“Breaking New Grounds with Her Innovation”

Brittany Latson’s 20-year career in guest services, media production, business planning, and science, as well as her well-rounded agency experience, provide an optimal mix for building a successful company and establishing strong client partnerships. As Managing Partner, Account, and Operations of HashtagHealth, Brittany has built a successful, diverse, and inclusive team to support many pivotal campaigns that allow clients to break new ground in expanding into the social realm and developing unique, impactful social campaigns across a wide range of disease states. Brittany structured the company with a focus on a team mentality and vernacular versus a tiered reporting structure.

Brittany has had many career accomplishments, from being the first woman to successfully execute a leadership role in a male-dominated department, where she was known to stand for and fight gracefully for equality. Many extremely successful entertainment industry technicians credit her with providing them with their “first shot” and opportunity when they would otherwise have been overlooked. She has also been instrumental in orchestrating the launch of first-ever digital and social assets for clients—but most importantly, in developing and launching the first and only social media agency focused on health care.

The Balance for a Successful Career

Brittany has also been instrumental in orchestrating the launch of first-ever digital and social assets for clients—but most importantly, in developing and launching the first and only social media agency focused on health care.

One of her life’s biggest accomplishments is being a mom to two beautiful children. She and her husband prioritize a work-life balance to ensure they are successful in their careers while actively engaged and present parents to their toddler son and daughter. She leads by example, showing that it is possible to have a successful corporate-level career while nurturing a mother and living a healthy lifestyle. When she finally opened up about and shared their losses publicly and struggles with fertility, many women and men have reached out privately to connect and share their struggles. Brittany found she had become a voice and a solace for those experiencing pregnancy loss or fertility issues. While this is a small step, Brittany hopes she can be a part of breaking the stigma and lack of awareness about pregnancy loss and fertility issues, hoping to effect a change.

An avid runner, Brittany loves marathons and half-marathons. In fact, for five years, she shared this passion with a local nonprofit, heading a 7-month-long program to train middle schoolers to run marathons. She stepped down to focus on being a mom and hopes to coach again sometime. She remains in contact with, and as a mentor to, many of her runners, who credit her for both career and life inspirations.

The most steadfast advice she can give to the other women leaders and budding entrepreneurs based on her experiences is: “Don’t be afraid to be who you are. Take life’s disappointments as learnings. Grieve, be angry, but get up and continue to try. The toughest times you get through make you stronger. Learn from them; don’t forget; and grow.”

“HashtagHealth is the creative mind behind many impactful awareness campaigns and groups such as ThisIsMBC (more than 5 million impressions); the TruthAboutTC campaign, driving awareness that there is no good cancer, including thyroid cancer; and Know PK Deficiency as well as others”

Building the Company

HashtagHealth is built on the premise of doing work that everyone enjoys and proud of business with integrity. A core principle of the company is that everyone feels valued and knows that the doors for communication are always open with the owners. Behind Brittany’s operational management, HashtagHealth exceeded its 5-year goal in 1.5 years and has grown to comprise a diverse and dynamic team of almost 30 people worldwide. HashtagHealth also has a stellar reputation for integrity and client services, much to the credit of Brittany’s philosophies, organization, and team-building focus.

During her tenure in medical communications and advertising for pharma, Brittany had a strong sense that social media was underutilized by the industry. This led her, in 2015, to cofound HashtagHealth, the first and only social media agency focused exclusively on healthcare. Social media is a science driven by strategy, inspired by creativity, and balanced by business. It is a critical lifeline that allows patients and families to connect—regardless of where in the world they live. Under her management, HashtagHealth continues to grow at a rapid pace providing quality and valued engagement through content and campaigns with a global impact.

While working in pharmaceutical advertising, Brittany felt that a key component was missing: reaching audiences on social media. This led to reconnecting with a former colleague and friend, Kristin Hassan, to spearhead the Pharmaceutical Social Media Division of a social media agency. In 2015, Brittany and Kristin left to launch the first and only social media agency focused exclusively on health care, HashtagHealth. The company’s most important work is to give voice and support to and creating connections among patients and caregivers, using valid resources.

HashtagHealth’s social media is science-driven by strategy, inspired by creativity, and balanced by business executed with integrity. Social media is an incredible resource and tool for connections and information. Brittany believes it is critical to disseminate valid information from credited sources and help patients, caregivers, and health care professionals make connections. The pharmaceutical industry is highly regulated and is often cautious about new endeavors such as social media, so it has been a huge honor and accomplishment to help companies pioneer into, and navigate, the world of social media.

Towards the Future

Through its work with pharmaceutical companies, advocacy organizations, health care professionals, patients, and health care brands, HashtagHealth creates engaging, honest campaigns and content that inspire people to connect and share their stories. Some of HashtagHealth’s greatest accomplishments are reflected in the comments or direct messages from patients with rare diseases or their caregivers who are excited to have found a community—a resource for them when they have felt so alone—or being thanked for giving voice to patients with metastatic cancer through creative and artistic outlets to let them be heard and create a beautiful legacy. HashtagHealth is the creative mind behind many impactful awareness campaigns and groups such as #ThisIsMBC (more than 5 million impressions); the #TruthAboutTC campaign, driving awareness that there is no good cancer, including thyroid cancer; and Know PK Deficiency as well as others.

HashtagHealth is rapidly growing and will continue to offer services exclusively in social media for pharmaceutical and health care communications. The team is located throughout the world and will continue to grow. “The company is always keeping an eye on evolving and new platforms; we will offer services within these evolutions based on strategic fit for HashtagHealth’s clients and projects,” says Brittany. IE