Emily Hauck
ASSOCIATE
Emily joined The Herald Group in July 2026 after building a career in strategic communications and public affairs, with experience in social media, content strategy, and digital campaigns.
Most recently, Emily worked as a communications specialist supporting the U.S. Department of Labor, where she developed social media campaigns, newsletters, articles, videos, and other digital content to help communicate federal programs and initiatives. Prior to that, she worked in public affairs and on Capitol Hill, gaining experience in media relations, stakeholder communications, and policy messaging.
Drawing on her experience in both government and client services, Emily enjoys helping organizations tell compelling stories, simplify complex topics, and connect with the audiences that matter most. Outside of work, Emily enjoys attending concerts, trying new recipes with her fiancée, and exploring new restaurants and neighborhoods in D.C.
Education:
James Madison University
Hometown:
Charlotte, NC
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In litigation, regulatory investigations, and reputational crises, organizations often find themselves trapped between two competing realities: legal counsel wants to minimize risk, while stakeholders want answers. Here’s how to communicate when you cannot share the whole story.
Technology companies changing the defense industrial base need visible leaders who can shape policy conversations, build credibility, and secure a seat at the table before procurement decisions are made.
Audience research can do more than inform one campaign. Synthetic audiences help public affairs teams pressure-test messaging, extend research value and adapt faster as issues, audiences and news cycles shift.
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SCOTUS ruling reshapes campaign spending, giving party committees new leverage and changing how corporate advocacy teams plan for 2026.
Mergers are no longer judged on financial merits alone. Public affairs strategy is essential to defining the narrative, managing scrutiny, and moving stakeholders toward approval.
Most organizations have no idea what AI engines say about them — and that blind spot is costing them. As AI visibility becomes the new first impression for journalists, staffers, and advocates, the stakes have never been higher.
A congressional investigation is never just a legal matter. Companies that prepare now—with legal, communications, government affairs, and stakeholder teams aligned—will be better positioned to protect their reputation before a negative narrative takes hold.
Modern advocacy requires more than a strong lobbying strategy or broad public awareness campaign. To drive real policy outcomes, organizations need a synchronized inside-outside game that pairs Capitol-level strategy with constituent-driven pressure.
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The Herald Group earns seven Hermes Creative Awards—four Gold, three Honorable Mentions—for work spanning blog content, website design, paid media, outdoor advertising, and LinkedIn performance.
In public affairs, audience strategy is too often treated as a list rather than a discipline. Here are four principles that separate effective targeting from wasted spend.
As AI floods the information landscape, policymakers struggle to know who to trust. Here's why strategic alliances with credible third-party voices have become a defining advantage in public affairs.
The public affairs landscape in 2026 looks nothing like it did two cycles ago. Here's what practitioners need to understand—from the midterm environment to state-level fights to media fragmentation.
The Herald Group earned Gold and Silver at the 2026 MUSE Creative Awards for work on the Alliance for IRS Accountability—a reflection of how integrated strategy and creative drive results in public affairs.
AI is reshaping public affairs workflows—but speed alone doesn't drive outcomes. Here's how to integrate AI intentionally without losing the strategy, relationships, and credibility that actually move the needle.
The Herald Group has named Colin Hensel Senior Director of Digital and AI Innovation and Analytics—a role built to lead the firm's deliberate, strategy-first approach to AI in public affairs.
The Herald Group is proud to announce the promotions of 11 team members—reflecting the talent, dedication, and leadership that continue to drive the firm forward.
The Herald Group's Creative and Digital Teams earned a Platinum Award—the highest honor—at the 2026 AVA Digital Awards, recognized for Body of Work Achievement across strategy, creative, and digital execution.
The era of top-down messaging is over. Here's how public affairs professionals can earn attention, build trust, and drive real outcomes in today's decentralized media landscape.
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Election years don't eliminate the ability to change the narrative—they change what it takes. Here's what public affairs teams need to understand about winning in a compressed 2026 midterm environment.
As 2025 closes, The Herald Group reflects on a year of consequential wins, accelerating change, and a team that delivered—and looks ahead to an even more complex 2026.
Podcasts have become Washington's new town square—but the smartest public affairs play isn't building one. Here's why strategic placement beats content creation in today's audio landscape.
The Herald Group has named Brad Whitford as Chief Creative Officer, bringing 18 years of public affairs creative leadership to help drive the firm's strategy-first approach to storytelling and campaigns.
Winning in public affairs isn't about the biggest budget—it's about surrounding the right decision-makers with the right message at the right moment. Here's how the Surround Sound approach works.