
Coleen King
President & Founder
Coleen King is the President and Founder of King. She’s also a people-person. Passionate, open and honest, her dedication to the success of our clients is a big reason why our clients enjoy working with us and tend to stick around for so long. It’s also why you’ll see her invited to so many of our clients’ weddings, holiday dinners and graduation ceremonies.

Professional Experience
Coleen’s career in marketing, advertising and public relations has spanned more than three decades. She began at the prestigious national rep firm Avery Knodel in Chicago as media buyer, then continued as a National and Regional Sales Manager for Lansing’s NBC and CBS affiliates. Coleen took this experience and fierce commitment to the success of her clients’ business objectives with her when she founded King in 1999. The agency has since grown to provide full-service advertising, marketing, public relations and digital media services to clients across the country through its three offices in East Lansing, Grand Rapids and St. Joseph, Michigan.
As president and founder, Coleen is the lead researcher and strategist for every client. Her research yields successful campaigns and uncovers critical business issues. She also identifies emerging markets and drives vital changes in business practices. This combination of marketing knowledge and business savvy makes Coleen a valuable partner for King’s clients.
Coleen also serves as the lead on King’s branding and rebranding projects, using her expertise with local, regional and national brands to bring a fresh look to iconic companies and organizations of every size. She is fond of saying, “Strong brands make you money.” Her knack for brand-building has paid dividends for clients in sectors like finance, banking, professional services, hospitality, retail and more.
She has a soft spot for kids, which means the education industry is a particular passion. Whether the challenge is passing a district bond proposal, increasing enrollment, improving donor relations, managing communication in a crisis or telling important stories, Coleen is a true leader in K-12 education marketing.
Coleen King was recently named the 2020 Outstanding Alumni of the Year by the Michigan State University College of Communication Arts and Sciences. This award recognizes alumni who have obtained the highest level of professional or academic accomplishment. Recipients also demonstrate service to the College of ComArtsSci and the community. Only 223 out of more than 56,000 of the most accomplished ComArtSci alumni have received this award since its inception almost 48 years ago.
With a BA in Communications from Michigan State University, Coleen is a frequent guest speaker at her alma mater, opening the minds of students to always dream big.

My Michigan.

I love this state. A lifetime won’t possibly be long enough to enjoy the beautiful water and sunsets of Lake Michigan. I’m so happy to be able to focus so much of our agency’s energy on work that benefits our state—it’s my way of giving back to the state that’s given so much to me.


Select Awards & Recognition
Winner, PRNEWS Boutique Firm of the Year
PRNEWS 2020 PR People of the Year Honoree
2020 Outstanding Alumni of the Year, Michigan State University College of Communication Arts and Sciences
PRNEWS 2019 Top Women in PR Honoree
AVA Digital 2021 Platinum Awards in Integrated Marketing
AVA Digital 2021 Gold Award in Video Production
AVA Digital 2021 Gold Award in Digital Marketing
Honorable Mention, 2021 AVA Digital Award for Web Video
Honorable Mention, 2021 AVA Digital Award for Integrated Marketing
MarCom 2020 Platinum Award in Strategic Communications: Integrated Marketing
MarCom 2020 Gold Award in Strategic Communications: Branding Refresh
MarCom 2020 Gold Award in Strategic Communications: Social Media Campaign
MarCom 2020 Gold Award in Strategic Communications: Crisis Communication Plan or Response
MarCom 2019 Platinum Awards for Strategic Communications: Branding Refresh
MarCom 2019 Platinum Award for Strategic Communications: Integrated Marketing
2 MarCom 2019 Gold Awards for Strategic Communications: Integrated Marketing
First Place, PRNEWS 2019 Agency Elite Awards: Crisis Management
MarCom 2018 Platinum Award for Strategic Communications: Integrated Marketing
MarCom 2018 Platinum Award for Strategic Communications: Branding
MarCom 2018 Gold Award for Print Media: Logo
MarCom 2018 Gold Award for Digital Media: Web Advertising
First Place, PRNEWS 2018 Agency Elite Awards: Digital/Social Media
MarCom 2017 Platinum Award for Strategic Communications: Integrated Marketing
MarCom 2017 Platinum Award for Strategic Communications: Digital Marketing
MarCom 2017 Gold Award for Video: Marketing
MarCom 2017 Gold Award for Video: Recruitment
First Place, PRNEWS 2017 Agency Elite Awards: Digital/Social Media
Nominee, 2008 Greater Lansing Business Monthly Entrepreneur of the Year
Nominee, 2007 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year
