This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Flowanda (talk | contribs) at 04:42, 31 August 2008 (can't get past "it's", but trying; rewrote intro and history). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 04:42, 31 August 2008 by Flowanda (talk | contribs) (can't get past "it's", but trying; rewrote intro and history)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)5W Public Relations, also known as 5WPR, is an American public relations firm founded in 2003 by Ronn Torossian. PR industry trade publications reported 2007 billings exceeded US$11.5 million. and the company was listed on the 2007 Inc list of fastest growing companies.. 5WPR has represented corporations and non-profit organizations, such as Microsoft, Verisign, EDS and others, entertainers including Snoop Dogg and Pamela Anderson, and political figures and organizations including the Israeli government, Prime Minister of Serbia and Pastor John Hagee.
History
5WPR began in a small office within a Manhattan-based travel agency with three clients and two employees. Since its establishment, the company's client list expanded along with its staff size.
Clients
Torossian said the firm's corporate and consumer clients accounted for 97 percent of the company's revenue, but the client roster includes rappers, Christian Right organizations, Jewish groups and politicians.
In December 2006, the Foreign Ministry of Israel worked with 5WPR and Elias Buchwald, one of the founders of PR firm Burson-Marsteller to train Israel's top spokespersons on Western media and communications methods , and in 2005, The Lebanese American Council for Democracy retained 5W Public Relations for "strategic counsel and media relations.".
Growth
In 2007, 5W Public Relations netted $11,581,939 in fees, an increase of 24.3% from 2006 figures
O'Dwyers PR Report ranked the company #21 in earnings among their top 182 ranked PR companies, and it has given it ranked the firm eighth out of the top 40 entertainment PR firms among. Holmes Report named the firm its choice for "Fastest Growing public relations firm in the nation” in 2007., and the firm appeared at #153 on the Inc. 500 2007 list.
Controversy
In November 2007, Wired Magazine editor Chris Anderson identified publicists from 5W, among others, as "lazy flacks" who regularly deluged him with news releases "because they can't be bothered to find out who on my staff, if anyone, might actually be interested in what they're pitching," and posted their email addresses on his site.
On July 9 2008, Shmarya Rosenberg, author of the blog Failed Messiah, accused 5WPR of sockpuppeting in the reader comment section and impersonating critics of one of 5WPR's clients, Agriprocessors, a kosher meat processing company that had been under criticism for animal cruelty, worker abuse, using child labor and harboring illegal immigrants. Rosenberg traced the comments placed under the names of Hechsher Tzedek founder Rabbi Morris Allen and other Agriprocessors critics to IP address used by Juda Engelmayer, 5WPR's senior vice president and executive responsible for the Agriprocessors account. Engelmayer initially blamed an intern, and said the intern was fired immediately. Torossian later issued a statement saying a member of senior staff was ultimately responsible, “A senior staff member failed to be transparent in dealing with client matters."
References
- ^ "PR Firm Rankings - Independent PR Firms". O'Dwyer's PR Report.
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"No. 153 5W Public Relations". Inc. 2007.
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(help) - Kurutz, Steven (2005-02-20). "Brash P.R. Guy Grabs Clients, Ink". The New York Times.
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(help) - Samarjian, Natalie (June 26 2004). "Torossian Taking the PR World by Storm". The Armenian Reporter.
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(help) - "The Bad Boy of Buzz and His PR Problem". Businessweek. 2007-11-12.
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suggested) (help) - Popper, Nathaniel (2008-07-11). "Flacks for Agriprocessors Admit Online Impersonation of Meat Company's Critics". Forward.
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suggested) (help) - "Staying on Message, Whatever the Question". The Jewish Week. 2007-01-19.
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(help) - Indymedia.com, Emotions And Political Assassination
- "Entertainment PR". O'Dwyers PR Report.
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(help) - "5W Public Relations". Holmes Report.
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(help) - Newman, Andrew Adam (November 5 2007). "Things Turn Ugly in the 'Hacks vs. Flacks' War". The New York Times.
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(help) - ^ Washkuch, Frank (2008-07-11). "5W acknowledges blog misconduct". PRWeek US.
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(help) - Harris, Ben. "Agriprocessors' PR Firm Accused of Impersonating Rabbi". Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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(help) - "PR firm faces scrutiny". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 2008-07-10.
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