Hello.

What do Starbucks, Coca-Cola, Netflix, Quaker Oats and P&G have in common outside of being some of America’s most renown brands? Two words: Jackie Kohlhagen. For more than a decade, Jackie has left her marketing DNA on dozens of campaigns that transcend audiences and platforms.

Jackie specializes in leading large teams, mobilizing integrated campaigns and crafting brand stories that make a measurable business impact. Her work has included organic and owned content, social media, influencer marketing, PR and paid digital media.

Jackie spent the first five years of her career working in public relations and social media, leading earned media storytelling, social content development and events for large CPG brands. When she transitioned to Zeno Group in 2014, she focused on social media strategy and influencer marketing, ultimately rising to the become the Head of Digital for the agency's Chicago region and largest office, and driving a 3X increase in revenue in five years. In leading a team of 40+ employees, Jackie honed her leadership style, fostered an inclusive and meaningful culture and drove talent development, increasing talent retention and positive employee engagement scores.

Today, Jackie co-leads Zeno's Chicago office of 270+ employees, bringing her leadership and ambition for growth to a bigger stage while continuing to lead integrated programming for clients across paid, owned and earned. As an entrepreneurial leader, Jackie works in constant start-up mode, fearlessly engineering and re-engineering her team's approach to meet today's consumers where they are.

In 2022, Jackie was also named a PRWeek "40 Under 40" honoree for her innovative work in the fields of social, digital and influencer marketing. Jackie also spent two years coaching the next generation of marketers as an adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago.

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My Story

Jackie joined Zeno Group in 2014 and quickly became a driving force behind the Chicago office’s transition from PR agency to integrated communications agency. Jackie has been described as smart, creative and “singlehandedly the most talented individual I’ve ever met” by colleagues and clients alike. She's more than tripled the size of her team in less than three years, thanks to Jackie's dogged pursuit of new business and shifting comms-only remits to more integrated marketing work.

During Jackie's Zeno tenure, she became "famous" for inventing and reinventing agency offerings, including: a distinct approach to social strategy development (playbook), data-driven influencer evaluation (scorecarding) and creating the Central Region's now booming paid media practice, including social, search, display and native offerings.

Prior to Zeno, Jackie’s agency career began at JSH&A Communications in 2010 (since acquired by L.C. Williams), where she helped birth the agency’s social media and influencer practice working with brands including ConAgra Foods (Alexia Foods, Lightlife and Manwich) and The Hershey Company (Jolly Rancher, Hershey’s Bliss and Ice Breakers). Before JSH&A, Jackie completed a series of internships and contractor arrangements supporting press relations and promotional events.

Other career highlights include: leading the Goodyear Cotton Bowl social war room, driving 1MM+ organic social engagements; using influencers to drive increased viewership of Netflix’s The Christmas Chronicles; driving in-store redemptions and a 36% increase in foot traffic for Teavana through a targeted paid social campaign; leading Robinhood’s crisis social monitoring; and with JSH&A, serving as lead community manager and social content creator for Alexia Foods and Jolly Rancher.