Tales From the Beat Episode 128: The Brand Amp PR Manager Kelly Law

TTAC Creator Ed Garsten hosts ”  Tales from the Beat,” a podcast about the automotive and media worlds. A veteran reporter and public relations operative, Garsten worked for CNN, The Associated Press, The Detroit News, Chrysler’s PR department and Franco Public Relations. He is currently a senior contributor for Forbes.

The TTAC Creators Series tells stories and amplifies creators from all corners of the car world, including culture, dealerships, collections, modified builds and more.

A transcript, cleaned up via AI and edited by a staffer, is below.

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Transcript:

Ed Garsten:

Hi everyone, I’m Ed Garsten, and welcome to episode 128 of Tales from the Beat, where we look at news and PR from both sides of the scrimmage line. Today’s guest is someone who knows how to make the reporter-PR relationship actually work. That’s Kelly Law, PR manager at the marketing agency The Brand AMP. Hi, Kelly.

Kelly Law:

Hi, Ed. Thanks for having me.

Ed:

You’re based in Atlanta, right?

Kelly:

Yes, I’ve lived here my whole life. My family and friends are here—it’s a great place, despite the traffic.

Ed:

I lived in Atlanta for eight years, from ’81 to ’89, when I was with CNN. We loved it there—though, yeah, the traffic. You all had Chick-fil-A before it was cool.

Kelly:

We did. I love Chick-fil-A—and Krispy Kreme too.

Ed:

Right. I remember those. But we’re not here to talk about Atlanta. You and I first worked together through Archer Aviation. Tell me how that started.

Kelly:

We’ve been working with Archer for over two years. I reached out to you since you cover mobility and thought their work would be a fit. I’ve kept you updated on the company’s developments, and when they’ve had major news, I’ve been able to give you embargoed information so you could prepare substantial coverage ahead of announcements.

Ed:

You’ve been great at that. For those who don’t know, Archer Aviation develops electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft—eVTOLs—and they’ll be providing air taxi services at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Kelly:

Yes, they’re the official air taxi partner of the LA28 Olympics, and Los Angeles will be one of their first U.S. launch cities.

Ed:

It’s a cool company. Something I’ve appreciated is how you handle communication. You send updates but never assume every story will be covered. That’s rare. Where does that mindset come from?

Kelly:

Early in my career, I had great mentors who emphasized building genuine relationships with reporters. I try to be mindful of what they actually cover, rather than spamming them with irrelevant news. When I do reach out, I frame smaller updates as “keeping you in the loop.” If it’s something more significant, I’ll reach out directly to discuss it. That’s how trust builds. Now, if I call or text major outlets, they know I’m reaching out with something truly relevant to them.

Ed:

That approach is so unusual—and appreciated. Many PR pitches I get aren’t newsworthy at all, just promotional. Do you ever have to tell clients when a story idea isn’t going to land?

Kelly:

Definitely. Managing client expectations is part of the job. Sometimes we’ll take a shot, but if something isn’t resonating, we’ll tell the client it’s not worth pursuing further and suggest pitching to trade or local outlets instead. It’s better to preserve media relationships than push a weak story.

Ed:

And you need clients who respect your expertise.

Kelly:

Exactly. We set those expectations early. When we present marketing proposals, we explain that earned media requires strong stories. If a client wants guaranteed placement, that’s advertising—not PR.

Ed:

Right. I used to hear that all the time at Chrysler: “Why can’t you guarantee we’ll be on the Today Show?” The answer was always the same—buy an ad.

Let’s talk about your background. Have you always been with The Brand AMP?

Kelly:

Yes, for a little over five years. It’s an integrated marketing agency, so I’ve worked across PR, social, digital, events, and influencer programs. I’ve secured coverage in major outlets like CNN, Fox News, and the Associated Press for clients across automotive, lifestyle, and consumer tech.

In college, I initially wanted to be a sports broadcaster, but I realized I preferred the storytelling and writing side of communications. PR gave me a way to do that.

Ed:

I love that. I stumbled into broadcasting too—joined my campus radio station and ended up spending years in TV before moving into print. No cameras, no makeup, just words. But no matter the medium, it’s all storytelling.

Let’s talk about our recent Archer case study. They announced a partnership with Korean Air to bring air taxi services to South Korea, right?

Kelly:

Yes, that story went live on a Monday. Two days later, we had another announcement—Archer becoming the official air taxi partner of the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission.

Ed:

You came to me with that second story so soon after the first. What were your expectations?

Kelly:

I knew it would be difficult to get back-to-back coverage. I usually advise clients to space announcements out. But the second announcement was important, so we went ahead. You were upfront that you’d just covered Archer and might not run another story immediately. Then you suggested updating the existing article to include the new news, which worked out really well.

Ed:

That was a good example of how trust helps. I wouldn’t do that for just anyone, but you consistently bring relevant news, so it made sense to update the story. It actually became stronger with both angles.

Did the client appreciate that?

Kelly:

They were thrilled. They knew it’s rare to get consecutive coverage, so they saw it as proof of strong media relationships.

Ed:

Exactly. That’s what relationships are about—mutual trust and knowing when something’s worth the extra effort.

Let’s shift to tools. We don’t hear as much about SEO now that AI dominates discussions. How do you use both in your work?

Kelly:

Both are important. SEO helps us identify trends using tools like Google Trends so we can align client messaging with what’s timely. If there’s a trending topic where our client’s executives can add insight, we can position them as thought leaders.

As for AI, it’s useful for research or brainstorming, but we don’t use it to write materials. Authentic human tone is key in PR.

Ed:

Is that your personal approach or agency policy?

Kelly:

Both. We take pride in our writing. AI can help with synonyms or phrasing—like using a faster version of a thesaurus—but full writing should be human.

Ed:

I agree completely. We don’t use AI to create content either. I might use it to break writer’s block, but never for full writing. You also can’t trust that AI-generated information is accurate—it just pulls from the web. Used carefully, though, it can be a helpful tool.

Kelly:

Exactly. It’s best for research or quick reference, not storytelling itself.

Ed:

Well said. Writing should never be replaced—it’s what makes storytelling human.