Keen Social Wins Davey Award: Trailblazing LGBTQ+ Agency Revitalizes the Iconic Queen Mary with Strategic PR

^{Pictured In Photo (Left to Right): Breanna Gonzalez, Jesse Mar-Ramirez, Esteven Gamez, Sabrina Hendifar, John Joseph Nelson (Influencer), Alex Chin, Micah Desai}

Nationwide – December 26, 2024(USANews.com) – Keen Social, a multicultural digital marketing agency headquartered in Long Beach, California, has made waves in the marketing industry with recent wins at the prestigious Davey Awards. The agency, founded by Esteven Gamez and Christopher Molessa, took home a Gold Davey Award for General Social Media Management and a Silver Davey Award for Best Use of Social Video, both earned for their exceptional work revitalizing the iconic Queen Mary. These accolades underscore Keen Social’s unique ability to combine data-driven insights with creative storytelling to deliver measurable impact.

About the Davey Awards

The Davey Awards honors outstanding work from small agencies, boutique firms, and independent creators. Overseen by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA), the awards celebrate excellence across various media, with only 20% of entries earning Gold. Keen Social’s success places them among a distinguished group of winners, highlighting their innovation and creativity.

For full details on these award-winning projects, visit the Davey Awards Gallery.

Revitalizing the Queen Mary: Impactful Campaigns

Keen Social’s work at the Queen Mary demonstrates the agency’s expertise in crafting integrated marketing campaigns that resonate with diverse audiences. Tasked with relaunching the historic ship after years of financial instability and a pandemic-induced closure, Keen Social executed intelligent PR and organic social media strategies that delivered immediate results.

Key strategies included:

• High-Quality Content Creation: The team produced compelling videography and photography that captured the Queen Mary’s unique charm.

• Influencer Partnerships: Collaborating with influencers such as, @RicardoHurtado @SpookieFoodie, @Official_LilJohnJohn, and @Marc_Mansour, expanded the ship’s reach to new audiences.

• Integrated Planning: Planning PR and social media together, instead of stillhouse, helped keep communication streamlined.

• Analytics, Insights, & Data: Real-time data guided the campaign, optimizing outreach and ensuring relevance.

• Community Engagement: Through strategic media placements and ongoing dialogue with the public, Keen Social enhanced brand perception and drove foot traffic to the landmark.

The results were transformational, breathing new life into the Queen Mary and solidifying Keen Social’s reputation as a digital marketing and public relations leader.

For full details on the submitted work, visit the Queen Mary Case Study.

Esteven Gamez: Bridging Data and Creativity

Esteven Gamez’s journey to founding Keen Social is as inspiring as the campaigns his agency delivers. A Tejano from Texas and a proud member of the Hispanic and LGBTQ+ communities, Gamez grew up witnessing the lack of representation in marketing for people like himself. Influenced by his parents' entrepreneurial spirit, Gamez pursued higher education at Texas A&M University and built a career at renowned agencies, creating campaigns for brands like Toyota, Hyundai, Hilton, and Alaska Airlines, to name a few.

While navigating the corporate world, Gamez identified a persistent gap between data and creativity. This realization led to the founding of Keen Social, where data and storytelling intersect to create campaigns that not only captivate but also deliver measurable results. “At Keen Social, we don’t just create campaigns—we craft culturally informed strategies that connect deeply with audiences while driving ROI,” says Gamez.

Award-Winning Excellence

^{Pictured In Photo (Left to Right): Cynthia Cruz (CMO at Keen) & Esteven Gamez}

The Gold and Silver Davey Awards recognize Keen Social’s ability to push boundaries in marketing. These awards celebrate the agency’s achievements in General Social Media Management and Best Use of Social Video, placing them among an elite group of global winners in a program designed to highlight the creativity of smaller firms and teams. Esteven credits the agency’s success to a talented team, including:

• Jeff Nolte, Director of Sales & Marketing with Evolution Hospitality

• Jess Mar-Ramirez, Videographer & Content Creator

• Cynthia Cruz, Chief Marketing Officer

• Sabrina Hendifar, Social Media Analyst

• Tania Pantoja, PR Manager

Their collaboration and dedication to excellence made the Queen Mary campaign a standout project, earning industry recognition and client success.

Fostering Diversity and Inclusion

Keen Social’s mission extends beyond marketing. As a certified LGBTQ+ and minority-owned business, the agency is committed to empowering underrepresented communities. Gamez’s work with the Long Beach LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce earned the organization recognition as the “Rising Chamber” by the National LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce. This spirit of inclusion is at the heart of everything Keen Social does.

Looking Ahead

^{In Photo: Quyen Nguyen, Sabrina Hendifar, Kelen Tran-Belleville, Esteven Gamez, Christopher Molessa, Michelle Skidmore, James Minato}

As Keen Social grows, its dedication to merging data and creativity remains unwavering. The agency’s innovative campaigns set a high standard for social media marketing, intelligent PR strategies, and high-quality content creation. Recent video work examples can be viewed here and here. With a team passionate about data, diversity, story-telling, and excellence, Keen Social is paving the way for a more integrated and inclusive future in marketing.

For more information about Keen Social and their award-winning campaigns, visit www.keensocial.com or connect with them on social media:

• Instagram: @KeenSocial

• LinkedIn: Keen Social

• X: @KeenSocial

• Facebook: @KeenSocialAgency