Kristen Creighton specializes in guiding institutions through the process of developing high-impact brands that are simple yet smart, authentic yet aspirational. Driven by a desire to eliminate the phrase "best-kept secret" from the higher-education marketing lexicon, she digs deep to find the consistent language, values and stories that make up each institution's distinctive personality.

She began her career in higher education as executive editor of Currents magazine at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, where she initiated the magazine's coverage of integrated marketing and led its first-ever online reader survey. She went on to become the creative director at Carnegie Communications and then vice president for research and brand strategy at Mind Over Media before joining SimpsonScarborough. Her work for colleges and universities has won multiple awards from CASE and Higher Education Marketing Report.