Speaker Highlight – Avani Johnson
By Yvette Massoudi
Avani Johnson, VP Brand Strategy at Hirsch Leatherwood, served as moderator for NYWICI’s Communications Career Conference’s panel “Learn from your Peers: Insights from Gen Z.” She and her co-horts discussed a wide variety of issues like seeking mentors and the ever-changing media landscape.
But what didn’t come up was her promotion from Chief of Staff to VP Brand Strategy which she learned about the night before. “I’m very excited. I’ve been here for almost four years. I’ve put in the work and am very grateful to be acknowledged and given that responsibility.”
Her Chief of Staff responsibilities involved overseeing accounts ranging from consumer start-ups to healthcare and enterprise tech organizations, and working alongside the company’s CEO. As VP of Brand Strategy, she’ll continue to fulfill her business development management duties, oversee the firm’s brand positioning efforts, and help launch new services.
“My greatest interest in this industry lies in the positioning side of things. Whether it’s a new product or rebrand project, I’ll be helping companies of all stages and sizes really think through who they are and what challenges they’re helping the world overcome.”
She reflects on an earlier rebranding project for digital health company Primasun (acquired by ResMed). Her team wrote a new narrative, content strategy, and website. She’s most proud of this highly technical and creative project which had to speak to a wide-ranging audience. “My teammate and I have just seen how one of their competitors has just started using similar messaging. I’m just really proud of the work that we did and how the brand clearly set a standard that we can continue to see the industry follow.”
Johnson’s seen big and exciting changes in communications in her short four years in the business with new media such as podcasts and short form video. She says the most encouraging difference is that companies now understand the importance of branding.
“Four years ago it seemed that you’d have to do a lot of work to convince start-ups of the importance of brand and the impact that it has on the bottom line. Now clients are really engaging with the power of storytelling. We can work less on convincing them that it’s so important. They’re already sold on it.”
As for changes brought on by AI, Johnson notes that “There’s a reestablished emphasis on the creative fields and people recognize those soft skills. Creativity can’t be replaced by AI in the way some tech skills can be. I work alongside people my age and a few years younger. I help them refine and build on those skills like they’re a superpower!”
Initially, Johnson thought she’d pursue a career in politics. During her political internships, she found herself more engaged in analyzing a representative’s communication style than rising up the hierarchical ladder.
“I was interested in helping people tell their stories but more so digging into what that story is in the first place. I think it’s a field where you get to combine the left and right sides of your brain. It’s very analytical yet creative in the storytelling part.”
Johnson was encouraged to join NYWICI by board member, Julia Chappell. She finds NYWICI an invaluable resource. “It’s really nice to have a group of peers from whom you can genuinely ask questions and pose challenges. It can be really scary to admit that you don’t have all the answers and that you still have stuff to learn sometimes. I think it’s nice to have a sounding board and community.”
She attributes her early career success to her ability to tap into her intuition. “If you have an idea that excites you, it’s most likely going to excite somebody else, as well. Trust your gut, build it out, and think of what it looks like in practice. It’s that kind of instinct that elevates the client and the firm. ”
She manages “imposter syndrome” with proactive advice from her father to “always come with a solution.” “There are many hard days where you don’t know the answers and your boss doesn’t either. If you have to go to your manager or your boss and flag a problem that’s come up, I think it’s so important in those moments to take a deep breath, give yourself 60 seconds to think, and come up with a solution that you can take to them. That’s what makes you indispensable.”
