Jennifer Simpson
I help people and brands tell their story, whether that means launching something new, creating a lasting legacy, or continuing momentum in the marketplace.
About
Brand & Marketing Leadership for FoundersI begin with judgment rather than output. Everything, from strategy to content, maps back to a clear business or brand objective.
Today I am senior marketing counsel for billionaire founders and business leaders who have built something, from an award-winning retail bookstore concept, named Boston’s Best Bookstore just one year after opening, to one of the largest private owners of New York real estate.
I set brand strategy, build personal brands, sharpen executive communications, and run the pricing and channel analysis that finds money left on the table. I also advise founders through Columbia University’s Startup Accelerator.
I honed that discipline at VaynerMedia, where I was an early senior hire and helped scale the agency 800% in three years, and went on to lead work for Dove, L’Oréal, Kiehl’s, and SC Johnson.
I once did PR for the Rolling Stones.
Strategy before creative
I am allergic to fluff. If a line of copy, a line item, or a line of reasoning does not earn its place, it goes.
Executive communications
Bios, talking points, media prep, and brand systems that make leadership sound as sharp as it is, including a chairman-level corporate campaign handled with discretion.
Rooted in social-first content
I helped scale Gary Vaynerchuk’s social media agency and led thought-leadership programs for Fortune 100 brands, learning how serious ideas earn an audience online.
Results
Selected outcomesAgency growth in three years as an early senior hire at VaynerMedia.
LinkedIn engagement in six months for a senior New York real estate executive.
Newsletter subscribers: launched from zero, 8,000 in year one and 26,000 two years later.
Experience
2012 — Present01JRS AdvisoryFounder & Fractional Marketing Leader2023–Present
Senior marketing counsel for founders and business leaders who have built something, from an award-winning retail bookstore concept, named Boston's Best Bookstore just one year after opening, to one of the largest private owners of New York real estate. I set brand strategy, build personal brands, sharpen executive communications, and run the pricing and channel analysis that finds money left on the table. I also advise founders through Columbia University's Startup Accelerator.
02JellyfishClient Partner2021–2023
Ran the L'Oréal business and the largest integrated accounts, and led the largest corporate communications campaign SC Johnson had run for its brand and its chairman. Launched Kiehl's content destination of more than 200 pieces and built an organic-content measurement framework adopted company-wide.
03MarinoSVP, Strategy & Business Development2015–2019
The agency's first digital hire. Built its digital, social, and content practice from the ground up and led the corporate rebrand of JFK Terminal 4 to national press and design awards.
04VaynerMediaGroup Account Director2012–2015
Brought in as an early senior hire to help scale the agency, building the teams, process, and client strategy behind 800% growth in three years. Built Dove's strategy for “Real Beauty Sketches,” the most-viewed brand video of all time, and ran thought-leadership programs for Fortune 100 clients through beta partnerships with Facebook and Twitter.
Services
Senior marketing leadership shaped around what your business needs right now.
Start a conversationFractional marketing leadership
A senior marketing lead alongside your founder or leadership team, without the cost of a full-time CMO.
Brand strategy
Positioning and brand systems that map directly to business objectives.
Personal brands for founders & executives
Turning how a leader thinks into content that reaches more people and keeps working long after it is posted.
Executive communications
Bios, talking points, media prep, and campaign work handled with discretion.
Social-first content & thought leadership
LinkedIn, newsletters, and editorial programs that build real community.
Launch & go-to-market strategy
Bringing something new to market, or keeping momentum in an established one.
Pricing & channel analysis
Finding the money left on the table.
Questions
What does a fractional marketing leader do?
I work as a part-time, senior marketing lead alongside a founder or leadership team: setting brand strategy, building personal brands, sharpening executive communications, and finding where growth is being left on the table, without the cost of a full-time CMO.
Who do you work with?
Founders, business leaders, and brands that have built something real, from an award-winning independent bookstore to one of New York's largest private real estate owners.