- CJ Miller, Jacquie Lee and Corey Mays
If you don’t have strong connections that run from the northeast through the south and to the west coast, then you probably don’t know Jacquie Lee, marketing innovator and brand strategist extraordinaire. Lee is a seasoned negotiator who can make a marriage between a staunch Democrat and a Tea Partier successful (pun intended), but you get the point.
A veteran in the wine and spirits industry, Lee has been building strong ties since engaging Coca-Cola to sponsor the Essence Music Festival. “I choose key events and celebrity icons that exude a variety of emotional connection points as opposed to just having notoriety,” she states in her bio.
She established Jacquie Lee International less than five years ago and has already attracted partners such as Universal Studios and Vince Vaughn films, Tom Ford’s new film A Single Man, and CJ Miller to add to her already strong roster of clients.
JLI and Hennessy Remixed kicked off ‘Cocktails and Conversations’ in Atlanta at the regal Aurum Lounge with actor Laz Alonso, NFL player Corey Mays and reality TV star and author CJ Miller. The exclusive talkback features icons and trendsetters at the top of their fields. It also introduced taste makers’ palettes to four tasty summer cocktails: Hennessy ginger, berry, apple and citrus.
- Laz Alonso and Chrystale Wilson
“The whole premise of the concept is for fans to meet the people they adore. It’s time for us to start a good thing and support our men of color, [and] to elevate those in sports, entertainment and film. We have to build character in our community,” Lee offers. “Guests will leave with a higher appreciation for fellowship. Once we understand each other and value different points of views and perspectives, I think we have a higher appreciation of who we are as a people and where we are going.”
When asked how were these men were connected, she explains, “It’s funny because I met [these men] on other business occasions, and I said to myself if the people, the fans, only heard the characters behind these men, the true men that they are, I think they would have a higher appreciation and affinity for the person.”
A former regional marketing manager for Schieffelin & Somerset, Lee’s the rainmaker behind the highly successful Hennessy ‘Never Blend In’ campaign, which featured actress Lisa Raye. It was a strategy that proved that she’s anointed with a supernatural gift, to engage consumers. “The one thing I love about Hennessy is that they’ve always supported the multicultural community and believe in blending the finest of the fine. The one thing about our culture is that we have a blended community of shades, colors and races. That’s why Hennessy Remixed was so kind to support and elevate ‘Cocktails and Conversations’ to make sure that this program was successful,” she shares.
Lee is the mother of a teenage daughter, Brieanna, and resides in New York. –yvette caslin
