King Media

Good things are happening at King.

MARCH 6, 2024

Strong Female Mentors Help Shape the Future by Empowering Others

The results of a 2023 survey quantify what King Media’s president and founder Coleen King has experienced first-hand: mentors matter. Commissioned by mentorship program Être in partnership with YPulse, findings suggest that mentorship closes the confidence gap for girls and young women. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we acknowledge and applaud the essential role female mentors play in supporting and encouraging others.

Until age five, King was raised by her grandmother who taught her that she could be and do anything—a belief that helped her sustain resilience during the traumatic childhood that followed. By the time she was 11, she knew two things for certain: she would escape the life that she saw before her, and education would be her route to freedom.

King shares “I believed my grandmother. I knew that whatever I did with my life, it would be meaningful.” So, when Judy Labanowski (now Perschbacher), a first-year typing and stenography teacher at Forest Hills Central High School, asked why King, “had such a bad attitude” in her class, King was ready with her response.

“I’m not going to be a secretary,” she recalls saying, refusing to be pigeon-holed. “I am going to have a secretary, and my grade in your class is bringing down my GPA, so what are we going to do to fix this?”

Perschbacher quickly learned that King wanted something better for her life but had a difficult home environment. “For extra credit, Judy had me take stories from the Grand Rapids Press and convert them to stenography. She helped me navigate the college application and selection process. But most of all, she and the Perschbacher family made me feel important and showed me what was possible,” shares King.

Similarly, high school English teacher Ann Layton mentored King during a time when women were expected to fill more traditional roles. “Ann believed in me and encouraged me to consider a career in communications,” explains King, who went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts in communications from Michigan State University.

“My grandmother planted a seed. These women helped nurture that. There’s no doubt they impacted my life trajectory in a positive way.”

King’s work in the male-dominated world of broadcast media began at Avery Knodel, a prestigious national rep firm in Chicago. She went on to become the first female sales representative at Lansing’s CBS affiliate, where she later delivered the station’s first-ever live remote broadcast. King continued to break barriers as the top-performing regional sales manager for two Lansing television affiliates.

In 1999, King Media was born—and with it the opportunity to have the meaningful impact that she’d envisioned as a child. This year, King Media celebrates 25 years of “creating change.” King’s focus is on campaigns that positively impact Michigan communities. King partners with school districts, municipalities, health departments, transit systems and many others to move the needle on important topics like promoting a culture of consent, school bond campaigns, enrollment, responsible gaming, veterans’ services, public transit and so many more.

“It has been the adventure of a lifetime. Thank you, Judy and Ann—educators, mentors and lifelong friends. I get to wake up each morning and work hard, doing what I love with some of the industry’s top talent. It feels fabulous.”

Celebrating 25 years of creating change, King Media is a full-service marketing agency that provides research-based solutions to move the needle for clients. Our core competencies include market and community research and analysis, brand development, creative and message development, strategic planning, graphic design, media planning and buying, and web design and development. King Media was founded in 1999 by Coleen King, president, remains 100% woman-owned and is Pure Michigan. King’s corporate office is centrally located in East Lansing with additional offices in Ada and St. Joseph. For more information and to view recent work, visit KingMediaNow.com.

FEBRUARY 14, 2024 

Award-Winning Campaigns “Doing Good” in Michigan

Genesee Health System, the Michigan Association of Broadcasters and the Michigan Gaming Control Board all have something important to say to Michiganders. They have invested in getting their messages out—and they are working to make Michigan a better place to live, work and play.

The community awareness and education campaigns were developed in partnership with King Media, an East Lansing-based marketing agency known for delivering critical messaging to hard-to-reach audiences. So far, the campaigns have earned 11 platinum and three gold awards on international platforms—including the recently announced 2024 AVA Digital Awards.

Genesee Health System’s “Help is Here” campaign earned platinum for Digital Marketing. The fully integrated effort is designed to deliver the message that wellness and mental health care are more important now than ever. “The anti-stigma approach is highly impactful and highlights Genesee Health System as a hopeful beginning. As a result, we have experienced a large increase in people reaching out to get started with their treatment journey,” explains Jennifer McCarty, GHS chief operating officer.

