04/28/2025
Chris Blades Joins Guaranty Media as Digital Marketing Manager
Guaranty Media is proud to welcome Chris Blades as its new Digital Marketing Manager, bringing with him more than two decades of experience and a deep-rooted passion for storytelling, community impact, and innovative marketing.
A 22-year veteran of the media industry in Baton Rouge, Chris has built a decorated career that spans journalism, creative services, and digital marketing. He is a five-time Emmy Award winner, five-time Telly Award recipient, and has earned the prestigious CBS Eye on Excellence National Marketing Award. He has also been a key member of news and creative teams that have been recognized with mulitple Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for excellence in journalism.
Chris began his career at WAFB-TV as a news photographer in 2002, earning multiple Associated Press awards for his compelling visual storytelling. His transition into marketing saw him take on the role of Marketing Producer, followed by his promotion to Director of Marketing and Creative Services. He led teams in developing impactful TV and digital campaigns for the station and local businesses that resonated with audiences and supported the Baton Rouge community. Under his leadership, three station community initiatives were named finalists for the National Association of Broadcasters’ Service to America Awards.
Throughout his career, Chris has demonstrated a strong commitment to using media as a force for good. He helped local organizations raise millions of dollars through targeted television and digital campaigns. One particularly moving initiative—a donation drive for the wife and newborn son of a Deputy U.S. Marshal who was killed in the line of duty in Baton Rouge—raised over $50,000 in just one day.
Following the catastrophic 2016 floods in South Louisiana, Chris played a key role in organizing and producing Raycom Media’s Louisiana Rising Flood Relief Concert, which raised more than $800,000 for flood victims. In his role as Executive Producer, Chris won his first Emmy for Live Television production.
After serving five years as Director of Marketing and Creative Services at WAFB, Chris made a strategic pivot into digital sales, where he quickly became a top performer and team leader. His expertise spans a wide range of modern digital tools and platforms, including Streaming TV, Streaming Radio, Google Paid Search, Local Service Ads, SEO, Targeted Email, Social Media Advertising, Targeted Display and Video, and YouTube Advertising.
Chris Blades now brings his award-winning creativity, strategic insight, and unwavering dedication to community service to Guaranty Media, where he will lead the charge in delivering cutting-edge digital marketing solutions that drive real results for local businesses.
