ABOUT US

From Oil Fields and Crappie Ponds to Strategic Marketing

Founder and CEO Dena Vick was born in Abilene, TX, and spent her formative years in College Station and San Antonio. Her grandparents, June and H.N. Davis, lived in West Texas at their lakefront home on Lake Fort Phantom, where they owned and operated Trio Well Service with their sons while H.N. continued to work for Nueve. Every school break, including summers, young Dena Jill became her grandfather's shadow—learning two industries that would shape her career.

She listened intently to oil field chatter on the company radio he kept in his bedroom and on the CB radios in his vehicles. She quickly learned the industry lingo, along with the workers' radio handles, by monitoring communications, understanding operations, and absorbing the rhythms of industrial business.

But her education didn't stop at the oil fields. "I often had the job of Minnow Girl, she recalls. "My grandpa had a large cement minnow tank he built, complete with a pump he built to oxygenate the water. I'd check the minnow and perch nets, collect the catch to add to the tank, carry the minnow bucket, and ensure the aerator was working. We fished for crappie and catfish on Lake Fort Phantom and later would take trips to Port Aransas, TX, and Canyon Lake. I was never good at sitting still and preferred being outside, so he gave me jobs to keep me busy. I was also the type of inquisitive kid who would rather hang with the adults, listening and asking dozens of questions. Over time, I learned and absorbed a lot,” added Vick. In the fourth grade, she attended school in Abilene for a while. Every morning, he would drive her and her siblings to school. A couple of times, he got to talking on the radio, missed the school and took them to the oil fields with him! Every once in a while, on the way home from school, he would take them with him to check wells, and he almost always stopped by the local bait shop. 

On one of those bait and tackle runs, she held a soft plastic worm. "I had never held one before. My grandfather didn't like using them as he preferred live bait. The store owner handed it to me and told me I could keep it. I remember rolling it between my fingers and stretching it back and forth, and the smell it left on my hands--not bait scent but a plastic scent. I immediately started my usual assault of questions to my grandfather--how, what, why," said Vick. Instead of ignoring her like he tended to do at the end of the day, he bent over and said something Vick says has had an impact on her entire career. "He picked up the purple plastic worm and held it in front of my eyes and said, 'That's a full circle in your hand. The crude we extract is refined into all kinds of things, even this worm and fishing line and the bobbers we use when we crappie fish,' Of course, that triggered about a hundred more questions, she added, but I never forgot what he said, probably because I believed him, but I didn't understand. It ruminated in my head for years."

Little seeds of knowledge grow into a strategic marketing and communications company. The knowledge instilled in her by her grandfather—from industrial operations and the oil and gas sector to the fishing and hunting industries—laid the foundation for a unique strategic marketing firm with expertise across multiple manufacturing sectors. From oil and gas extraction to products on shelves, King Eider Communications understands the complete manufacturing journey. Supply chain and product expertise drive smarter marketing plans for businesses.

Here and Now

Vick leads King Eider Communications, a progressive full-service marketing firm working with manufacturers and distributors across industries—from outdoor recreation and sporting goods to industrial equipment and consumer products. She draws upon a deep well of marketing and management experience, including public relations, multi-channel campaign development and execution, digital marketing, and media strategy. She facilitates ongoing media relationships, plans industry events, develops comprehensive go-to-market strategies, and organizes product launches and media shoots.

Before founding King Eider, Vick served as the marketing director for Knox Nelson Oil Company in Pine Bluff, AR where she managed marketing efforts for both the wholesale (agriculture and aviation markets for Mobil) and retail (Citgo and C-store business, including franchise contracts) and later Tourism Division Communications director for the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism (ADPT), where she wrote and edited state publications, managed web content, and helped create successful marketing programs. She helped Arkansas become the nation's first state to develop a tourism iPhone app and to utilize QR codes in marketing campaigns. Additionally, Vick created the department's first technology plan, including a social media strategy, and wrote COVER (the Communication of Vacancies Emergency Response plan).

Education & Expertise

Vick holds a B.A. in Marketing from the University of Arkansas and an M.A. in Professional Communication from Purdue University. She's also certified in crisis communications from the University of Florida.

With a decade between her bachelor's degree and her master's, Vick entered her post-graduate program right around the time Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook.

"A fellow student was researching social disclosure on digital platforms," Vick recalls. "I took it further—I wanted to understand what motivated people to make purchasing decisions. I applied marketing and communication theory to consumer behavior and started identifying patterns that inform strategy today."

