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Actionable
Takeaways

Start with business why, not narrative polish:

"Good narrative starts with a business why," Aptman emphasizes. Don't build stories that just sound good—build them backwards from specific business objectives like fundraising, retention, or differentiation. Without this foundation, your messaging will lack conviction and consistency.

Go loud internally, quiet externally during crisis:

When Zocdoc faced potential extinction, Aptman chose "full candor, a ton of transparency" with employees while pausing proactive PR. This Maslow's hierarchy approach—survival first, brand second—kept the team unified during a five-year turnaround while protecting external reputation.

Conviction beats perfection in pricing changes:

When charging best customers 10x-100x more, Zocdoc's "conviction in this change being right in the long run" carried them through public backlash. Belief in the business necessity, not perfect messaging, made the narrative credible to both customers and media.

Hire comms earlier, give them real authority:

"Give more responsibility to comms. Give them a seat at the table. Don't look at it as a downstream order taking function." Aptman advocates for involving comms in strategic decisions before they become PR problems, not after.

Build trust through usefulness, not relationships:

Trust "comes on foot and leaves on horseback"—it's built through "being useful, doing what you say you're gonna do, putting the company in its interest first" rather than networking or charm. Crisis situations accelerate this process by making the value of good counsel immediately apparent.

Conversation
Highlights

 

Zocdoc has weathered multiple existential crises, a complete business model overhaul, and a global pandemic—all while maintaining its position as a leading healthcare marketplace. In this episode of The Narrative, Jessica Aptman, Chief Communications Officer at Zocdoc, reveals how strategic communications became the backbone of the company’s survival and eventual profitability. With 13 years at the same company, Aptman offers rare insights into how comms leaders can shepherd organizations through fundamental transformations while building trust with both internal and external stakeholders.

 

Topics Discussed

  • The anatomy of a business model pivot: How Zocdoc transitioned from a $3,000 flat subscription model to transaction-based pricing, requiring some customers to pay 10x-100x more while keeping others engaged
  • Crisis communications during wartime: Managing internal transparency during a five-year business turnaround while strategically going quiet externally to preserve the brand
  • Building resilience through radical internal transparency: Using weekly all-hands meetings and “opening the kimono” to galvanize 1,000+ employees during existential business challenges
  • COVID as the ultimate stress test: Pivoting overnight to virtual care when revenue dropped off a cliff, then leveraging the platform for vaccine scheduling partnerships with cities
  • Integration across functions: Managing PR, internal comms, government relations, and brand as one cohesive unit rather than siloed departments
  • The Blue Shield California partnership: Executing a first-of-its-kind launch that drove inbound leads while advancing multiple strategic objectives simultaneously
  • Managing up and building executive trust: How crisis situations accelerate trust-building and establish comms as a critical business function