Brotherhood Mutual Insurance

Jenna Huff

Corporate Communications Leader

Where Newsroom Instinct Meets Data

My experience in television news taught me to think visually, move quickly and focus on connecting a feeling to the story. I also try to put myself back in a journalist’s mindset so I can share the information and content they truly need. I love good stories, but I also love good data. Audience behavior, engagement metrics, website analytics and campaign performance help our teams at Brotherhood Mutual make smarter decisions about where to invest our time and resources and whether our communications are moving the needle on business goals. Outside of work, being a mother has also shaped how I approach this role. Juggling multiple schedules, projects, narratives and personalities has strengthened many of the same skills that are essential in public relations.

One Story, Multiple Platforms

I'm a maximizer, so when I see a project or hear a new idea, my mind immediately starts thinking about all the ways we can extend its impact. Rather than creating something that's used once and forgotten, I look for opportunities to repurpose content across multiple channels and audiences. That approach helps strong messages gain more traction, stay relevant longer and consistently reinforce who we are as a brand.

Staying True to Values Under Pressure

When managing crisis communications, I believe honesty must be at the center of everything we do. People may not always like the news they're hearing, but they can tell when an organization is being transparent and genuine. My approach is to communicate clearly and provide facts as they become available. Just as importantly, I believe strong crisis communications should reflect who we are as an organization. At Brotherhood Mutual, we know who we are and who we are not. Even in difficult situations, we strive to stay true to our values, our brand and our commitment to serving ministries with integrity. That consistency helps protect trust long after an immediate crisis has passed.

Bringing Communications into the Conversation Early

I believe this is where strong relationships really matter. I’m grateful that the team at Brotherhood Mutual quickly invited me into communications and crisis planning. One of my goals is to position Communications as a strategic partner, not just the team you call for a press release or copy edit. The earlier we’re involved, the better we can anticipate stakeholder needs, shape messaging, identify reputation considerations and support change management. We also start with the audience. Employees, customers, agencies and the media each need different information at different times, so my role is to make sure the message is helpful, timely and aligned with organizational priorities. Brotherhood Mutual’s deep understanding of ministries and proactive approach to risk management make that collaboration especially effective and help us stay focused on our mission of Advancing the Kingdom by serving the Church.

Keeping Human Connection at the Heart of Communication

The way people consume content has changed dramatically over the past decade and will continue to evolve, so communications leaders must stay flexible and meet audiences where they are rather than expecting audiences to come to them. There’s a lot of conversation around AI and while I believe it can be a useful tool, I don’t believe it can replace genuine human connection. Strong storytelling is still rooted in feelings, relationships and an honest understanding of your audience. Communications leaders need to know who their audience is at the core and think about how the message will make them feel. If people don’t walk away informed, moved or inspired in some way, the message has missed the mark. We must be creative enough to break through the noise of their busy day and when we make a real connection, they’ll remember it.