about program

When: Wednesday, July 10; 5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
Where: Zeno Group, 130 E. Randolph Street, 30th Floor, Chicago 60601 (Directions)

With the FoodTok obsession, fun flavor drops, and unexpected food-inspired merch, you’d think the media would devour pitches! With shrinking newsrooms and fierce competition on top of the unrelenting pressure for earned media, PR Foodies can find themselves in a pickle. 

Join PRSA Chicago and Zeno Group as we bring together a delicious panel of experts including representatives from the iconic Kraft Heinz and scrappy Wasa crispbread to weigh in on how they’re getting noticed.

You will walk away from this conversation with valuable insights on navigating earned media opportunities. Don’t miss this Snacky Hour to DIG IN on a great topic while enjoying food and drinks overlooking Millennium Park from Zeno’s office.

SPEAKERS

Katie Kierna
Senior Vice President and Group Director | Spool

Katie Kierna is a Senior Vice President and Group Director at Spool. Her expertise lies in creative and strategic management of large-scale campaigns that connect brands to consumers in relevant and newsworthy ways.

Kierna enjoys immersing herself in client business challenges to determine how earned media and third-party endorsements can be most impactful to business needs. Her experience has been cultivated through work with emerging brands, innovative start-ups, and Fortune 500 companies in the Food & Beverage, CPG, Retail, and Sports & Entertainment sectors.

Programs have ranged from celebrating Mattel’s iconic Barbie brand turning 50, to introducing international pop stars, One Direction, to the United States with Sharpie. She has also spearheaded major PR programs for food and CPG clients like ConAgra Foods, the J.M. Smuckers Company, nutribullet, Proudly Wisconsin Cheese and much more. She previously served as a VP, General Manager at Ketchum and also managed all communications for the Dew Tour during her time at NBC Sports.

Brooke Kovanda Davis
Brand PR and Communications Professional | Wasa

Brooke Kovanda Davis is a Brand PR and Communications Professional at Barilla USA, where she leads the public relations and influencer strategies for the Wasa crispbreads and Protein+ pasta brands. Prior to Barilla, Brooke was on the PR team at Reverb, an online marketplace dedicated to buying and selling musical instruments and subsidiary of Etsy. While there, she promoted Reverb’s brand through creative storytelling that ranged from showcasing rock stars' guitars, to sharing data around music gear buying trends. Like many PR people, Brooke had the requisite stint at Edelman in Chicago, doing media relations and integrated marketing for tech companies. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, and outside of work, Brooke enjoys reading, listening to classic rock records, and exploring Chicagoland with her husband and dog. She firmly believes that the Chicago thin crust pizza + RC Cola combo is the elixir of life.

Kate Mitchell
Senior PR Brand Manager | Kraft Heinz

Kate Mitchell is the Senior PR Brand Manager at Kraft Heinz. With more than a decade of brand PR experience, Mitchell specializes in leading creative and strategic nationally scaled campaigns, all with the goal to build authentic brand love with consumers allowing them to keep Kraft Heinz’s portfolio of iconic brands top of mind. Before joining Kraft Heinz in 2022, Kate spent her career at three different PR agencies including Burson-Marsteller, Ketchum and Zeno (yes, a previous Zenoid!). She earned her bachelor’s degree in Strategic Communications from Miami University and recently moved to the suburb of Glenview with her husband, dog and eight-month old daughter.

MODERATOR

Missy Denja Maher
Head Foodie U.S.A. | Zeno Group

Missy Maher has 20+ years of proven excellence in integrated strategic communications. Her background includes working with some of the world’s largest food brands and commodities – with campaigns that include Cannes award-winners. She is wildly passionate about building and growing businesses through creative storytelling, consumer engagement and strategic partnerships. 

Maher is known among her colleagues and clients as a high-energy leader who builds and leads proactive, results-driven teams. 
 
A graduate from the University of Iowa, Maher has 4 kids (yes, 4 + one little loud dog) who are picky eaters but keep her in line and on top of the latest social trends. They take joy in reminding her when she is acting like a “noob.” In her spare time, she is an adjunct professor at Loyola University in Chicago.

Questions? Please email the Programming committee at [email protected].

Program Details

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