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Fractional Growth Marketing Consultancy + Product Studio

Strategy that ships.
Growth that compounds.

Zlato is a fractional growth marketing consultancy and product studio for brands that need more than a deck. We embed with your team, build the system, lower your CAC and get out. Or we stick around. Either way — the work is the proof.

25+
Years in Digital
$1M+
Rev Built in 10 Mo
F100
to Seed Stage
Emmy
Award Winner
Growth StrategyPerformance Marketing Paid SocialCAC Optimization Affiliate MarketingContent Systems GEO + AEOPersonal Branding Public RelationsExperiential CommunityProduct Studio Growth StrategyPerformance Marketing Paid SocialCAC Optimization Affiliate MarketingContent Systems GEO + AEOPersonal Branding Public RelationsExperiential CommunityProduct Studio

Client-side consulting meets studio-side building. Choose your track — or run both.

Client Services

The Consultancy

We embed as your fractional growth lead, train your team on the latest performance playbooks, or pinch-hit on a critical launch. B2B or DTC — the approach is strategy plus execution. Real attribution, real ROAS, real pipeline.

Growth Strategy Paid MediaSocial Strategy AffiliateGEO/AEO Content MarketingPublic Relations ExperientialPersonal Branding CommunityTeam Training Analytics + AttributionEmail & Lifecycle
View Capabilities →

Three ways to
work with Zlato.

Whether you need us for a sprint or a marathon — or just need your team leveled up — there's a model that fits.

01

Pinch Hit

Your team needs a senior growth operator for a product launch, campaign sprint, or strategic pivot. We come in, execute, and hand off clean. Days to weeks.

02

Embedded

Senior growth lead, embedded with your team for an extended engagement. Building systems, hiring, optimizing CAC, setting attribution — the full stack.

03

Teach

Workshops, team training and executive coaching. From performance marketing fundamentals to AI in marketing to advanced attribution modeling.

Everything your growth engine needs — strategy through execution.

Growth Strategy

Full-funnel audit, channel mix modeling, go-to-market planning. B2B and DTC.

Performance Marketing

Paid social, SEM, programmatic. CAC-obsessed media buying with ROAS-positive unit economics.

Social Media Strategy

Platform strategy, content calendars, community management. Building audiences that convert.

Content Marketing

Editorial systems, thought leadership, brand storytelling. Organic content that compounds.

Affiliate Marketing

Program architecture, partner recruitment, commission optimization. A real growth lever.

GEO & AEO

Generative engine optimization, AI search visibility, citation strategy. Getting your brand into the AI-generated answer — not just the link list.

Public Relations

Media strategy, press outreach, narrative development. The publications that move the needle.

Email & Lifecycle

Flows, segmentation, deliverability. Your list as your most profitable owned channel.

Experiential

IRL activations, virtual events, brand experiences. 2,000+ virtual tastings to immersive brand moments.

Analytics & Attribution

Multi-touch attribution, incrementality testing, dashboard builds. Measure it to scale it.

Personal Branding

Executive positioning, founder content strategy, LinkedIn presence. The humans behind the brand.

Influencer & Partnerships

Creator programs, co-marketing, strategic partnerships. Other people's audiences, your growth.

Community Building

Online community strategy, moderation frameworks. Turning customers into evangelists.

AI & Marketing Tech

AI tool implementation, marketing automation, stack optimization. Future-proofing your team.

eCommerce Growth

DTC optimization, conversion rate, marketplace strategy. Shopify to full omnichannel.

Team Training & Hiring

Workshop facilitation, hiring playbooks, capability audits. Scaling the humans, not just spend.

Built for startups that move fast and break ceilings.

Big brand experience, applied at startup speed. We've bootstrapped our own companies, raised nothing, made millions and learned what works when every dollar counts. Whether you're pre-seed or scaling past $10M ARR — the playbook adapts but the rigor doesn't.

This isn't outsourced strategy from people who've never shipped. It's operator-level work from a team that's built, launched, failed, rebuilt and scaled — across DTC, SaaS, marketplaces and regulated industries.

$0→$1M
Bottles Nation. Bootstrapped. Zero to $1M in 10 months during a pandemic.
THC
Built full growth engine for a THC beverage brand — regulated, compliant, profitable.
AI
Tinkering with AI-powered marketing tools and utilities. A few close to launch.

Go-to-Market Sprint

You have a product but no growth playbook. In 2–4 weeks, get a full GTM strategy: channel mix, messaging, funnel architecture, CAC targets and a 90-day execution plan.

2–4 week engagement

Fractional Growth Lead

Need senior growth leadership without a full-time hire? We embed part-time as your growth operator — setting strategy, running campaigns, mentoring your team.

Ongoing monthly retainer

Founder Marketing Bootcamp

Hands-on training for founders who need to be their own growth team. Personal branding, paid fundamentals, content strategy, analytics setup.

Workshop or multi-session

Everything you just read? A woman built that.

No VC check. No boys' club network. No warm intro from a Stanford roommate. Bottles Nation went from zero to $1M in 10 months — bootstrapped, during a pandemic, with a team of two. That's not a pitch deck stat. That's what happens when you build revenue-first because you don't have the luxury of burning someone else's money.

If you're a woman building a company, a brand, or a product — you already know the game is different. The rooms are different. The capital is different. The margin for error is thinner. What you need isn't a cheerleader. You need someone who's been in those rooms, built without safety nets, and knows how to turn constraints into strategy.

Revenue-First Growth
Building profitable engines from day one — because most female founders don't have the runway to figure it out later.
Personal Brand as Leverage
When nobody's handing you a platform, you build your own. Founder visibility that opens doors, attracts partners, and drives pipeline.
Navigating the Room
25 years of walking into rooms where nobody looked like me — and walking out with the deal, the partnership, or the results.
Constraints into Strategy
Less budget, less time, less margin — and still delivering. Scrappy isn't a weakness. It's a competitive advantage when you know how to use it.
Let's Build →

Brands, agencies & orgs.

OrbitzEdelmanMotorola TargetLeo BurnettDrink Delta The Escape PodModSquadBottles Nation JEB CommerceFashion FairChoose Chicago NBC ChicagoGoogleTwitterAccenture
Злато
zlato / noun / Macedonian

Gold. It's how we treat every client, every project, every line of code. Whether it's a Fortune 100 brand or a two-person startup — the standard is gold.

Words from people we've worked with.

A standout moment was when Zlato executed a LinkedIn digital media campaign which increased awareness and generated increased sales opportunities. Beyond the vast knowledge of digital media and marketing, Zlato was a collaborative entity, trusted as an extension of our enterprise.

Founder & Principal, Automotive Consultancy

Brilliant and fiery with enthusiasm for the projects she takes on, Blagica worked with my team as we were expanding social media strategies for our cosmetics line for women of color. She was awesome and didn't assume she knew how to speak to our consumer or try to general market it; she understood the power of speaking to the consumer from their point of view. She paired genuine curiosity with her strategic and technical magic. And when she takes on a project, you know she's a real part of the team when she loses a bet and has to show off her dance moves as the penalty.

VP, Fashion Fair Cosmetics
Blagica Bottigliero, founder of Zlato growth marketing consultancy
Blagica Bottigliero · Founder, Zlato

Led by Blagica Bottigliero.

25 years building the internet. Still building.

From the early days of digital at Leo Burnett to founding member of Orbitz's eMarketing team. From leading Edelman Digital's strategy division to running global social at Motorola. From co-founding Bottles Nation to scaling growth for a THC beverage brand. Corporate side, agency side, startup side — all of it.

Emmy winner. Speaker at SXSW, TEDx, and 30+ conferences. Based in Metro Detroit. Macedonian roots. Builds things that work.

Emmy WinnerOrbitz Founding Team Edelman DigitalMotorola Global TargetDTC Builder SXSW SpeakerTEDx Speaker
Brand Side
Orbitz, Motorola Mobility, Target. Building digital from the inside.
Agency Side
Leo Burnett/Giant Step, Edelman Digital, The Escape Pod. Strategy that scales.
Founder Side
Bottles Nation, self-funded startups, Zlato Labs. Bootstrapped and battle-tested.
Emerging & Regulated
THC beverages, compliance marketing, new category launches.

Frequently asked questions.

What is Zlato?
Zlato is a fractional growth marketing consultancy and product studio founded by Blagica Bottigliero. The consultancy embeds senior growth operators with brands and startups; Zlato Labs, the studio side, builds AI-powered marketing tools and apps. Based in Metro Detroit, working with clients everywhere.
What does a fractional growth marketing consultant do?
A fractional growth marketing consultant acts as your senior growth lead on a part-time or project basis — setting strategy, running performance campaigns, lowering customer acquisition cost, building attribution, and training your team — without the cost of a full-time executive hire. Zlato works this way across B2B and DTC.
How can I work with Zlato?
There are three engagement models. Pinch Hit: a short sprint for a launch or campaign, days to weeks. Embedded: an ongoing monthly retainer as your fractional growth lead. Teach: workshops and team training. Startups can also begin with a two-to-four-week go-to-market sprint.
What industries and stages does Zlato work with?
Zlato works with companies from pre-seed startups to the Fortune 100, across DTC, SaaS, marketplaces, and regulated categories like THC beverages. Past brands include Orbitz, Motorola, Target, Edelman, and Fashion Fair. The playbook adapts to your stage; the rigor stays the same.
What is Zlato Labs?
Zlato Labs is the studio side of Zlato — part workshop, part skunkworks — where marketing know-how meets product thinking. It ships apps and tools at the intersection of marketing, AI, and culture. Live builds include sveh, a private life organizer, and the Zlato Findability Tool.
Does Zlato do SEO and AEO (AI search optimization)?
Yes. Zlato offers GEO and AEO — generative and answer engine optimization — to get your brand cited inside AI-generated answers from ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews, not just the blue links. It pairs this with traditional SEO, content systems, and the free Zlato Findability Tool.
Where is Zlato located?
Zlato is based in Metro Detroit with Chicago roots, and works with clients remotely across the United States and beyond. Founder Blagica Bottigliero has spoken at SXSW, TEDx, and more than 30 conferences. Engagements run virtually, so location is rarely a constraint.
How do I get started with Zlato?
Book a strategy call or email blagica@zlato.co. The first conversation scopes your goals, stage, and budget, then Zlato recommends the right model — Pinch Hit, Embedded, or Teach. For founders, a go-to-market sprint delivers a 90-day execution plan in two to four weeks.

Ready to talk growth?

Whether you're a Fortune 100 brand, a startup with a Notion doc for a marketing plan, or an agency that needs backup — let's figure it out.

312.890.2564 · Detroit · Chicago · Everywhere