By Dan Pecchia

Good deeds are so commonplace that they’re not newsworthy on their own.

But when wrapped around newsy elements and conveyed with the right timing, they can draw significant media interest — and reinforce a brand.

Such was the case with “good deeds” initiatives launched in recent months by two Youngstown-area organizations.

• Harrington Hoppe & Mitchell, the region’s largest law firm, drew heavy news coverage here and across the Midwest when nine of its lawyers showcased the growth of their beards to raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer during “Movember.”
• Youngstown Orthopaedic Associates, the area’s largest orthopedic surgery practice, attracted attention with its physical therapy services for a boy from Russia who learned to walk with two artificial legs.

“Like any other pursuit of news coverage, a pitch involving good deeds has to aim high above the bar,” said Dan Pecchia, a Youngstown public relations consultant and president of Pecchia Communications.

“A proposed story has to be unusual enough that newsrooms won’t have to worry about others seeking coverage for essentially the same story a week later.”

Youngstown Lawyers Grow Beards for Movember

HHM, steeped in community involvement since 1834, was willing to be a little over-the-top with its recent observance of Movember, the worldwide movement to grow beards to raise awareness of prostate cancer and other men’s health issues. Nine HHM lawyers not only grew beards, but posted pictures of themselves weekly on the firm’s website to chronicle their facial growth.

Local print and broadcast coverage was heavy, with virtually every local newsroom posting at least one story. Vindicator editor and blogger Todd Franko celebrated the “good sports at HHM” in his blog. He wrote, in part:

But it will be fun to watch the guys from Harrington, Hoppe and Mitchell take part.

True to form, they’ve embraced one aspect of Movember that sets apart this effort from the many other worthy health awareness campaigns.

Movember uses a lot of irreverence and humor to get attention….

HHM’s story was picked up by the Associated Press and published by dozens of AP member dailies and broadcast news stations. (See news archive on HHM’s site here.)

The pitch was built around HHM partner Patrick K. Wilson, a cancer survivor who lost a father and father-in-law to the disease. He wrote about his battle with cancer on the firm’s Solutions@Law blog.

“We became spokespersons for a very important health issue,” Wilson said. “Getting tested and following through on treatment are serious matters, and we were very pleased to bring those into the spotlight.”

YOA Therapy Helps Shape ‘Kolya’ Story

YOA, widely respected for its surgery and sports medicine expertise, has been seeking more attention for its physical therapy capabilities.

The Canfield-based practice was one of several local organizations that donated services in 2010 for Nicholai “Kolya” Deykin, the orphan boy from Russia who visited the United States and became somewhat of a celebrity here.

When plans materialized recently for Kolya’s return to Ohio, YOA offered its physical therapy department as the site for a media reception for the lad and his host, the Rev. Kathryn Adams. As part of the reception, Kolya and YOA physical therapy manager Ron Santiago briefed the media on Kolya’s considerable progress.

“We became a focal point for the media to tell the Kolya story,” said Beth White, director of marketing at YOA. “We were also able to showcase the physical therapy expertise that helped this amazing little guy learn to walk on two prosthetic legs.”

The story landed extensive local coverage in The Vindicator, WFMJ-TV, WKBN-TV and WYTV-TV, including footage of Kolya walking up and down stairs with Santiago’s guidance.

“We sometimes hear comments that the media aren’t interested in good news, but that’s not our experience,” Pecchia said. “The operative word, though, is ‘news.’ Good deeds imbued with news value make good stories that reporters want to cover and editors and producers want to showcase.” 

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Dan Pecchia is a public relations consultant and president of Pecchia Communications. He likes good news … but only if it’s newsworthy.