BC Business
Beavis' Langley-based marketing agency offers a range of digital services.
Life Story: At the age of four, Keenan Beavis was already stepping into entrepreneurship, albeit in an unusual way. He went door-to-door selling bugs: caterpillars, ladybugs, mosquitos, you name it. “People bought them, but I’m not sure how many customers my dad paid off,” laughs Beavis.
By age 12, he had created the 27th most viewed YouTube channel in Canada, and in high school he built a successful T-shirt company. He went on to study finance and economics at the University of the Fraser Valley and was part of the Ch’nook Indigenous Business Education Scholars Program at UBC. During this time, he launched Longhouse Media—a marketing agency that mainly focused on video production—first as a side hustle in 2018, and soon as a full-time gig following graduation. Specializing in elevating businesses from $500,000 to $5 million in revenue using digital marketing strategies, Longhouse Media works across multiple sectors, including municipalities, Indigenous organizations, publicly traded companies and educational institutions.
When the pandemic caused the video production side of the business to plummet from 40 percent of its revenue to 5 percent, Beavis and his team pivoted and began offering a wider range of digital marketing services, such as search engine optimization, digital advertising, web design and branding. Between 2020 and 2022, Longhouse Media grew by 380 percent, becoming a seven-figure company.
Named after the traditional gathering place in Indigenous culture, Longhouse Media is a place where people come together to work toward common goals, says Beavis. He is part of Me?tis Nation British Columbia and, locally, the Waceya Me?tis Society in Langley. “The symbol of the longhouse is in line with what we do,” says Beavis. “We work toward a common goal with our partners, helping their visions become a reality.”
Bottom Line: The company has served over 300 clients over the past four years and has garnered 115 five-star Google reviews. It also offers a program called the Longhouse Media Aboriginal Youth Mentorship Award, which includes a $1,000 scholarship, entrepreneurship training and a workshop on web design, digital advertising and graphic design. In total, the company has 10 team members, ranging from specialists to client support staff.