Melissa Marasco |
Strategic Communications
​I don’t just manage narratives—I define them.
I specialize in high-stakes strategic communications, executive thought leadership, and AI-driven brand storytelling. With over 15 years of experience advising CEOs, tech innovators, and global brands, I help companies shape industry conversations, manage crises, and position themselves as market leaders.
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I have led communications for Amazon, Intuit, Zoox, LinkedIn, Cisco, and Guardant Health, crafting narratives that bridge AI, healthcare, fintech, and frontier technology. My expertise lies in translating complex innovations into compelling stories that resonate with investors, media, policymakers, and technical communities.
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What I Do Best:
✅ Executive Positioning & Thought Leadership – I craft compelling, industry-defining narratives for CEOs and tech leaders, ensuring their voices lead global conversations.
✅ AI & Tech Communications – I simplify machine learning, platform ecosystems, and AI ethics into strategic messaging that influences public perception and policy.
✅ Crisis & Reputation Management – I guide companies through leadership transitions, brand reinventions, and high-stakes crises with precision and credibility.
✅ Brand & Corporate Strategy – I align company mission, market perception, and media engagement to build reputations that drive business growth.
✅ Influence & Storytelling – I don’t just report on trends—I help create them, ensuring brands don’t just participate in conversations, but lead them.
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Why Work With Me?
🔹 I advise C-suite executives and emerging tech leaders on shaping industry narratives.
🔹 I bridge the gap between technical complexity and mainstream influence.
🔹 I thrive in environments where strategy, storytelling, and leadership align.
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This is my next chapter—helping visionary companies and leaders define theirs.
🚀 Let’s shape the future—one story at a time.
I don’t just craft communications—I architect narratives that shape industries.
With a career spanning top-tier global brands, breakthrough technology, and AI-driven innovation, I’ve built reputations, defined leadership positions, and transformed complex ideas into compelling stories that drive market perception, investor confidence, and business growth.
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I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the most recognized and beloved brands in the world, including Amazon’s Zoox, Intuit, Boeing, Cisco, Yahoo!, Coca-Cola, LinkedIn, Procter & Gamble, Lufthansa, Guardant Health, and XPrize—advising executives, launching category-defining innovations, and ensuring these brands don’t just participate in conversations, but lead them.
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From Reputation Architect to Industry Shaper: A Career Built on Impact
🔹 Mastering Influence & Reputation Management
Starting in SEO and online reputation management, I learned early on how to shape narratives at scale, mastering content development, digital brand positioning, and strategic storytelling.
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🔹 Elevating Brands Through Celebrity & Cultural Influence
At Nestlé’s Jenny Craig, I led celebrity testimonial campaigns and oversaw a high-profile corporate rebrand with brand expert Martin Lindstrom. I managed integrated campaigns across advertising, media relations, and packaging, securing PEOPLE Magazine cover stories and amplifying brand affinity.
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🔹 Leveraging Psychographics & Values-Based Positioning
At Zenzi Communications, I pioneered psychographic-based communications strategies, aligning consumer values with brand storytelling. Leading Nestlé’s award-winning CSR campaign, Communities Take Root, I executed 20+ large-scale events in 9 months, merging corporate impact with community engagement.
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🔹 Strategic Storytelling & Visual Influence for Billion-Dollar Brands
Joining Duarte, I partnered with founders, executives, and visionaries to craft high-impact messaging strategies. I helped develop brand-defining keynote speeches, coached CEOs, and even wrote a TED Talk for a New York Times best-selling author.
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🔹 Reputation, Category Leadership & Public Affairs in FinTech & AI
At Intuit, I redefined the company’s technology reputation, launching Intuit Aid Assist and leading global corporate communications. At Amazon’s Zoox, I was the first PR hire, bringing the company out of stealth mode and positioning it as a top leader in the autonomous vehicle space. My integrated public affairs campaign helped Zoox win PRSA Bronze Anvil and SABRE Finalist awards.
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🔹 Building Brand Equity in AI & Biotech
At Guardant Health, I led corporate brand strategy, unifying earned, owned, and paid channels while positioning the company as the leader in AI-driven biotech. I drove brand storytelling, executive communications, and thought leadership in precision medicine.
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What’s Next: Elevating Leaders, Brands, and Innovations to Global Influence
I thrive at the intersection of AI, technology, and storytelling, helping companies and leaders:
✅ Own their category, define their space, and set the narrative for the future.
✅ Turn technical complexity into compelling brand stories that drive action.
✅ Build credibility, influence, and reputational capital in high-stakes industries.
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