About Media Savant Communications Co. and Principal, Martin Keller

Martin Keller has worked as a journalist, screenplay writer, pop culture critic and public relations professional over the past 25 years. His 15 years in public relations has produced features stories across a broad media landscape, including The New York Times and The International Herald Tribune; business and financial publications such as Smart Money and The Robb Report; local, regional and trade press and influential blogs for a variety of clients, CNN Headlines News, The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, The Larry King Show, The Associated Press and many others. He and his associates also have produced film, video, scripts and web content for clients and special projects.

His work in journalism has appeared in Leaders, Rolling Stone, Request, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Final Frontier, Utne Reader, and other national publications. Prior to forming Media Savant Communications Co., Keller covered the arts, business and cultural affairs for several Twin Cities publications such as The Journal of Law & Politics, Corporate Report, CityBusiness, Minnesota Monthly, The Star Tribune, The St. Paul Pioneer Press, City Pages, The Twin Cities Reader, and others. He has appeared on such broadcast programs as NBC’s “Today Show,” CBS’ “48 Hours,” Public Television, Minnesota Public Radio and other television and radio media.

Keller’s career highlights include extensive media/public relations, marketing communications and public affairs work for the past 15 years. He has worked for a variety of clients, including Creative Water Solutions, Lommen, Abdo, Cole, King & Stageberg, P.A., The Jon Charles Salon, The Sisters of St. Joseph Ministries Foundation, RMF Group, the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, ChartHouse Learning (FISH!), The Boulevard Mixed Use Development, advertising companies such as Morsekode and Introworks, The Cullinan Group and Hest & Kramer, A Band Apart Commercials in Los Angeles and Minneapolis, and the movies “Bound & Gagged: A Love Story” (Cinescope Productions), “Poles Apart” (Lead Dog Productions), “Funkytown” (Drummer Boy Pictures), plus others, including many non-profit organizations like The Starkey Hearing Foundation and John Denver’s “Choices for the Future Symposium.”

Awards and Other Endeavors

In 2009, Media Savant Communications was recognized as “Best of Minneapolis for Marketing Communications” by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

Previous awards include an Award of Excellence for Features Writing from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).

Media Savant has also been recognized for outstanding Media Relations work by the Legal Marketing Association, Minnesota.

In addition to his public relations practice, Keller s a current contributing writer on The Minnesota Series of books, including Storms!, Music Legends and Media Tales.

A generalist with key positioning strategies that generate results, Keller is able to communicate clearly any message businesses, groups or individuals wish to send to target audiences. His public relations experience began at Wells & Miller (now part of Hanley Wood) where he worked on the Federal Express Account in the firm’s custom publishing division and marketing communications area. He also executed public affairs and public relations projects for the Metropolitan Sports Commission, the local electrical utility and many other businesses and non-profits.

Today his client base has included an exciting array of professional service companies, leading-edge businesses, environmentally-focused companies and organizations, and individuals, including companies such as: SALO, a contract consulting firm for senior-level finance and accounting professionals; Lancet Software Development, Inc.; entrepreneurial start-ups such as Restore The Earth Store, Minnesota’s first “green” retail store, the green remodeler, Mike Otto Construction, and others.

For a prestigious 30th Anniversary occasion for Audio Technica, Keller wrote the book, Experience More: A History of Audio Technica Microphones. He is also the co-author of the book Some Get the ‘Chair: A Memoir about Sex, Disability and Rock ‘n, Roll” which was being developed into a feature film called “Mere Mortals.” Keller won a prestigious Minnesota Film Fund Award from the McKnight Foundation and Blockbuster Video for the project. He has also co-written the screenplays “Hotel Babylon,” “The Long Drive” and “Medallion.” With River Road Productions and Musicland, he also co-created and produced the pilot television series “Talk Music,” a weekly critic’s review program of the latest records and music trends. Later he also co-developed “Cosmic Highway,” a weekly TV series/travelogue into the so-called paranormal with Media Savant Productions, Inc..

Keller holds a B.A. degree in English from St. John’s University, with graduate course work in philosophy, literature and the arts from the University of Minnesota. He is a former board member of Independent Features Project/North and The Cedar Cultural Centre.