BLEEKER STREET

Brian Banks - ESSENCE Festival 2019 Amplification

Maximizing Talent Visibility Where the Spotlight is Unavoidable

OUR TASK

CNBetter Media was white-labeled by the Wsol Agency to amplify the film Brian Banks during Essence Festival 2019, one of the largest and most influential cultural gatherings for Black audiences in the world.

Our objective was clear: to ensure Brian Banks, whose life story inspired the film, achieved maximum visibility on the ground and in-market—not only through media coverage, but through meaningful participation across Essence Festival’s most high-profile stages, platforms, and sponsor activations.

OUR SOLUTION

We executed a highly strategic, tightly scheduled in-market publicity plan that maximized every moment of Brian Banks’ Essence Festival presence.

Credentialed Media Roundtable
We organized and executed an exclusive press roundtable with credentialed Essence Festival media, creating direct access between Brian Banks, cast members, and top entertainment journalists.

Participating outlets included:

BlackFilm.com (UMV: 26K)
Global Grind (UMV: 589K)
Always A-List (UMV: 23K)
EURweb (UMV: 325K)
TheGrio (UMV: 764K)
Upscale Magazine (UMV: 9K)
ABC News Radio (UMV: 98K)

Radio Row Domination (Two Rounds)
We escorted Brian Banks and cast to Radio Row twice, securing interviews with major urban radio stations across top U.S. markets including Washington D.C., Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York—ensuring both regional and national audio reach.

Major Stage & Sponsor Activations
We negotiated and secured high-visibility stage appearances across Essence Festival’s most trafficked platforms:

Essence Center Stage interview in front of 1,000+ attendees
Fan Zone Experience with direct audience engagement
SiriusXM Heart & Soul / Ford Stage live interview (500+ attendees)
Walmart Stage interview with Tai Beauchamp (1,000+ attendees)
Audience Preview Screening moderated by Jawn Murray (350+ attendees)

Premium Photo & Digital Capture
We secured placement in the People.com photo experience, as well as a Getty Images portrait shoot, ensuring high-quality, widely syndicated visuals for long-term media value.

OUR RESULTS

The Essence Festival amplification delivered extraordinary visibility and reach:

Top-Tier Earned Media Coverage

On-Ground Reach

Through strategic scheduling, media intelligence, and cultural fluency, CNBetter Media transformed Brian Banks’ Essence Festival appearance into a multi-platform visibility engine. This campaign not only amplified awareness for the film—it elevated Brian Banks as a powerful voice within a cultural space that values truth, resilience, and redemption. The result was sustained media coverage, meaningful audience engagement, and long-term brand equity for both the film and its real-life inspiration.

Clients:

Bleecker Street

Project Demands:

In-Market Visibility & Representation, Media Relations & Press Outreach, Talent & Speaker Representation, Event & Festival Publicity

Film & Television Integration

Similar work.

RUSSELL INNOVATION CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURS (RICE)

The Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE) partnered with CNBetter Media to manage publicity and press engagement for a milestone…

CNBetter January 29, 2026

AMC NETWORK

CNBetter Media was white-labeled by LIQUID SOUL to serve as publicity director for AMC Network’s exclusive, immersive Walking Dead super teaser event during Super Bowl weekend in Atlanta. Designed to build…

CNBetter January 30, 2026

BLACK CHURCH P.A.C. (EXPERT POSITIONING)

In addition to in-market activations and digital mobilization, the Black Church PAC sought to establish itself — and its co-founder, Pastor Mike McBride — as natio…