TéMaTé Institute for Black Dance and Culture
Opportunity
TéMaTé Institute for Black Dance and Culture was entering a critical growth phase, aiming to increase attendance for its annual Convening while also strengthening year-round visibility, institutional credibility, and community engagement. The challenge was translating deep cultural significance into accessible, mass storytelling without losing integrity, while coordinating earned media, grassroots outreach, and internal communications within a tight timeline.
Strategy
Ki Takeaways Communications developed an integrated communications strategy that combined:
Media relations and narrative framing
Grassroots and community-based outreach
Internal messaging alignment for staff, board, funders, and partners
Conversion-focused audience engagement tactics
A community-first approach ensured cultural depth remained intact while expanding reach beyond traditional arts audiences.
Execution
Created a cohesive media messaging framework
Wrote and distributed press releases
Updated media kit and event assets
Audited and optimized event landing page for clarity and conversion
Pitched targeted local and regional media
Developed and executed Heroes Week, offering special recognition and pricing for first responders and healthcare workers
Led newsletter strategy, text messaging outreach, and event calendar submissions
Created internal outreach templates for staff and board-led amplification
Coordinated influencer and community partner activation
Provided on-site media coordination and support
Impact
Earned Media
26 media placements
87,522,648 earned media impressions
Community Impact
Strong attendance driven by grassroots networks
Expanded awareness beyond dance audiences into:
Arts & culture enthusiasts
Educators
Community leaders
Institutional partners
Reinforced TéMaTé’s role as a cultural authority in Detroit
Services Provided: Public relations, messaging strategy, media relations, community outreach, internal communications, conversion strategy, on-site support
“Working with KiTakeaways has been an incredibly positive experience. From the beginning, Kiana took the time to truly listen and understand our values, goals, and the cultural context of our work before offering recommendations. As a small organization, we appreciated that she approached the partnership as a collaborator and thought partner, not just as a consultant completing a task. It genuinely felt like she was part of our team. Kiana was able to clearly see the alignment between our mission and potential partners, helping us think more strategically about how our work could execute our goal. While the momentum felt slow at first, we trusted the process, and she ultimately delivered in ways that strengthened our direction. Her warm, welcoming, and personal approach made the experience feel collaborative, which is something we deeply value.”