What fascinates Jennifer Willingham most about operating a full-service PR/marketing agency sits at the intersection of message, timing, culture and human behavior.
As CEO of EPIC Agency, Jennifer says her team has many methods for positioning easily overlooked yet meaningful concepts, brands and services so they connect to audiences in ways that feel timely and real.
“At its best, PR is not hype, it’s clarity. In our case, we only take on Gospel-centered work, so we take great pride in helping those clients raise awareness,” she explains.
“PR is not just for public figures or large companies; it’s a tool for anyone who wants to communicate more clearly and make a greater impact. Whether you’re building a business, leading a team, serving your community or growing something meaningful, the way you tell your story matters. I’m cheering you all on.”
Regarding first steps in strategic communications, Jennifer says she always starts with the message.
“Before I think about outlets, interviews or tactics, I want to know: What problem does this solve? Why should anyone care right now? And what’s the most compelling way to frame it? From there, I look at audience, timing, cultural relevance and what makes the story truly newsworthy. Too many people start with mechanics. I start with meaning. Once the message is sharp, the strategy gets much easier to build,” she asserts.
This Nashville native now Gallatin resident handled the promotions for Sound of Freedom, a film released to coincide with Fourth of July in 2023. And, she confirms that film marketing has a different kind of velocity. “It’s faster and much more emotionally charged. With a movie, you’re creating a shared cultural moment and inviting people into that experience. In the case of Sound of Freedom, there was also a sense the film was tapping into something much bigger than entertainment. It stirred conviction, conversation and action. That kind of campaign requires not only strong media instincts, but also the ability to read the emotional temperature of the culture and move with it quickly.”
When celebrities are involved, Jennifer says marketing communication strategies have to become even more disciplined. “The bigger the platform, the more important it is to be intentional. Visibility is not the same thing as effectiveness,” she adds.
EPIC operates offices from Nashville, Cleveland, Springfield, Atlanta, San Diego, Minneapolis and Charlotte.
To measure success of PR efforts, Jennifer says it’s bigger than clips. “Of course I care about media hits, audience reach and the quality of placements, but I also look at whether the campaign moved the needle where it mattered. Did awareness grow? Did the right people start paying attention? Did the message become clearer in the marketplace? Did it open doors, drive sales, increase credibility or create momentum that continues after the campaign ends? Good PR shouldn’t just create a spike, it should create lasting lift,” she explains.
Three top PR tips for today’s small- to medium-sized businesses from Jennifer include:
- Get clear on your message. If people cannot quickly understand what you do, why it matters and who it helps, no amount of promotion will fix that.
- Stop trying to talk to everyone. The more specific you are about who you serve, the more powerful your message becomes.
- Think like a storyteller, not an advertiser. Media respond to relevance, timing, human interest and fresh angles. They’re looking for stories people care about, not commercials in disguise.
Although Jennifer’s day-to-day mission may be reaching the world, what she says she loves about Gallatin is that it gives her family space to breathe while still being close to the energy of Nashville. She says, “From growing up in Nashville, I appreciate the mix of creativity, entrepreneurship, faith, media and culture-shaping ideas that originate from there. I’m continually reminded you don’t have to live in New York or Los Angeles to do nationally significant work.”
With a busy schedule, Jennifer says she’s not sure she’s ever had work-life balance per se, but she’s “still trying to achieve more of it in this next chapter of life. I’m definitely a work in progress."
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