Emily Kostic is a communications and brand executive who helps organizations earn attention, build trust, and strengthen their influence. Over the past 15 years, she has led brand strategy, executive communications, and go-to-market initiatives for nationally recognized organizations spanning media, technology, and social impact.
As Senior Director of Brand & Communications at the Ad Council, Emily leads industry marketing, executive thought leadership, and strategic brand initiatives that position one of the nation's most respected nonprofit organizations at the center of conversations around public health, artificial intelligence, marketing, and social impact. She serves as a strategic advisor to executive leadership, developing communications strategies that elevate the organization's reputation, strengthen partnerships, and advance its mission.
Emily has led communications for nationally recognized initiatives, including key COVID-19 response campaigns such as “You Will See Me” to reach Black Americans. She also oversaw the industry launch of the organization’s partnership between the CDC and WarnerBrothers. She has also built the Ad Council's executive thought leadership platform, leading the organization's presence at conferences including CES, SXSW, Cannes Lions, World Economic Forum, Milken Future of Health Summit, and Aspen Ideas Festival. In addition, she created the organization's first enterprise brand measurement framework, introducing a data-driven approach to evaluating brand impact and communications effectiveness.
Before joining the Ad Council, Emily built the marketing function at Canvs AI, a venture-backed artificial intelligence company that pioneered audience intelligence through natural language processing. There, she developed the company's go-to-market strategy, launched new products, positioned executives as industry thought leaders, and helped accelerate growth among clients including HBO, Netflix, Sony Pictures, FOX, Nielsen, and Meta. Her experience working at the intersection of AI, analytics, and storytelling continues to shape her approach to modern communications leadership.
Emily began her career in journalism before transitioning into entertainment marketing. While attending Rowan University, she was named one of UWire's Top 100 Student Journalists in the nation and contributed to publications including Philadelphia Magazine, BBC America, and Us Weekly, where she wrote entertainment coverage and wrote Us Weekly’s weekly coverage of The Hills. That early foundation in reporting, audience engagement, and digital publishing continues to inform her work today.
She later joined HISTORY, where she led integrated marketing campaigns for some of television's most successful franchises, including Hatfields & McCoys, Pawn Stars, American Pickers, The Bible, Vikings, and Houdini. Her work earned recognition from the Clio Key Art Awards, OBIE Awards, Digiday Publishing Awards, Pearl Awards, and The FAXIES, while helping support one of the highest-rated programming slates in cable television.
A frequent speaker on communications strategy, brand measurement, artificial intelligence, and emerging media, Emily has guest lectured at Pace University, the University of California, Davis, the University of Maryland, and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Beyond her professional work, Emily is deeply committed to community service. She serves as Vice President of the John E. Kostic Memorial Foundation, where she helped guide strategic partnerships and fundraising efforts that contributed to $5.5 million in seed funding for Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. She also serves as President of the Cranbury Public Library Foundation and has previously served on the boards of the Junior League of New York and the Cooper Foundation.
Emily lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children.