Hawke Media acquires Ketner Group

Hawke Media acquired Ketner Group Communications, a specialist in retail-technology public relations founded in Austin in 1990, and rebranded it as Aster Agency. The deal was announced on November 10, 2026, adding an established B2B communications practice to Hawke's broader performance-marketing operation, which includes paid search, SEO, web development, and marketing analytics. Catherine Seeds, who joined the business in 2002, leads Aster as managing director; Kirsty Goodlett remains executive vice president; and Jeff Ketner continues as senior adviser.

The article states the acquisition puts earned-media strategy alongside Hawke's existing paid and owned-media services, potentially making an integrated agency pitch more convincing to retail-tech clients that need both earned coverage and measurable customer acquisition. Hawke also announced plans to offer PR and generative engine optimization alongside existing services. The article notes this follows Hawke's acquisition of Rocket55 in October 2026 and Blue Light Media in March 2025, reflecting a broader pattern of acquiring operating specialists rather than building capabilities internally.