Carson Kunnen — Marketing and Public Relations Professional from Grand Rapids, Michigan
When I am not working, I enjoy hiking, pickleball with friends, and learning new skills.
Explore my latest work
Showcasing 5 Projects
Project and Resource Manager (April 2023 - Present)
In March 2023, I felt a call from God to start working at Chapel Pointe church and their non-profit Be The Church in Hudsonville, Michigan.
Publicist, Baker Books & Revell (May 2022-March 2023)
Baker Publishing Group is one of the largest independent Christian book publishers. As a publicist, I coordinated media opportunities (radio, podcast, TV, etc.) for authors publishing in the Baker Books/Revell divisions. BPG houses six different imprints: Baker Books, Revell, Brazos Press, Baker Academic, Chosen, and Bethany House Publishers—all with a slightly different focus. My absolute favorite part of this role was building relationships with authors and media outlets while advocating for solid, Biblical books that elevate the good news of the Gospel.
Some of my favorite media hits include: ‘My Sister Was Kidnapped. Now I Foster Girls as a Single Dad’ (Newsweek), The Heart of Homeschooling: Advice From a Mother of 5 (Epoch Times), Episode 1002: Jon Acuff (Relevant Magazine).
Communications Coordinator, FWF (July 2021-May 2022)
After graduating with a B.S. in Advertising and Public Relations from Grand Valley State University in May 2021, I started my first full-time job with Fifth Wheel Freight (FWF). FWF is a 3rd party logistics company based in Kentwood, Michigan. As Communications Coordinator, I was responsible for:
- Pitching compelling stories, writing press releases, and establishing relationships with media outlets. Our team successfully landed 40% of our pitches, resulting in 22 media hits with 10 different outlets covering our stories.
- Managing, updating, and diagnosing areas of improvement for the website (SEO, UX/UI, navigation, etc. During my tenure, the team has seen a 100% year-over-year growth in users and sessions with an 80% year-over-year growth in page views.
- Writing copy for internal communications, website, client-facing deliverables, etc.
Some of my favorite media hits include: One Good Thing: Fifth Wheel Freight buys school supplies (WZZM13), Fifth Wheel Freight outfits 400 students with school supplies (GRBJ), and Fifth Wheel Freight celebrated for diversity (The Packer).
Various Roles, GrandPR (Sept. 2019-Apr. 2021)
GrandPR is a student-run public relations firm associated with Grand Valley State University. As a sophomore, I joined this organization alongside GVPRSSA, a collegiate chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), and continued throughout my senior year. I held 3 different positions: Account Associate, Programming Director, and Community Outreach Director.
- During COVID-19, I helped build a community within the firm by organizing 15 workshops with BIPOC speakers from across the country.
- Participated in real PR campaigns for 4 different clients and won the “Best Campaign Award” for our team’s work on the 77 Idea Labs: Longboards campaign.
- Landed first media hit GVSU students produce videos to help high schoolers prepare for campus life on local WZZM13 TV station.
Team Lead, GVSU Technology Showcase (Aug. 2017-Apr. 2021)
The GVSU Technology Showcase is a space for students, faculty, and staff to access the latest emerging technologies—everything from 3D printing to virtual reality, and augmented reality—the showcase has it all. As a team lead, I was responsible for providing demos of these technologies and managing a group of 6 student workers!
- Fun fact: I created several YouTube tutorials for the HTC Vive.
- I had the opportunity to provide guided tours for key technology executives from across the country.
- Internal communications improvement, managing a team of 6 student workers, building relationships with GVSU faculty, etc.
Media Relations
Through my media relations work, I have had the privilege of collaborating with some amazing people in both Christian and secular media outlets. Here are a few examples of those publications. You can view a full list of media hits here.
Marketing Strategy
I enjoy creating custom-tailored communications, marketing, and PR plans.
Website Design + SEO
I enjoy website design, SEO, UI/UX strategy, HTML/CSS, and more. Here are some websites I’ve designed.
Graphic Design
Since the pandemic, I have been freelancing graphic design using Adobe Illustrator. Here are some examples of my projects!
Content Creation
Creating content surrounding marketing, PR, and my faith is something I enjoy doing. As of right now, I have a podcast and blog. Check them out below!
Contact Me
Have a project idea or want to get in touch? Fill out the contact form below and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
