Public relations — community, crisis, public affairs, media — a Wheelhouse specialty
We at Wheelhouse Creative LLC always say businesses should have a well-thought-out and strategic marketing plan. We pride ourselves on helping large and small companies alike with just that.
Yet another strength of Wheelhouse to consider is public relations.
Of course, there are many branches of public relations. There’s the community relations branch. There’s the internal communications branch. And those of crisis communications, public affairs, online and social media communications. We’re here for businesses on all.
But a particular strength is our expertise in media relations. Our ability to spread important messages to a target audience by putting clients in the spotlight via press releases or pitching and helping with interviews, etc., we’ve created compelling stories for the media and provided great results for our clients.
You may have noticed how word got out about Country Roads Trust, WVU’s Name, Image and Likeness leader, and, especially, its agreements with Big Timber and Swilled Dog. The latter’s bourbon collection was exposed by state outlets to the West Virginia Press Association to nationally known college sports media like Brett McMurphy. All and many more were targeted to receive the news by Wheelhouse.
When Bordas & Bordas obtained a $16.9 million verdict in a Wood County lawsuit against Walmart, managing partner Jamie Bordas appeared on MetroNews’ “Talkline” with Hoppy Kercheval and the story made it all the way “over the pond” to the Daily Mail in the United Kingdom. All with the help of Wheelhouse.
Perhaps the most widespread media relations work of late, however, involved an important ACL surgical technique developed by Dr. Chad Lavender of Marshall Orthopaedics. Wheelhouse Creative was first charged with crafting a video that explained Dr. Lavender’s groundbreaking Fertilized ACL technique. Next came a website landing page that went into more detail.
And then we were asked to get the word out. Dr. Lavender explained that since his practice is in Scott Depot, West Virginia, and not a large metropolitan area, he needed a bullhorn to get people to recognize and understand the significant medical breakthrough.
Wheelhouse Creative was up to the task. Public relations strategist Mitch Vingle spent 38 years in the newspaper industry and traveled the country covering West Virginia University and Marshall University athletics. Business development specialist Mike Anthony and wife Corey are very familiar with the television industry. Mike was a former news/sports reporter and anchor at WTRF-TV in Wheeling. Account specialist John Blackmore spent 15 years in the radio industry, including as a station general manager. There are many contacts between just those three.
But Wheelhouse also specializes in media placement, so we have contacts at outlets throughout the northeast. It was a total team effort.
Yet the Lavender/Marshall Orthopaedics campaign went beyond even that. It consisted of research. It consisted of targeting not only media outlets, but niche medical journals and podcasts, etc., and sports publications, etc.
It was a well-planned, wide-ranging media relations campaign. And it worked.
Dr. Lavender was featured on iHeartRadio, regional Fox Sports news outlets and, the coup de grace, a Sporting News article written by highly respected writer Mike DeCourcy.
Dr. Lavender appeared on KDKA radio on the East Coast, on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland, all the way out to Denver and San Diego.
Patients from all over the United States began flying to see Dr. Lavender. His work was recognized. Awards were won. He’s been speaking at seminars and lectures and training surgeons in cities across the U.S. ever since. Wheelhouse even helped land the good doctor in the WV Executive Magazine 2022 Health Care Hall of Fame.
“Exceeded our expectations,” Dr. Lavender said of Wheelhouse. “They were very professional, efficient. I would highly recommend them.”
So, whatever the public relations branch your business needs, remember Wheelhouse Creative LLC. Call us at 304-905-6005.
We’ll get the word out far and wide, and the job done for you and your business.
