Brandi Davis-Handy
“I absolutely love the opportunity to tell stories of the people, places and things that shape our lives. There is great power in storytelling. It's also a huge responsibility and honor to be tasked with leading the strategy of awareness, credibility and trust for a brand.” - Brandi Davis-Handy
Continuing our #PRorNah social media theme, this week’s highlight is a community leader with a passion for storytelling, Brandi Davis-Handy. Brandi’s previous experience in journalism has broadened her perspective and amplified her impact as a PR professional. She shares a peek into the challenges and triumphs that arise from practicing PR in the utilities sector.
Brandi is an awarded PR practitioner with more than 20 years of communications, marketing, and stakeholder engagement experience. Since starting her career as a broadcast journalist, Brandi has used the tools of storytelling and narrative to connect audiences moving toward a shared goal. She currently leads communications and community relations efforts as chief PR officer for AES Indiana. An active community advocate in central Indiana, Brandi serves as board president of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana and of GangGang Culture, as well as a board member for the Indiana Sports Corporation and Women’s Fund of Central Indiana. She is also a founding member of the African American Legacy Fund of Indianapolis, raising awareness and advocating for issues affecting the African American community.
As the face of a utility company, Brandi often combats unique PR challenges. “No two days are the same,” she shared. “We provide an essential service and, no matter what, the lights need to stay on.” She noted that though most consumers don’t generally think of interacting with a utility company outside of paying their bill, the industry and customer expectations are changing. Social responsibility is emerging at the forefront of customer standards, so the ability to develop and communicate innovative solutions to meet customers’ future needs is critical. As a result, Brandi’s practice relies upon the entire PR toolkit: media relations, traditional customer communications, community engagements, social media and website content. She also maintains collaborative relationships with outside PR firms to ensure her strategies best meet her objectives.
A highlight of Brandi’s role has revolved around rebranding Indianapolis Power and Light (IPL) to AES Indiana. She noted that changing a 100-year-old brand was challenging, but it was done in a way that clearly conveyed why it was both a necessary and positive adjustment. As a parent company, AES has global scale, expertise, innovation and purpose, which has accelerated AES Indiana’s efforts to transform its technological and digital assets to deliver greener and smarter energy solutions for customers. Brandi has found that the name change more clearly reflects the company’s commitment to reliability, affordability and sustainability.
Though she has enjoyed telling stories through a PR lens, Brandi has also had her share of PR obstacles. “Not all days in PR are fun,” she said. She shared that, especially when dealing with crisis situations, it is frustrating when you see your company portrayed in a light that is not reflective of its values. However, she maintains it’s important to ground yourself and focus on presenting the facts in a consistent and concise way. “I focus on staying true to myself and ensuring I don’t deviate from my personal values and the aligning values of my company.”
To keep up with Brandi, you can follow her on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. To learn more about her work at AES Indiana, visit their website or follow them on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
