Kelly Lackner

About Kelly Lackner

Most marketing strategies fail because they’re built far away from the people they’re supposed to reach. Great marketing doesn’t start in a conference room. It starts in the market. The work I’m most proud of started as a local insight and scaled into something much bigger.For the past 15 years, I’ve built brands by turning what’s happening in the market into partnerships, retail experiences, and community programs that drive growth. I focus on building marketing people actually feel and businesses can measure.Where I do my best work:• Partnerships and sponsorship strategy• Experiential and retail marketing• Local market strategy and consumer insights• Community partnerships and purpose-driven programs• Marketing investment and ROI optimizationSome of the programs I’m especially proud to have led:• Turning a regional consumer insight into the Dos Equis “Naked vs. Dressed” campaign, which scaled into a nationally adopted marketing program.• Activating major sports partnerships, including the Houston Astros, to build experiential and retail programs that expanded brand reach and deepened consumer engagement.• Developing a sponsorship ROI framework at Heineken that standardized post-program analysis and improved marketing investment decisions.• Building community partnerships and philanthropic activations through initiatives like Love, Tito’s, strengthening brand affinity while supporting nonprofit organizations.As a mom, I’m especially drawn to brands that create meaningful impact in the communities they serve. The strongest brands are not just culturally relevant. They invest in the people and places that support them.If you’re building a brand that believes marketing should connect with people, not just audiences, I’d love to connect.

Experience

1. Field Marketing

   Tito's Handmade Vodka

   May 2025 — Present

Education

• County College of Morris

  Associates of Arts, Journalism

• Washington State University

  Master of Arts, Communication and Media Studies

• Montclair State University

  Bachelor of Arts, Graphic Design