Getting to Know You: OG Jenna Sereni Shares a Timeline of Her Four-Year Career with WHOSAY
Resilience, curiosity, bravery, service, care, and teamwork are just some of the characteristics that define every member of our WHOSAY team.
Founded in 2010, WHOSAY is built from the best of entertainment, technology, and advertising. The people that power WHOSAY are an incredible blend of advertising, technology and media professionals that foster a wonderful spirit of creativity, innovation, and commitment. Today you will get to know another one of our team’s members; Jenna Sereni, VP Marketing & Creative Services. Jenna joined WHOSAY early on in the evolution of the company:
“I joined WHOSAY around 4 years ago when the company was centered around empowering talent to tell their own story via Social Media. This was a time when Instagram was still revving up, Snapchat didn’t exist and Facebook was just starting to really target ads.
I came from a background of integrated marketing with lifestyle publishers (Conde Nast, NBC Universal) and have always integrated influencers into the content I’ve pitched and/or created. Where I came from, Influencers were originally magazine editors. And in the fashion and beauty world, they were department store buyers. I worked with Eva Chen and Elaine Welteroth at Teen Vogue as they both started out as magazine editors and transitioned into becoming digital influencers.
When bloggers first began to surface around 2008 or 2009, I realized how powerful their voices were when I found myself buying a pair of shoes because I saw one of them wearing them. Right then it was obvious to me that they were the voices to be telling stories for brands. I’ve literally watched the transformation from digital publishers to influencer marketing happen, it’s been fantastic to see front row and center.
When I met the WHOSAY team, I knew there was potential and joined to solidify the influencer marketing offering, create our integrated brand pitches and then activate the campaigns we won. I’d be the lucky lady overseeing our creative process. I worked hand in hand with Harvey Schwartz (WHOSAY's SVP Talent and co-founder), Mike Holtzman (CTO), Matt Krueger (VP, Media & Data) and Kai Tu (Director, Product & Management) to pull off these campaigns in the very beginning. It was a rocky start and I was a wild woman, the potential was 100000% there, and I wanted to win. As a team, we made every mistake you could possibly make. And because of this, we’ve learned and created a process for Influencer marketing that is unparalleled in the industry.
Slowly we began hiring new team members on both the sales and creative side, and the campaigns picked up. We worked with iconic talent such as Alec Baldwin, Trailblazer talent such as Ian Somerhalder and Nikki Reed and Influencers such as Instagram Pet Mannie the Frenchie. We learned so much with every campaign we produced and implemented learnings constantly into every new process.
As the years have gone on, we’ve tightened up our operation more and more every day. We are fully FTC and SAG compliant. We have a strict legal process and incredible activation teams who protect and manage our clients. WHOSAY is a well-oiled machine and the brand-trusted Influencer marketing partner.
WHOSAY and especially the creative team is my pride and joy, and I feel so fortunate to be on the team that built this business to be what it is today.”
More about Jenna:
WHOSAY: What is your role at WHOSAY?
Jenna Sereni: I am the original member of WHOSAY’s Sales, Marketing & Creative Services teams. My role today is to offer support and guidance to these teams, and any insight and/or ideas they need to bring our brand partners the most effective content marketing they can find. I specifically oversee all creative ideation, campaign management and activation, and branded content production for our agency.
WS: What’s the first thing you do as soon as you arrive in the office?
JS: I drop my bags, plug in my machine and catch up on news. Then, I take a little wander around the office. It’s great to start the day connecting with people, getting a feel for the workload and making sure my team is in good shape, feeling in control and ready to power through the day. Of course, when I bring in my dog Duke, I also make sure that all of the pups are getting along. They get pretty rowdy in the morning.
WS: What’s a typical day at WHOSAY like?
JS: A typical day is a whirlwind. The day flashes before my eyes on most occasions. The mornings are always filled with meetings, the afternoon is typically when I get my work done. Most weeks I travel, either to one of our remote offices in Bentonville, LA or Chicago or sometimes for a video shoot. I am constantly on Slack, and on and off the phone with team members, helping out and checking in on all of our campaigns and pitches. My husband rushes me home almost every day, but I try to squeeze in as much time later in the day as possible.