Video production for the Michigan Association of Broadcasters’ “Be There” campaign earned two platinum awards for Video Ad Series and Long-form Video. “The ‘Be There’ campaign is an incredible tool for Michigan broadcasters,” shares Sam Klemet, MAB president and CEO. “Our industry is evolving rapidly and the King team put together a campaign that is modern, engaging, and helps us better connect with a new generation. We are proud of the partnership and how the initiative has helped elevate awareness.”

The Michigan Gaming Control Board’s “Don’t Regret the Bet” campaign launched in in March 2023 just in time for Problem Gambling Awareness Month and the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, popular for sports betting. The campaign continues today, using custom animation and a lighthearted message to remind Michiganders to keep gambling fun. Its two platinum awards are for Digital Marketing and Creativity in Website Design. Sandra Johnson, Responsible Gaming section manager, shares “Prevention is one of the most effective approaches. The ‘Don’t Regret the Bet’ campaign, King Media and their talented team have been

instrumental in achieving this goal. We have a great collaborative partnership and know that between our industry knowledge and their creative talent, we will continue to amplify our commitment to player protection and offer resources that can provide help and hope for Michigan citizens.”

King Media partners almost exclusively with organizations seeking to create tangible, positive change in Michigan communities. “The campaigns are getting a lot of attention,” shares Coleen King, the agency’s president and founder, “But the real win is what they are doing for communities throughout Michigan. It’s humbling to know that by getting it right we’re helping people in a variety of meaningful ways.”

Celebrating 25 years of creating change, King Media is a full-service marketing and advertising agency that provides research-based solutions in response to client needs. Founded by Coleen King in 1999, the agency’s core competencies include market and community research and analysis, brand development, creative and message development, strategic planning, graphic design, media planning and buying, and web design and development. King Media’s corporate office is centrally located in East Lansing, MI, with additional offices in Ada and St. Joseph, MI. For additional information and to view recent work, visit KingMediaNow.com.

JANUARY 17, 2024

King Says Strong Female Mentors Helped Shape Meaningful Career.

When King Media president and founder Coleen King was just 11 years old, she knew two things for certain: she would escape the life that she saw before her, and education would be her route to freedom. Raised by her grandmother until age five, King learned that she could be and do anything—a belief that helped her sustain resilience throughout her lifetime.

Despite the traumatic childhood that followed, King shares “I believed my grandmother, and I knew whatever I did, it would be meaningful.” So, when Judy Labanowski (now Perschbacher), a first-year typing and stenography teacher at Forest Hills Central High School, asked why the 16-year-old “had such a bad attitude” in her class, King was ready with her response.

“I’m not going to be a secretary,” she recalls saying, “I am going to have a secretary, and my grade in your class is bringing down my GPA, so what are we going to do to fix this?”

Perschbacher quickly saw that the self-assured sophomore wanted something much different for her life than most. She also recognized that her student did not have a supportive home environment. “For extra credit, Judy had me take stories from the Grand Rapids Press and convert them to stenography. She helped me navigate the college application and selection process. But most of all, she and the Perschbacher family made me feel important and showed me what was possible,” shares King.

Similarly, high school English teacher Ann Layton also noticed and encouraged King. “She believed in me, and suggested I look into a communications career,” explains King. During a time when women’s options were much more limited, King pursued her education and career with focus and passion. “Her support empowered me to dream big,” she explains.

King’s relationships with Perschbacher and Layton endured, and she credits the women for helping her achieve the career and life she loves. “My grandmother planted a seed. These women helped nurture that. They took an interest, and in doing so helped shape my path in life. Having a strong female support system was supremely important. It fuels my love and commitment to education and being a mentor to others,” King says.

King worked to support herself through college and earned her Bachelor of Arts in communications from Michigan State University. She is now a frequent guest speaker at her alma mater, opening the minds of students to dream big. In 2020, King was named Outstanding Alumni of the Year by the MSU College of Communications Arts and Sciences for “obtaining the highest level of professional or academic accomplishment.”

King’s career in the male-dominated world of broadcast media began at Avery Knodel, a prestigious national rep firm in Chicago. She went on to become the first female sales representative at Lansing’s CBS affiliate, where she later delivered the station’s first-ever live remote broadcast. King continued to break barriers as the top-performing regional sales manager for two Lansing television affiliates. But according to King, it wasn’t until she “retired” in 1999 that her career came to have the meaningful impact that she’d envisioned as a child.

