Tell us a bit about your organization and what your specialty is in the film and video space.

Keen Social is a multicultural digital marketing agency, specializing in social and PR. In regards to film and video, we have an in-house video production team that focuses on data-driven creative strategies for brands seeking to grab their customer’s attention quickly.

What is your organization’s ethos and how does it set you apart from industry competitors?

At Keen Social, our ethos is rooted in authenticity, cultural insight, and creative integrity.

We believe that marketing isn’t just about selling a product—it’s about building real human connections through stories that matter. Our agency was founded on the idea that data-driven strategy and emotionally resonant storytelling are not mutually exclusive—they’re most powerful when used together.

What sets us apart is our ability to understand diverse audiences at a cultural level. As a Latino-owned agency with deep multicultural experience, we bring a unique lens to the work, ensuring that every campaign isn’t just seen—it’s felt. From government campaigns to tourism to hospitality, we lead with empathy, inclusivity, and bold creative that cuts through the noise.

We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all. Our team customizes every deliverable with intention and precision. We’re agile, award-winning, and invested in long-term partnerships—not just transactions.

That’s why our clients trust us. Because we don’t just follow trends. We build them—anchored by values that make people feel seen, heard, and inspired.

How can people join or learn more about what you do?

www.keensocial.com or follow us on Instagram (@keensocial)

Tell us about your Telly Award winning piece. What’s the story behind it?

Our Telly Award-winning piece was part of a larger campaign supporting the relaunch of The Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, after a long closure. As the city and operators worked to reintroduce this iconic attraction, our agency was brought on to handle social media strategy, community engagement, and press relations.

The video itself was created to promote the What’s On Deck event series—seasonal onboard programming designed to bring new energy and visitors to the ship. We partnered with local influencers to create a lighthearted, highly visual piece that gave a taste of what guests could expect—live entertainment, cocktails, food pop-ups, and family-friendly experiences.

While the video was an important asset in building buzz, the real impact came from the consistency and tone of our year-long digital and PR efforts. We helped reestablish The Queen Mary’s online presence from the ground up, reintroducing it to a wide audience and re-engaging the community. By combining paid and organic content, community management, media outreach, and influencer partnerships, we helped drive real-world visitation and momentum for the venue’s comeback.

This Telly Award is a reflection of the collaborative effort to bring a historic landmark back to life—and the strategic power of authentic storytelling through social media.

What are you most proud of about this piece? What was your biggest challenge during production and how did you solve it?

Working on Queen Mary was definitely a dream for me (Esteven, the CEO). It’s such an iconic travel destination, it was an honor to be able to market it for the first year after it closed due to Covid. The biggest challenge was, well budget. There was hardly any budget for any of this, except for a bit of the video production (mainly the videographer). Mostly everyone worked for free (including myself) for this particular video piece. Most of the influencers did it for the love of the ship. It was really a love letter to the ship, I think.

Do you have any advice to other filmmakers based on your career or your team’s approach to work?

Sometimes, you just gotta do it. Even if you don’t have much of a budget to do anything. Your passion will be the drive that turns something into nothing.

Can you share a behind the scenes story or fun fact about the making of your piece?

I think it was bringing some influencers to work with a real actor (Ricardo Hurtado) who is an amazing actor. It was very cool to see everyone quickly act on the script that Keen had written for them.

Tell us about the most memorable response you got from this work.

Jeff Nolte, the Director of Sales & Marketing, said he loved it.

Complete this sentence: ‘Great video storytelling is…’

… the art of blending data-driven strategy with human emotion—crafting visually captivating content that not only resonates but inspires action. At Keen, we believe great stories are told with intention, guided by insights, and designed to connect deeply with the right audience at the right moment.