O’Keeffe Digital PR: A Fresh Take on Storytelling That Actually Works

Picture this: You’ve got a killer brand story, but no matter how hard you push, it’s not landing. Maybe your press releases vanish into the void, or your social posts get lost in the algorithm abyss. That was me—until I started working with O’Keeffe, a Cincinnati-based digital PR agency that cracked the code on making stories stick.

Nestled in Over-The-Rhine (a neighborhood as vibrant as their strategies), O’Keeffe doesn’t just recycle old PR playbooks. They blend media relations, social savvy, and digital-first thinking to get brands noticed where it counts. Here’s why their approach stood out to me.

Strategic Storytelling That Feels Human

O’Keeffe’s mantra—"the right story, on the right channel, to the right audience, at the right time"—sounds simple, but their execution is anything but generic. Unlike agencies that spray-and-pray press releases, they dig into why an audience should care. For my brand, that meant shifting from dry technical announcements to narratives about real-world impact—crafted differently for LinkedIn thought leaders vs. niche trade reporters. The result? More engagement, fewer crickets.

Beyond Press Releases: A Multi-Channel Playground

Traditional PR firms might obsess over earned media alone, but O’Keeffe’s "digital toolbox" is refreshingly broad. They leveraged:

• Earned media: Pitches that actually got replies (shocking, I know).
• Owned content: Social snippets and blog hooks repurposed from interviews.
• Community engagement: Niche forums and Reddit threads I’d never have considered.
  The mix felt less like a megaphone and more like a conversation—which, ironically, made the brand louder.

Agility Without the Chaos

Smaller agencies often promise flexibility but drown you in endless revisions. O’Keeffe struck a balance: quick pivots when trends shifted (hello, viral TikTok angle), but with clear guardrails to keep campaigns focused. One hiccup? Their responsiveness occasionally lagged during peak news cycles—likely a side effect of being selective with clients. Not a dealbreaker, but worth noting for time-sensitive projects.

Pros & Cons at a Glance

Strengths:

• Storytelling that’s strategic, not just creative.
• Hybrid digital/traditional PR for wider reach.
• No cookie-cutter campaigns; tailored to audience behaviors.
• Over-The-Rhine office = local charm with national reach.

Trade-offs:

• Less "always-on" than mega-agencies (they prioritize quality over quantity).
• Not the cheapest—but you’re paying for precision, not fluff.

Final Take: PR That Feels Worth the Investment

O’Keeffe won me over by treating PR like a puzzle, not a template. They’re not for brands who want vanity metrics or robotic media blasts. But if you need stories that resonate—and results that last—they’re the rare agency that makes "digital PR" more than a buzzword.