Building a Strategic Marketing Career

After graduation, Vick took the ADPT position, where she was tasked with generating innovative ideas for destination marketing and digital engagement. Because she started working with digital social media from its inception, Vick had the benefit of becoming a beta tester for many platforms—applying communication and marketing theory to build integrated strategies that delivered measurable results.

When she identified opportunities in the outdoor industry, the transition was seamless—her childhood spent learning the fishing and hunting trades from her grandfather meant she understood the products, the market, and the distribution channels intimately.

"Fishing and hunting have always been passions of mine," Vick said. "When offered the opportunity to work in these industries, I jumped at the chance. I realized I could help companies in the fishing and hunting sectors apply the same strategic marketing principles that drive success in any manufacturing vertical."

Her print and digital writing has appeared in River Management Journal, Arkansas Wild, North American Fisherman, National Wildlife Federation publications, and Fishing Tackle Retailer. Her editing work includes Arkansas Wild, Bike Arkansas, and Native American National Press Newsletter. She's appeared in Outdoor Life photo essays, Sporting Clays magazine, and has been a featured guest on episodes of Midwest Outdoors, Illinois Outdoors, Wisconsin Outdoors, and local Arkansas television fishing segments and several podcasts.

A Unique Dual Expertise

Today, King Eider Communications brings a distinctive advantage to the marketplace: deep expertise in both the outdoor recreation industry AND broader manufacturing and distribution sectors. This dual focus means the firm understands:

Outdoor & Sporting Goods:

• Fishing tackle and equipment manufacturers
• Hunting gear and firearms accessories
• Outdoor apparel and footwear
• Camping and recreation products
• Sporting goods distributors
• Tourism and Recreation

Manufacturing & Industrial:

• Consumer goods manufacturers
• Industrial equipment and components
• Commercial products and supplies
• Building materials and hardware
• Multi-channel distribution networks

"Whether you're launching a new fishing rod, industrial equipment, or consumer product, the fundamentals are the same," Vick explains. "You need strategic positioning, compelling content, trade and consumer media relationships, and an understanding of how products move through distribution channels. My background gives me insight into both specialized outdoor markets and broader manufacturing sectors—creating a unique perspective that benefits all our clients."

The King Eider Approach

Vick brings over 25 years of marketing and communications expertise to manufacturers and distributors who need strategic partners capable of navigating complex, multi-channel marketing environments. Her background spans:

• Public relations and media strategy
• Multi-channel campaign development
• Digital marketing and social media
• Crisis communications
• Go-to-market strategy
• Distribution channel marketing
• Content creation and brand positioning
• Trade show marketing and industry events

Her client portfolio includes leading outdoor brands like KastKing, Shimano, G. Loomis, PowerPro, Smith Consumer Products, and TSS Shot, alongside growing manufacturers and distributors across industries seeking to build brand awareness and expand market share.

Beyond the Office

When she's not developing marketing strategies, Vick is an avid cyclist who formerly competed in cross-country cycling events. She's also a dedicated angler who's pursued fish across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, building on the fishing foundation she learned from her grandfather. 

Her latest favorite pursuits? Tennis and Pickleball. 

Smith’s Consumer Products purchased Vulcan in 2023. Wanting to make sure she kept the business, she quickly took up pickleball, which lead to a passion for Tennis.

Her diverse background—from oil field operations to state tourism marketing, from professional angling to strategic product marketing—gives her a unique perspective on how different industries operate and what drives purchase decisions across B2B and B2C channels. That foundation built in West Texas—learning both the oil and gas industry and the fishing trade—taught her that successful business is about clear communication, operational excellence, and strategic execution. Principles that guide every campaign King Eider develops.

Personal Glimpses

Vick's fishing adventures extend far beyond those early crappie and catfish days at Fort Phantom Lake. She enjoys upland bird hunting and is working on her turkey slam. Her fishing scorecard now includes catches in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Utah, Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Kansas, Oklahoma, Cabo, San Lucas, MX, Mazatlán, MX, Costa Rica, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Montana, and Missouri, Indiana, New York, Rhode Island, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Lake Ontario, CA, Lake of the Woods (MN and CA), Lake Tazin, SK., and Niagra on the Lake, CA. She describes herself as typically a bank or kayak angler who seeks out spots less traveled, often via a mountain bike.