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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 primarily has represented corporations such as Microsoft, Verisign, EDS, but clients also include non-profit organizations, 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 has grown more rapidly than any firm in the U.S., and expanded along with its staff size.The firm's first clients included Sean Combs and Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment.

The firm secured "the product placement of the generation, placing a T-Shirt on Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's first child. The placement received widespread major media attention. 5W Public Relations also worked closely with the Lincoln Group, a contractor that won a $USD100 million contract with the Special Operations Command to assist with psychological operations in Iraq.

Clients

According to Torossian the firm's corporate, technology and consumer clients account for 97 percent of the company's revenue, the firm also represents entertainers, 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 figuresO'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.

Agriprocessor controversy

In July 2008, the author of the Failed Messiah blog accused 5WPR of sockpuppeting in the reader comment section and impersonating critics of one of 5WPR's clients, Agriprocessors, an Iowa kosher meat processing company that was under federal investigation for worker abuse and hiring 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

1. ^ "PR Firm Rankings - Independent PR Firms". O'Dwyer's PR Report. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
2. ^ "No. 153 5W Public Relations". Inc. 2007. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
3. Kurutz, Steven (2005-02-20). "Brash P.R. Guy Grabs Clients, Ink". The New York Times. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
4. Samarjian, Natalie (June 26 2004). "Torossian Taking the PR World by Storm". The Armenian Reporter. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
5. http://www.forward.com/articles/5408/
6. http://www.muckety.com/Sean-Combs/4807.muckety
7. http://www.washtimes.com/news/2008/jun/22/celebrity-product-placement/?page=2
8. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_46/b4058064.htm
9. http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=32892&printerfriendlyVers=1
10. Vest, Jason (2005-11-30). "US: The Hazy Story of the Lincoln Group". corpwatch.org.
11. "The Bad Boy of Buzz and His PR Problem". Businessweek. 2007-11-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
12. Popper, Nathaniel (2008-07-11). "Flacks for Agriprocessors Admit Online Impersonation of Meat Company's Critics". Forward. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
13. "Staying on Message, Whatever the Question". The Jewish Week. 2007-01-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
14. Indymedia.com, Emotions And Political Assassination
15. "Entertainment PR". O'Dwyers PR Report. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
16. "5W Public Relations". Holmes Report. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
17. Franzman, Dave. "Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Abuse, "Immigration Fees"". KCRG-TV.
18. ^ Washkuch, Frank (2008-07-11). "5W acknowledges blog misconduct". PRWeek US. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
19. Harris, Ben. "Agriprocessors' PR Firm Accused of Impersonating Rabbi". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
20. "PR firm faces scrutiny". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 2008-07-10. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

• 5W Public Relations

• Public relations