SPOTLIGHT: BRITTANY HENNESSY
Brittany casts celebrities and influencers for campaigns on Seventeen.com, Cosmopolitan.com, Elle.com, MarieClaire.com, HarpersBazaar.com, Esquire.com and other titles across the Hearst Magazines digital portfolio. In February 2017, she co-founded CreatorsCollective, an online community that connects and educates today’s digital creators. As member of the Real-Time Academy of Short Form Arts and Sciences, Brittany judges the annual Shorty Awards and the Shorty Social Good Awards and is currently writing the first book on becoming a social media influencer and content creator.
Why Brittany does what she does… “Influencer marketing is still in its ‘wild wild west stage’ and it’s very exciting to be one of the leaders in this new marketing category. I also really enjoy working with talented people and being a part of their journey. Over the past 10 years, I’ve had the opportunity to watch influencers grow up, get married, and have children all while building and maintaining a brand. To me, that’s really something special.”
Drawn to NYWICI… “I didn’t have a formal mentor and was looking to be a part of a community where I could learn from the smartest and most powerful women in the communications industry.”
My favorite social media platform… “I love Twitter. Whether it’s current events, sports, entertainment, or pop culture, Twitter is where Internet gems are born. There are so many hashtags to follow and the speed at which users create and share content is remarkable. It’s also part art and part science to deliver a compelling argument or a funny joke in 140 characters, and I welcome the challenge each and every time.”
Marketing/Media/Content/Video/Social’s biggest challenge… “Influencer marketing is finally a must-have in most marketing plans. There are still many people who doubt the power of this marketing strategy, but before 2017 is over, they too will see the light. Now we just all need to get on the same page about pricing, usage and exclusivity and we’ll be golden.”
At the top of my trend watching list is… “Following parent-focused companies that cater to millennials. Fatherly just raised $4 million—which is amazing and shows there are still content gaps to fill. I’m really interested to see their branded content and influencer strategies as a company that targets the millennial dad.”
Off the clock, really… “I love spending time with my husband and my two-year-old son. We’ve been going to the Met a lot lately, which is nice and now that’s it is fall, we’ll resume our trips to D.C. to check out the Smithsonian museums and the zoo! I also really enjoy bingeing the TV show Archer.”
Brittany’s nirvana… “A rapidly approaching deadline for a task that seems impossible to complete in the time given to complete it.”
Did you know… “I am an excellent whistler and should probably find a competition to win.”
Day to relive… “My first Hanson concert.”
Words to live by… “’There are two great days in a person’s life—the day we are born and the day we discover why,’ which is a quote from William Barclay.”
