Keelen Communications: Driving Government Contracting Success

Expert consulting in the government contracting space supercharges businesses, helping unlock lucrative, high-impact opportunities and build lasting success. However, the market tends to be more corporate and profit-centered, leaving smaller firms at a disadvantage.

Keelen Communications, a family-owned firm, is here to change the narrative with its agility to make swift, client-centric decisions that larger agencies cannot match.

Specialist in strategic communications and public affairs, Keelen Communications distinguishes itself by building trust and loyalty that transcends mere business transactions. From 8(a) firms and Super 8(a) businesses to woman- and minority-owned, it handholds all small businesses, delivering a tailored communications-driven strategy and helping them win government contracts. Embracing the ethos of a family-like culture and operating from a home-based setting, it welcomes clients as guests into a warm, hospitable environment. It focuses on helping clients build strong, recognizable brands that resonate with policymakers, trade associations and community stakeholders.

“Throughout Washington, D.C., we adopt a holistic perspective, helping clients navigate the halls of power and administration,” says Matt Keelen, managing principal.

When government agencies award contracts, they prioritize partners who deliver the most effective, efficient solutions. Keelen Communications’s brand campaigns position clients as trusted experts who help governments achieve optimal outcomes on every project.

It is not a lobbyist. It builds the communication foundation that advocacy efforts rely on before clients engage in legislative outreach. Without this groundwork, clients end up struggling because legislators don’t know about their proposal.

Transforming clients’ abstract offerings into a recognizable name that fosters trust and drives long-term success is a hallmark of Keelen Communications. It begins every engagement with an internal consultation to glean a clear idea of client challenges and objectives. Extending itself as a part of the clients’ sales and communications team helps uncover in-depth insight and perspective like that of full-time employees.

Recognizing that most clients lack a distinct brand identity, it develops an identity that represents the client’s mission and values in the best light. Tailored messaging and outreach strategies enable them to effectively engage with government entities and industry circles, enhancing their visibility and influence.

Since its founding, Keelen Communications has been working shoulder-to-shoulder with clients, sharing in both victories and setbacks.

In one instance, a client spent five years without traction after its initial small-business set-aside award. Failing to develop a strategy, the client engaged with Keelen Communications to find the best solution. It swiftly arranged meetings for the client with prospective partners that could lead to new contracts. The team advised the client’s leadership to publish an op-ed aligning with the new administration’s objectives. Secured in a publication most read by policymakers, the piece captured decision-makers’ attention. The team’s strategic communication plan also played an instrumental role in ensuring the right people read the op-ed. Within four months, the client attracted multiple pitches from larger contractors and engaged with several federal and state agencies, outpacing the previous four years of progress.

Though many clients initially approach the firm with short-term emergencies, Keelen always builds a long-term communication foundation, addressing the immediate crisis and underlying issues that could cause future problems.

Its mindset entrenched in driving client success enables it to grow steadily through customer referrals. A whopping 95 percent of new business arrives through client recommendations. Every client has established deep, trust-based business relationship, on average, exceeding ten years.

Keelen Communications’ bespoke communication strategies forge powerful connections and pave the path for small businesses to government contracting success.