It’s time to hit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail! On this episode of "We Built This Brand," Chris sits down with Katie Peninger, VP Account Service at Lewis Communications. While her career started on the creative side, the collaborative culture at Lewis allows her to still be involved in the creative process, just in a different way. Chris and Katie also break down Lewis’s incredible work on celebrating the Kentucky Bourbon Trail's 25th Anniversary. From the website redesign to a 26-hour global livestream, Katie and her team have worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. They also get to bond over their experiences working with their respective AMA chapters. So kick back, grab a glass, and listen as we distill some vital marketing insights in this episode.

Show Highlights

• (0:00) Intro
• (1:29) Katie's path to working with Lewis Communications
• (3:48) What Katie does as VP of Account Service
• (5:01) The culture at Lewis Communications
• (7:27) How Lewis helps businesses and leaders make "bold marketing decisions”
• (8:52) Working with the Kentucky Bourbon Trail
• (12:08) What went into the Kentucky Bourbon Trail's 25th Anniversary project
• (13:45) Chris's experience with the Kentucky Bourbon Trail
• (15:47) Redesigning the Bourbon Trail's website and helping people better experience The Trail
• (23:19) Tackling a 26 hour bourbon livestream
• (26:56) What's ahead for Katie and Lewis Communications in 2025
• (27:28) What it's like working with AMA Nashville
• (29:27) What brand does she admire the most?
• (32:08) Where you can find more from Katie and Lewis Communications 

About Katie Peninger

Katie is VP Account Service at Lewis Communications with 22 years of marketing and advertising experience coupled with a background in design and art direction spanning 10 years.

Her experience includes senior client contact and strategy on local, regional and national accounts ranging in size from start-ups to national organizations investing over $50 million annually in marketing initiatives. Katie works with cross-functional teams comprised of research, strategy, digital, creative and media specialists to achieve client business goals across a range of categories. She continually works across all levels of client teams (including C-suite and Board of Directors) to collaborate, communicate and ultimately report on results of initiatives based on business goals.

At Lewis, Kaite is also responsible for growth and development of the account team which also includes recruiting, hiring, training and managing.

Links:

Lewis Communication’s website: https://www.lewiscommunications.com/

Katie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiepeninger/