Brittney Young

New from me on the FCP Blog: Nonprofits thrive on visibility, trust, and community support. That's where nonprofit #PublicRelations comes in! Discover three powerful ways PR can boost your cause and make a real difference. Read: https://bit.ly/4b3uTve

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It was incredibly refreshing to be reminded of the power of empathy, authenticity, and human connection at the #FiercePharmaPR West summit this week. These themes were threaded in every talk from M+A, to corporate reputation, to leadership comms, to culture. A few other gems: -- Brands are built from the inside out (courtesy of Myesha Lacy): Employees need to be a priority audience. Focus as much, if not more, on the art of retaining, as you do on attracting. --Build your lifelines: Whether you are an “n of 1” or a team of 60+, don’t underestimate the power of “lifelines” and build your network outside of your immediate company or team to tap for counsel + diverse viewpoints. --Be the pressure tester: It’s easy to drink the Kool-Aid, but use the trust you’ve established and your understanding of what stakeholders respond to to be the pressure tester (h/t to John Lacey) --Blur the lines: Communicators wear many hats, and at times it can be daunting. But this all-encompassing view across stakeholder audiences (from media to investors) – and your ability to simplify complex topics – is a business advantage that’s worth embracing (via Tyler Marciniak and Greg Mann) --A case for thought leadership: Your corporate brand is only as strong as the leadership in the company (Kimberly Kraemer said it best). What I’d add is AI search is coming – what will it ingest and what will it spit out? There has never been a more important time to build a digital footprint and presence. Consider the content you own and what you can influence (and perhaps that could move your executives to get on LI too!).

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CHICAGO

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I drank the retail health clinic Kool-Aid way back in 2007 when I began working in the industry alongside its early-stage growth, and have maintained an interest in primary care delivery disruption as a public health theme. I still am a fan and user of MinuteClinic; I visited one not too long ago, in fact, for a non-serious, non-chronic health need, and was thankful for its accessibility and convenience (e.g., weekend availability). The news about Walmart closing its clinics and related business unit is not the first time that company has retreated from a strong healthcare delivery stance. Walgreens has also changed its tactics and footprint more than once. Even MinuteClinic, the industry stalwart via CVS, has modified its business model from originally a walk-in model to now appointment-based. I see, and appreciate, the business headwinds. As Ateev Mehrotra, longtime key thought leader on the space, observes in this Axios article, just because these companies know how to operate a retail pharmacy doesn't necessarily translate to being a viable source of complementary scopes of care. I really hope, though, they keep trying. Primary care is in such disarray. I have great insurance and a working knowledge of how the system works and still can't find a local PCP who is accepting new patients. I am thinking about joining a concierge practice, which isn't my first choice, but may be my ultimate one, and am mindful that at least I have the wherewithal and resources to do so. People need somewhere to go. Being able to see a nurse practitioner (or a pharmacist!) in a convenient setting is still way easier for many people than making an office visit, especially for time-sensitive but low-acuity, periodic needs. Tele/digital health remains an open question, with large-scale unknowns including more formal reimbursement/regulatory incorporation and broader, reliable, quality internet throughout the country. Provider shortages are a thing. Provider burnout is a thing. So many things are a thing. So what's next? Can someone closer to this space than I have been in recent years tell me where the tailwinds are? #primarycare #healthcareaccess #retailhealth #healthcaredelivery #healthcaredisruption

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Great insights from the Association of National Advertisers' SVP of brand and media Greg Wright during his #webinar presentation, "Driving LGBTQ+ Inclusive Marketing and Mid-Pride Check-in." More Than Just Pride: 365 Days *97% of inclusive marketers run campaigns year-round *Consistent, authentic support is key *Key LGBTQ+ events/dates outside of June (e.g. National Coming Out Day, Transgender Awareness Week). The Untapped Potential of LGBTQ+ Media *Only 34% of marketers currently utilize LGBTQ+-owned or targeted media. *LGBTQ+ media has a rich history of community-building, advocacy, and shaping public perception. *Targeted LGBTQ+ campaigns can generate almost twice as much purchase intent among LGBTQ+ consumers than mass-market campaigns. Full 2024 Report: https://lnkd.in/exGePEJJ

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If you didn't already know! It's Black Maternal Health Week! Learn more about the inequities that face women of color and find out what you can do to be a part of the solution!

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This month, I had the pleasure of joining other communications pros from across the country to learn from a few of the industry's top players in a 3-day virtual crisis communications workshop hosted by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). The insights gained were invaluable, and I am excited to share some of the takeaways that struck me most as we continue to adapt our practice to address modern global communication challenges: 🌟 Define a 'North Star' in Every Incident 🌟 Understand your objective and align your strategy accordingly. Recognize how each communication can either advance or hinder the objective. This focused approach ensures that every action contributes to reaching our goals. 🗣️ The Story is Best Told by Those Close to It 🗣️ While having your CEO front and center may seem optimal, it’s crucial to assess whether they can authentically and empathetically respond in a way that stakeholders will trust. As communicators, we should strategically select our spokespeople, ensuring they can speak to their strengths and adapt as the situation evolves. 📋 Don’t Be Too Prescriptive in Plans 📋 While clients want to be prepared for every possible incident, it’s nearly impossible to foresee every scenario. Each incident will be unique, so it’s more beneficial to train organizations on best practices that apply to various scales of incidents rather than developing an overly detailed 50-page document. Flexibility and intuition are key. 💪 The Best Crisis Response Teams Play to Individual Strengths 💪 No one is an expert in everything. Organize your crisis response team so individuals can own tasks and deliverables within their expertise. For example, have your reporting guru focus on monitoring and reporting, while your relationship masters handle client relations and messaging. This approach ensures effective and efficient communication during incidents. I'm eager to integrate these learnings into our strategies at Matter Communications, ensuring we are prepared to tackle any communication challenge that comes our way. #CrisisCommunications #PRSA #PRInsights

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Paging Mark Cuban: this new campaign showcasing how much employers love their PBMs is just bizarre. It includes two extensively edited CEO testimonials that talk about how great spread pricing is, that call PBM “part of the family,” and which brag about heart surgeries and pregnancies (which are, um, not PBM-related costs). I’d love to see Mark, as an employer who has thought hard about prescription benefits, chat with the two CEOs featured, Joseph Summers and Eric Hare. I’d pay cash money to hear that conversation. https://lnkd.in/gwPqKkHx

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85% of business leaders agree a well-functioning democracy is essential to U.S. capitalism, but 78% are concerned about the state of democracy in the United States today. That's according to a recent report from the Leadership Now Project, a bipartisan, pro-democracy group of more than 400 business leaders, which warns of growing political instability in the U.S. ahead of the 2024 election and the potential risks to business. Via TriplePundit What are your companies and business leaders doing to help protect our democracy? #leadership #elections Daniella Ballou-Aares Jennifer Stark Alix Lebec Ellen McGirt SHANNON WATTS Adaora Udoji Samantha Katz Lisa Witter McPherson Strategies

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Brandon Sanderson has very rightly said, "The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon." In my 14 years of weaving narratives for brands, this quote has often guided my approach. Thanks to my mentors, I believe storytelling in business isn't just about presenting facts or selling a product; it's about sparking curiosity and building connections. Whether it’s a complex B2B concept or a direct B2C campaign, the stories that resonate are those that invite the audience to explore, question, and engage. I am curious about hearing from you all – how have you used storytelling in your professional journey? Have there been moments when a story turned the tide for a project or campaign? Drop your experiences in the comments below! Let’s exchange insights and grow together. #Storytelling #BrandStrategy #ProfessionalGrowth #Engagement

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News Flash! 🚨 Media Relations is NOT emailing or calling up the news station when your leadership wants something published!! 📺 It takes months (or, more appropriately, years) to develop close, trusting relationships with people, learn how and when to pitch a story properly, and understand why your story may or may not have been picked up. About a month ago, my colleague, Jeremy Tunis, published a LinkedIn post where he stated, "Tons of interesting, newsworthy, relevant, timely, deeply researched (by reporter, platform) and crisply pitched stories still don’t get picked up. Because for every reporter, there’s 20+ PR folks pitching at any one time (esp now with AI). Newsrooms have been decimated over the past 25 years, and so have journalist jobs." Jeremy is absolutely correct! 💯 Most of us in PR and Media Relations have spent years building up our roster of local, regional, national, and even international media contacts. Just when we think we have the perfect list... Newsrooms lay people off, print platforms get bought out or go bankrupt, social platforms change ownership, podcasts stop broadcasting, or magazines change their industry focus to increase revenue. That DOESN'T mean: 🚫 We give up 🚫 We tell leadership that they have no chance of getting their story out (although, let's be honest, sometimes they do need to hear that 😅) 🚫 We cry when we get asked to pitch something for new media coverage It DOES mean: ✅ We have to be strategic about pitching ✅ We need to understand the hurdles our media partners are facing ✅ We stay consistent in our relationships with media platforms ✅ We adapt our approach and find new, innovative ways to share our stories Put simply - Media relations involves a delicate balance of trust, strategic communication, collaboration, and persistence! #MediaRelations #StrategicCommunications #RelationshipManagement #Persistence

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This is a fantastic article for all #publicrelations professionals to read. The suggestions here are valuable whether you're a startup or a long-time established organization. https://lnkd.in/exhvU3FJ

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Loved having the chance to co-pen this piece with colleagues Emma Ignaszewski and Abby Sewell. Topline: Below the surface of moment-in-time headlines that focus solely on the headwinds facing the plant-based protein industry is an impressive undercurrent of new, smart, strength-leveraging collaborations that are propelling the field forward. So. Much. Innovation. Ahead.  Fun fact: The same time I was working on this piece, my evenings were spent soaking up and scribbling in the margins of Leen Gorissen's brilliant book, Building the Future of Innovation on millions of years of Natural Intelligence. It’s a manifesto on what billions of years of evolution can teach us about the need to form alliances, share resources, and together, create shared value that enables a greater diversity of life to survive and thrive. Get it. Read it. You’re welcome. This little snippet from Chapter 2 especially spoke to me: “Spectacle sells, but the popular conviction that it is a dog-eat-dog world out there does not correspond with what we find in the natural world. The natural world banks on cooperation and other strategies to avoid competition. It is the avoidance of competition which drives evolution, not competition itself… Leave out collaboration, and you cease to exist. Leave out collaboration, and your community will break apart. Leave out mutualisms, the biological term for win-win relationships, and ecosystems fall apart.” Cheers to each company, brand, organization, and individual who are living this wisdom.    #bettertogether #naturalintelligence #futureoffood #alternativeproteins

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"Acknowledging not only the visible but also the invisible requirements of family life may be an important first step toward creating a system that works for your family this summer and all year round," Rice's Eden King and Mikki Hebl write in Psychology Today. #family #families #familylife #familydynamics #psychology

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It’s tempting to be drawn to shiny objects that promise quick fixes to the big challenges impacting so many people around the world. But frequently the best solutions are the most basic. Consider the simple shoe. 1 out of 11 people on Earth don’t have reliable access to footwear. Can you imagine one player on your kid’s soccer team playing shoeless every match? Of course not. But that’s the reality millions of children face. And that reality is a gateway for a life of sickness and poverty. But what if those kids - and their parents - had equitable access to affordable footwear and a bundle of services to keep them healthy? That’s what the team at The World Shoe is undertaking. Think of what the combined superpower of Nike UNICEF and Girl Effect could produce and that begins to describe the potential of what these folks are doing. They are making the first antimicrobial, biodegradable shoe produced in Africa for humanitarian purposes and global consumers alike. Follow Astor Chambers, Manny Ohonme, Charles Johnson, IDSA and the rest of this incredible team. They’re delivering a big reason to have hope for the future.

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The concepts of corporate social responsibility and sustainability are no longer mere buzzwords but have become essential practices that redefine how companies operate and engage with their communities. By aligning CSR initiatives with core business objectives, companies can leverage their existing resources, expertise, and interests to address environmental issues relevant to their operations. This approach not only enhances the company's reputation but also contributes to long-term sustainability. #CSR #CorporateResponsibility #Sustainablility

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Happy to be part of today’s #CMAinclusion speaking panel to review the annual CMA DEI study and identify some gaps, barriers and solutions. In about 10 years, when 5 millions of Canadians are set to retire, while 1 in 4 Canadians are 1st generation immigrants of diverse cultures and equipped with demanded skill sets, isn’t it time for businesses of any sizes to take #Diversity #Inclusion, #Equity strategies and policies seriously and holistically.

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