WS: What’s the most challenging part of your job?
JS: The most challenging aspect of my role is definitely keeping track of all of the pitches and campaigns that we have going on. Our Creative team is comprised of 27 people, and they are all absolutely incredible, so staying in the know on what they are working on is a heavy task.
WS: Who’s the nicest icon, trailblazer, influencer or micro-influencer talent you’ve worked with at WHOSAY?
JS: Oh my goodness that is a difficult one! I love Rosario Dawson, she and I are both huggers and have a lot in common so I enjoy working with her. Norman Reedus and I co-produced a web series for WHOSAY and he is genuinely one of the nicest people I’ve met. Other softies and sweethearts include John Stamos, Olivia Wilde, Peter Facinelli, Brooklyn Decker, Jules Hough and Nick Cannon. I have a folder on my phone of “Celebs at Work” filled with fun selfies—it’s my OG influencer street cred folder.
I was a total Gleek so this was a near and dear day for me. Amber Riley at her house in Los Angeles for Lane Bryant
I’m more of a Carrie than a Charlotte, but I still loved working with Kristin Davis for Diet Coke ;)
My buddy and partner in crime, Norman Reedus. I love this guy!
The Best Day Ever really was the #bestdayever for those of us on set in the Brooklyn Navy Yard with Olivia Wilde
This was a whirlwind week for Sarah and I, and one of the fastest shoots we’ve ever done, but we managed to snap a pic with Sofia, a WHOSAY friend and favorite. Sofia and her team have always been great partners to WHOSAY
Shooting our first Coke campaign for Minute Maid with Laila Ali
On the set of Emoji Academy with Jamie Chung
Also on the set of Emoji Academy, my favorite WHOSAY campaign of all time, with star Norm McDonald. Norm was incredible. I think I peed my pants 10x from laughing so hard in the few days we spent together shooting that series. Right before this photo was taken, a kid came up to Norm and asked for his autograph on a napkin. Norm signed it “Don’t do crack.” - Norm
The lovely Brooklyn Decker on set of Chrysler Pacifikids campaign
WHOSAY won 2016 Digiday’s Content Marketing Team of the Year award
One of the many times working with Nick Cannon. I believe this photo was taken inside of a RadioShack :)
Another favorite -- the amazingly handsome and funny Anthony Anderson on set for Strayer
In Cannes with Jeremy Renner another WHOSAY friend and favorite
Julianne Hough is extremely sweet and we loved working with her in West Hollywood for Strayer
I’ll never forget this day. It was 104 degrees and the AC didnt work!! AnnaSophia Rob is extremely sweet and hardworking and we had the best time that day!
Supermodel posing with Supermodel Joan Smalls, on set for Smartwater
One of the craziest days of my career, directing Rob Lowe in an Unfiltered video campaign for Coke Life.
WS: Who is someone at WHOSAY that inspires you and why?
JS: I am inspired by so many people at WHOSAY. It’s the smart, capable and innovative team we have that makes us such a unique agency. But I’ll always hold a special place in my heart for Harvey and Kai, Matt and Mike because we’ve been working together for a long time…
WS: What is the best advice you have ever received?
JS: You get what you pay for. My grandfather and uncle were NYC Garmentos and always taught me the differences between quality and quantity.
GETTING TO KNOW YOU is a series of interviews with the WHOSAY team. Previously, you’ve had the chance to meet eight awesome WHOSAYers; Katina Kontarakis, West Coast Account Director, Mike Swart, Head of Shopping Marketing, Lisa Bryant, Marketing Manager, Sam Jones, Master Storyteller, Kay Blair, Digital Media Buyer, Joel Ponce, Account Director, Josh Venkataraman, Campaign Activation Coordinator and Caitlin Curry, Account Manager.