“My former clients continued to call, and I enjoyed helping them. King Media was born, and with it the opportunity to create real, meaningful change,” says King. This January, the full-service marketing agency celebrates its 25th anniversary.

King is filled with gratitude for a career she’s never taken for granted. “I get to wake up each morning and work hard, doing what I love with some of the industry’s top talent. It feels amazing.” King and her team’s work has earned more than 140 national and international awards since 2015 with campaigns addressing issues like problem gambling, mental health, marijuana education, mobility, veterans services, talent recruitment, and many more.

King has kept the agency thriving and growing through challenging economic times—but she hasn’t done it alone. “It has been the adventure of a lifetime. Thank you, Judy, Ann, and the other remarkable women who have been inspirational educators, mentors and lifelong friends.”

Founded in 1999 by Coleen King, King Media is a full-service marketing and advertising agency providing research-based solutions in response to client needs. Our core competencies include market and community research and analysis, brand development, creative and message development, strategic planning, graphic design, media planning and buying, and web design and development. King Media’s corporate office is centrally located in East Lansing, MI, with additional offices in Ada and St. Joseph, MI. 

DECEMBER 28, 2023

From Landlines to Likes, King Media Celebrates 25 Years of Creating Change. 

A lot can change in a quarter century. Just ask Coleen King, president and founder of the East Lansing marketing agency that bears her name. When King Media was formed in 1999, Facebook was but a gleam in 15-year-old Mark Zuckerberg’s eyes, and 96% of households used a landline. Next month, the local and 100% woman-owned agency will celebrate its 25th anniversary.

“I started King Media five years before Facebook was born,” King recalls with a laugh, “Now social and digital media are powerful tools to reach precise audiences and mine for insights. We can deliver tailored messaging to the right person at the right time and place. Nearly all our client’s marketing plans have a digital and social component.”

Change is a big deal for King, whose path to success in a male-dominated industry includes time with Chicago’s prestigious Avery Knodel television; breaking barriers as the first female sales representative in the history of WLNS-TV (Lansing’s CBS affiliate); and rising to become a top-performing regional sales manager for Lansing’s NBC and CBS affiliates.

When King retired, the quality relationships she’d built and maintained over her career endured—giving rise to King Media. Today, the agency offers a full complement of top-shelf advertising, marketing, and public relations services, and has supported change for countless organizations across the country.

In recent years, King has made the conscious choice to focus on helping Michigan residents, businesses and organizations succeed. “Michigan is my home,” she explains, “and I believe I can leave a lasting legacy by strengthening communities right here.”

“A project has to mean something for us to take it on,” King says. “Our team gets excited about contributing to the growth and vitality of communities and making a positive difference in people’s lives.” King’s work always begins with research, a key ingredient in the agency’s “secret sauce.” “By grounding our strategy in facts, we’re able to move the needle in meaningful ways.”

Some things haven’t changed: the agency’s timeless, research-based approach and focus on meaningful work, and Ms. Kings gratitude for a career she has never taken for granted. “I get to wake up each morning and work hard,

doing what I love with some of the industry’s top talent.” Her team, says King, is one of her biggest points of pride. “As a small agency, every person here is important and has fingerprints on virtually every project. Put us all together? The synergy is something to see, and the results are stunning.”

Small but mighty, King maintains the highest standards and produces work that’s smart, effective, and beautifully executed. It’s also consistently acclaimed—earning more than 135 national and international awards since 2015. Most of those campaigns shed light on critical public health issues, increase support for essential public services and inform communities about important initiatives. “The real win, though, is that these efforts are impacting communities across our Great Lakes State in significant and positive ways,” King shares.

King has kept her agency thriving and growing through challenging economic times, including the Great Recession, 9/11, and the COVID-19 pandemic. “It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s always been worth it,” she shares.

Founded in 1999 by Coleen King, King Media is a full-service marketing and advertising agency providing research-based solutions in response to client needs. Our core competencies include market and community research and analysis, brand development, creative and message development, strategic planning, graphic design, media planning and buying, and web design and development. King Media’s corporate office is centrally located in East Lansing, MI, with additional offices in Ada and St. Joseph, MI.