E199: Denise Vitola - Dream Higher

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Denise Vitola | LinkedIn

Vitola Strategies | Public Relations | Corporate Communications

Marketing & Communications pro and celebrated health coach Denise Vitola wakes up every day on a mission to make people feel healthier and stronger. A slew of awards, industry-wide admiration and years of personal and professional accomplishments are proof that she gets the job done.
A New Jersey native who studied in Italy and Greece before graduating from Rowan University, Denise kicked off her career in sports marketing at Alan Taylor Communications, where she immediately plugged in to the thrill of a fast-paced environment, high-profile celebrity clients, and travel to sporting events around the world. She jokes that she moved from the “locker room” of sports marketing to the “cheerleading team” of the tech sector when she started as Account Director at Kaplow. While developing innovative campaigns for iconic digital brands like PayPal, eBay and Netflix, her nimble thinking and inspirational leadership made it clear that Denise was more than a standout member of the squad; she was ready to manage the team. But unlike leaders who move up and away from the heart of ideation and execution, Denise was determined to remain a key creative player at every step of the development process.

That was evident when she moved to MWW as Vice President and Director of Sports Marketing, overseeing the Bank of America account. Denise developed landmark integrated marketing strategies like the award-winning “Keep the Change” campaign that invited passersby everywhere from Grand Central Station to NFL games to dive into a giant couch and find change that could be exchanged for prizes. At the same time, she continued to hone her signature leadership style: a risk-taker confident in her skills and her talent; deeply involved in every account, but knowing when to step back and let her team shine.

In 2006, Denise was recruited by Ogilvy to work on some of the biggest accounts in the marketing game: J&J, Unilever and TJX. She worked closely with powerhouse Barby Siegal, who, like mentors Jane Mazur and Maureen Lippe, taught Denise how to be fearless in her craft. She quickly found herself leaning in to untapped marketing opportunities in digital and social, certain it was the core of connection with consumers. It was at MSL Group that Denise applied the full power of her creativity and process to the #1 marketer in the world, P&G. She became a social media savant, taking big swings that led to big payoffs, and increasing revenue by over 80%. In 2013 Denise moved to MSL Atlanta, where she coached her team to create innovative digital campaigns for clients like Home Depot.

Returning to New York in 2014, Denise had an a-ha moment of her own: every day she was helping the world become stronger and healthier through marketing. She felt that brands had a responsibility to do just that. But what about her own passion for health and wellness…the joys of fitness, nutrition and teamwork that led her to work in sports marketing at the very beginning of her career? Denise made two big moves: she got certified in nutrition and as a health coach (Vitola Well); and she launched her own marketing consultancy, Vitola Strategies. Denise was not only well-ing the world, she was well-ing herself, and the result was transformational. In 2016 she won PR Campaign of the Year for Abbott Similac “Sisterhood of Motherhood”; and in 2017, she was named a Women’s Health magazine Action Hero. To this day Denise teaches three spin classes a week, unwilling to forgo the psychological and physiological boost that powers her body, mind and soul.

Many of Denise’s former clients followed her to Vitola Strategies; one of them, Patrick Lockwood-Taylor, put her on speed dial when he landed as President of Bayer USA. The closer she worked as a consultant with Bayer brands and embraced the Bayer tagline (“Science for a Better Life”), she realized she had found a place where her personal and professional insights aligned. In July 2021 she became Bayer’s VP Brand Integration PR, Social and Influencer for Consumer Health and quickly applied her proprietary process emphasizing social and digital consumer outreach, building Bayer’s digital footprint from a tiptoe to a tidal wave. Within months she launched nearly 100 influencer campaigns and award-winning integrative marketing campaigns like Midol’s “No Apology Period”, Aleve’s “Worst Golf Swing in America” with Charles Barkley, and T-Pain’s remake of the classic Alka Seltzer jingle, resonating with consumers and elevating Bayer’s market reach by the millions. In 2021, she was named a PRNews “Top Woman in PR”.

For Denise, well-ing the world goes far beyond what happens in the office (or outside of it – she’s a big fan of remote work). Like the influential female mentors in her own life, she works with young women to nurture their professional selves and shape their futures. She is the Co-Lead of GROW (Growing Representation & Opportunities) at Bayer, an employee network group focused on equal representation, leadership, and recognition; and she actively works to recruit a diverse team of employees that can speak to the health needs of diverse audiences. Of course Denise continues to follow her own passions: working out, teaching spin and walking her dogs near her home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She loves the beach and the great outdoors, reading war and crime novels, and traveling the world with her husband of over 20 years.

Creative and confident. Playful and proactive. Bold, badass, and a leader in the business of making people and communities healthier and stronger…that’s Denise Vitola.