and use them wisely." Michelle Kabele

"A marketing organization that excels at integrated marketing puts the customer at the center of its strategy and executes extremely well across channels and lines of business." Elana Anderson

"CMOs must define and lead a customer-focused marketing strategy that crosses product, channel, geographic, even functional boundaries. Otherwise, they risk losing the customer." Elana Anderson

I am very excited about the future — as all forward thinking communications companies should be.

Ronn Torossian is the CEO of 5WPR, a top 25 PR firm.


SOURCE http://www.bulldogreporter.com/dailydog/article/integrated-marketing-pr-firms-torossian-talks-about-5ws-rebranding

5WPR CEO Ronn Torossian Releases Best-Selling Book On Public Relations

Very rare that someone from inside liberal New York media circles releases a hard-hitting book which urges people and companies to protect their brands. The Founder of 5WPR, a top 25 US Public Relations agency recently released his first book, “For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results with Game-Changing Public Relations” which has been named an Amazon best seller.

Torossian is an accomplished entrepreneur, having been named a semi-finalist for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and been named to numerous “40 under 40” lists, including PR Week & Advertising Age.

Within conservative circles, the book has received stupendous reviews: Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), and named one of the “25 Most Influential Evangelicals” in America by Time magazine said “My friend Ronn Torossian has written a great book. He speaks from firsthand experience as one of the most gifted PR professionals in the world.For Immediate Release is a must-read book.”

The publisher of the New York Post, Paul Carlucci said: “I enjoyed reading this book so much. The foundation of so many of Ronn’s game-changing observations and direction is something we all get: LOGIC. One only needs to read, evaluate, and conclude, ‘I couldn’t have thought of that…’ or ‘That makes sense!’”

Fox News contributor Keith Ablow, M.D., said: “Ronn Torossian is a PR magician.  It’s impossible to believe some of the results he achieves, and he has never revealed just how he does it–until now.”

Among the topics he discusses in the book is how to combat anti-religious media outlets, how people can protect their brand (and personal) names online,the power of public relations in today’s 24/7 media driven society, and why public relations is needed by any business – “or anyone with a pulse for that matter.”

The book is a must read for anyone interested in media and may be purchased in bookstores nationwide, or at: http://www.amazon.com/Immediate-Release-Deliver-Game-Changing-Relations/dp/1936661160 or http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/for-immediate-release-ronn-torossian/1102500083

Ronn Torossian is the CEO of 5WPR, a leading PR firm and Author of “For Immediate Release”, a leading PR book.


SOURCE http://www.rightwingnews.com/column-2/5wpr-ceo-ronn-torossian-releases-best-selling-book-on-public-relations/

Decision 2012 PR stunts

Bruce Horovitz, USA TODAY

There's a brand new spin whirring around the elections, but this time it's not coming from the candidates. It's coming from PR-hungry marketers.

Several top consumer brands - including Pizza Hut, JetBlue and Cabbage Patch Kids - are dangling PR stunts that are election-themed and consumer-engaging. To attract eyeballs, they're also wacky.

"The media loves stunts," says PR guru Ronn Torossian. "If you want to clear the clutter, well-timed, creative stunts can make headlines."

Or, they can implode - particularly around elections. "Emotions run very high," warns brand consultant Tracey Riese. "Being identified with one side or another will alienate half your audience."

Here's the PR lineup:

-- Free pizza for life. Pizza Hut on Tuesday will announce plans to give free pizza "for life" to any consumer who asks President Obama and Mitt Romney if they prefer sausage or pepperoni pizza during the Town Hall debate on Oct. 16. (That means a $520 gift card every year for up to 30 years.)

Yes, debate questions are pre-screened, but Pizza Hut hopes someone will ask it, anyway.

The choice of sausage or pepperoni is irrelevant, notes marketing chief Kurt Kane, since with Pizza Hut's Dinner Box promo, you can get both and breadsticks and one side dish for $19.99.

"Neither candidate has clarified their message," explains Kane. "For a brand like us that knows what we're about, it's an opportunity to get the message out."

-- Free trip out of the country. JetBlue is promising "Election Protection" to about 1,000 disappointed voters whose candidates lose - with a chance to win a free flight out of the country (and back) the day after the election. "We decided to give people a chance to follow through on their claim to skip town if their candidate comes up short," says Marty St. George, senior VP of marketing.

-- Cabbage Patch candidates. Cabbage Patch Kids maker JAKKS Pacific will be auctioning on eBay, via a fundraiser for Rock the Vote, a line of dolls that look like the two candidates - and their VPs. (There's also a Michelle Obama doll.)

"We're part of pop culture," explains Jennifer Caveza, senior VP of marketing. "Attaching the brand to the election is a way to reinforce its relevance."

But value is in the eye of the beholder. In a similar fundraiser in 2008, the Obama doll went for $8,400, but the Sarah Palin doll pulled in a cool $19,000.

USA TODAY


SOURCE http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/342739/71/Pizza-Hut-JetBlue-etc-try-election-PR-stunts-