Source[De]Coded: 🔇 Navigate All The Noise

Hey all!

Happy almost March!

At SourceCode, the past two weeks have been all about new business. We’ve signed three new clients and expanded our scope with three existing ones. Needless to say, our team has been hard at work in the best way possible. It feels like we’re finally hitting our stride after a start to the year that we’re more than happy to put in the rearview mirror.

Did we mention we’re taking the ENTIRE team to Puerto Rico? Next month, we’ll be heading to San Juan to reconnect, recharge, give back, and strengthen our bond. We firmly believe that investing in our team is investing in our clients. Time and time again, we’ve seen that happy, strong teams produce better work. Stay tuned for some photos designed to make you all jealous (kidding… but kinda not).

Shameless Plug(s): 

• One year into operations in the UK and we’ve been shortlisted by PRmoment for New Agency of the Year!
• Do you know any agency founders interested in being acquired? We’re on the hunt for some awesome practitioners to join the SourceCode party. Let us know! 

In this issue we’re diving into how brands got involved in SNL’s 50th anniversary, Kendrick Lamar’s banner year, and how Poppi’s influencer campaign backfired.

As always, let us know what you think—we take your feedback seriously!

Nothing but love,

Greg & Becky

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Go niche to stand out: How brands wove themselves into Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary celebration

TL;DR: The iconic sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live has been celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Brands including Allstate, Volkswagen, and Maybelline hosted activations at Rockefeller Center on the night of SNL’s 50th-anniversary special. Some of the brands went a step further by crafting mid-show TV commercials featuring characters from popular SNL sketches.

Takeaway: While it’s not the massive audience of the Super Bowl, SNL did bring in record-setting revenue this season with a 51% increase in likelihood that audiences would search for brands featured in SNL compared to other late-night programming. SNL has a very dedicated audience that knows the material deeply. Which is why leading with popular characters and sketches is such a strong ad strategy. Opportunities like this are solid ways for brands to stand out with a high-intent audience instead of getting lost in the crowd.

Consider:

• Recognize the opportunities that have a dedicated following – that could be fans of TV shows, musical artists, or other pop culture icons. Identify which audiences overlap with your target audience. Is there a synergy between that pop culture opportunity and your brand?
• Don’t be afraid to seek out opportunities that are smaller but stronger. It’s great to get your brand in front of thousands of eyes, but not if those eyes won’t lead to meaningful engagement or conversions.

⚡️ Integrated Marketing Power Up ⚡️

If you really want to ‘keep audiences guessing,’ you need to take an integrated approach to your marketing and comms. What does that actually look like? 

Drop your next product update in an exclusive only to your email subscribers. Create a behind-the-scenes content series that’s only for LinkedIn. Tell the story of your next launch through interview content on your blog.

Make noise: What marketers can learn from Kendrick Lamar’s monumental year

TL;DR: Rapper Kendrick Lamar has had a major year, both musically and culturally. He went viral for a surprise album drop with a public diss track against Drake, swept the Grammy Awards with the very same record, then dominated the internet with a performance of that record at this year’s Super Bowl halftime show.

Takeaway: Marketers can take note of a few key themes from Lamar’s success including: not shying away from competitors, keeping audiences guessing, embracing your roots, creating genuinely captivating content, and seeking domination–not just participation. He wins by focusing on his own success above all else, not getting distracted by catching up to what others are doing. So, while you may not be winning a Grammy for your diss track anytime soon, you can become the Kendrick Lamar of your industry by standing out amongst the crowd.

Consider:

• How can you become laser focused on your own success? Embrace what makes your brand unique and let that propel you above your competition.
• What would it look like for your brand to ‘keep audiences guessing’? It doesn’t mean you have to rebrand or overhaul your strategy overnight, but maybe even a different approach (like launching a new product on social first before your press release!) could keep audiences on their toes.

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Consider every angle: How Poppi’s Super Bowl vending machine campaign spiraled into controversy

TL;DR: Better-for-you soda brand Poppi sent giant pink vending machines to 32 creators filled with its product. Audiences revolted, claiming it was “out of touch” to send free products to wealthy creators with huge followings instead of places like hospital break rooms. Competitor brand Olipop entered the comments of TikTok videos talking about the controversy, adding fuel to the fire.

Takeaway: People love to hate on influencers, but in the words of wellness soda brand Poppi’s Director of PR and Communications, “If you’re going to launch something, you have to make a splash or nobody knows about it.” It’s not that wild to understand how a brand with a massive budget and the ability to partner with some of the nation’s biggest influencers would land on this approach. And in an earlier social media age, this may have done really well. But this stunt proves that all press might not be good press, especially if it taints the public perception of your brand.

Consider:

• If you’re thinking of pulling a big PR stunt like this, first imagine every possible outcome and angle. Will it anger anyone? Will it reach your target audience? Will it result in conversions? Or is there a possibility that my brand could get canceled because of this?
• Poppi eventually made a public statement about the campaign and attempted to turn it around, but the response was reactive instead of proactive. If your campaign does go sour, are you prepared with a plan to combat negative reactions? Having a crisis comms plan at the ready helps prevent a delayed response that can degrade your brand’s reputation.

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