Kasey Smith Interview 8-7-17

Kasey Smith
Senior Marketing Manager
KSBJ
Houston

Career Capsule: Over the past 17 years I’ve built a career in marketing and promotions in multiple industries, from professional sports teams to Consumer Packaged Goods to digital media. I started my career in the PR department of the Dallas Stars and fell in love with working with the media and high pace nature of the marketing industry. From there I moved into CPG at Red Bull where I began to pave my way through grassroots marketing and learn what it’s like to love a brand so much you also live it. After many years in CPG, about a year ago, I landed in the radio industry at KSBJ, one of my most favorite stations to listen to over the years.

Kasey, tell us what’s new at KSBJ, with you etc… ?

So many great things on the horizon at KSBJ. From the launch of the NGEN signal, to KSBJ’s growth in listeners, and the expansion of the way we engage our listeners. We’ve begun live streaming in the studio with our jocks, bringing a face to the amazing voices heard all over the city on 89.3. We’ve also begun engaging deeper with our listeners in all our marketing efforts. From producing a video tied to MercyMe’s “Even If” with people sharing their Even If moments, to elevating our touchpoints with our listeners through weekly devotional emails and text messages with encouragement.

What are the 3 main ingredients to make a promotion successful?

The three main ingredients I feel make a promotion successful are building a listener experience, being authentic to who KSBJ is and seamless collaboration between on and off air channels.

What is the best promotion advice you’ve been given? The worst?

The best marketing advice I’ve ever been given is to create an emotional connection between your target audience and your brand. The more someone feels connected to the brands they love, the more likely they are to share their love and excitement for a brand with their family and friends. They become brand ambassadors for life!

Regarding your career, what are you most proud of?

I’d say I’m most proud of the work I’ve put in over the years to help build brands from the bottom up. Some of my previous positions have been at brands right when they hit the market, so I’ve been able to launch a product into a brand-new market and make a huge splash. The best part about that is being able to take those experiences and apply them to a brand that has been in the industry for over 35 years. I’m excited to see what the future holds here at KSBJ.

What is the one thing YOU must have to do your job every day?

To do my job daily, I must have the support and love of my family, and I must also spend time daily with the Lord. Working in ministry can be tough, and it’s wonderful to have the support I do in my husband Jason. And knowing that all I have to do is pray to ask the Lord for guidance is extremely comforting. It truly is putting Colossians 3:23 into practice!

In your opinion what makes the ideal station promotion?

The ideal station promotion is when all stakeholders have a part in the promotion. Every possible touchpoint with our listener has a piece in the pie, whether it be on air, online, on the streets – listeners hear and see that same messaging. Produce something once and publish it EVERYWHERE.

Regarding social networking and promotion, what have you had the most success with?

At KSBJ, because we are local to Houston, we’ve had great success in treating our social network as a local lifestyle. We make sure to post items that will touch the hearts of our listeners, whether that be an ask for prayer for a local man battling cancer, or sharing what a community partner is doing to better the city. The engagement we have from our listeners on our social media amazes me every day.

How do you measure the success of a great promotion?

We measure the success of a great promotion by engagement. How many lives did we touch, how many listeners engaged with us during that promotion. If the number is high and the God stories are strong, we know we had success. One that comes to mind is our 30 Day Challenge that happens every January. I’ve had so many people tell me that they became a KSBJ fan starting with them taking the challenge to listen to KSBJ for 30 days. It’s amazing to hear the God stories that come from people’s lives being changed because they chose to change the dial to 89.3 KSBJ.