SourceCode Communications’ Managing Partner, Greg Mondshein, quoted on the evolving PR and marketing partnership in new e-book

Recently, Notified, a platform for PR and marketing professionals part of Intrada Digital Media launched a new e-book, The Evolving PR and Marketing Partnership: Benefits of Self-Reflection in partnership with PRWeek. It challenged PR pros both in the U.S. and Europe to compare themselves to their marketing counterparts by taking an honest look in the mirror. 

As part of this report, SourceCode’s Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Greg Mondshein, was quoted on how to quantify PR impact, and why a data-centric approach is no longer optional. Specifically, Greg said: 

“Moving from outputs to outcomes shifts the role PR plays. We need to move from transactional order takers to strategists and business consultants. Measurement is the only way this happens. It’s important to realize that it’s only when we get to this place that we’re able to align more closely with the CMO and thus unlock bigger budgets to execute the integrated campaigns we’re all capable of doing.” 

Last August, Greg also shared his thoughts on the importance of Data Driven Marketing where he said that “a data-driven approach to marketing doesn’t remove individual knowledge and expertise from the equation. The data gathered and returned may show where changes to messaging are needed, but deciding and implementing those changes remains the work of expert storytellers. Our jobs are changing, but the truth is they’ve never been more important.” 

To read more about the evolving PR and Marketing partnership check out the Notified newsroom here. To learn more about SourceCode Communications drop us a line at hello@sourcecodecomms.com.

by Gaby

SourceCode Communications Managing Partner Rebecca Honeyman Elected to PR Council’s 2021 Board of Directors

NEW YORK—January 22, 2021—SourceCode Communications, award-winning technology communications agency, today announced that the agency’s co-founder and managing partner, Rebecca Honeyman has been elected to PR Council’s 2021 Board of Directors. As a member of the board, Honeyman will serve a three-year term with six other directors.  

In addition to Honeyman, David Imre, CEO of imre, Diana Littman, CEO US of MSL, Josh Rosenberg, Co-Founder and CEO of Day One Agency, Ellen Ryan Mardiks, Global Chairman of Golin, and Trisch Smith, Global Chief of Diversity & Inclusion Officer of Edelman will join 11 Directors continuing their terms. Heather Kernahan, CEO North America of Hotwire, will serve as Chair with Chris Foster, President North America of BCW Global Group, serving as Vice Chair. Mike Santoro, President of Walker Sands, will serve as Treasurer, and Cheryl Gale, President of March Communications, will serve as Secretary. 

“Like many agencies, 2020 was a challenging year for SourceCode, but we were lucky to be able to continue growing and learning with the support of the PR Council and our industry partners,” said Honeyman. “I am thrilled to join the PR Council’s Board of Directors to continue gaining further insight into the industry at large and support agencies of all sizes across the country.” 

PR Council’s Board will focus on building the world’s most successful agencies with continued support representing different regions of the country, areas of expertise and agency size. With SourceCode Communications beginning its fourth year in business, Honeyman’s involvement in the Board of Directors will help shine a light on SourceCode’s growing portfolio and industry as a whole.  

“This diverse and impressive group of leaders brings clear thinking about priorities and incredible energy to supporting our Members,” said Kim Sample, President, PR Council. “We look forward to continuing to push the envelope with innovative and rich programming that helps agency leaders define and achieve success in exciting new ways.”

Honeyman co-founded SourceCode Communications with Greg Mondshein, who was recently named a PRWeek 40 Under 40, in New York in 2017. Launched with a mission to evolve public relations and communications marketing through humanity, technology and data, SourceCode is focused on delivering individualized solutions to brands across five sectors. 

In 2020, SourceCode was named PRWeek’s 2020 US Outstanding Boutique Agency, one of America's Best PR Agencies 2021 by Forbes, the #10 fastest growing agency by Adweek, and included on PR NEWS’ 2020 list of Top Places to Work in PR. The firm runs and founded the Diversity Marketing Consortium and recently launched a digital strategy practice with Sadé Council as VP of Digital. 

To learn more about PR Council’s 2021 Officers and New Board Members, visit https://prcouncil.net/about/board-of-directors/. If you’re interested in learning more about SourceCode Communications and its award-winning approach to technology public relations, visit www.sourcecodecommunications.com.

by Gaby

How to meaningfully celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. this year

For many, Martin Luther King Day is viewed as another day off from work or from school, but it’s important to recognize why we should take action on this holiday. Martin Luther King Day is a federal holiday that celebrates and honors civil rights hero, Martin Luther King Jr. While the day wasn’t recognized as a holiday until 20 years after it was introduced to Congress, this day should now be seen by everyone “as a day on, not a day off.” 

2021 marks the 26th year we celebrate MLK Day and while this year is unprecedented in many ways, there are still many opportunities to get involved in your local community, and even virtually. In this blog, we’ve outlined places to volunteer, educate yourself and resources to learn about the many ways MLK was a hero in the U.S. 

Places to volunteer in NYC:

While many would provide a day of service by volunteering in person, with this year’s COVID-19 restrictions it’s slightly harder to get involved. Since NYC is SourceCode’s homebase, we’ve outlined volunteer opportunities for those who are still comfortable volunteering in-person. Consider the following:

Places to volunteer virtually:

If you prefer to volunteer virtually, consider the following places:

For more places to volunteer both in your local community or online, check out AmeriCorps for more information. 

NYC events celebrating MLK:

There are also a number of events happening in New York City to pay tribute to MLK this weekend and early next week:

Educational resources:

If you plan to stay indoors this long weekend, check out some of the following resources to learn more about MLK. 

What books to read (rent from your local library or buy online):

  • I Have a Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
  • March by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell 
  • Let the Trumpet Sound: A Life of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Stephen B Oates 
  • Strength to Love by Martin Luther King Jr. 
  • Where do we go from here: Chaos or Community? By Martin Luther King Jr. 

What movies, documentaries, and short series to watch:

  • Selma: A chronicle of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s campaign to secure equal voting rights via an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1965.
  • King: King is a 1978 American television miniseries based on the life of Martin Luther King Jr., the American civil rights leader.
  • MLK/FBI: Based on newly declassified files, Sam Pollard's resonant film explores the US government's surveillance and harassment of Martin Luther King, Jr.
  • Eyes on the Prize: This landmark series, which first premiered in 1987, documents the history of the civil rights movement in America.
  • In Remembrance of Martin: Personal comments from family, friends, and advisors fill this remarkable documentary honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

For more information on Martin Luther King Jr. visit The King Center.

by Gaby

SourceCode Communications Launches Digital Strategy Practice with Sadé Council as VP, Digital

NEW YORK—January 13, 2021—SourceCode Communications, award-winning technology communications agency, today announced the launch of its Digital Strategy practice. Leading the newly created unit is Sadé Council, whose 14-year career spans the likes of American Express, Citi, Carol’s Daughter (a L’Oréal brand), as well as fellow PR firms Taylor and Fleishman-Hillard. 

The launch of the Digital Strategy practice continues SourceCode’s evolution to become an integrated shop, as the agency begins its fourth year in business. In 2021, Council’s initial goals will be to grow SourceCode’s portfolio of digital-only brands, as well as increase organic growth opportunities with its existing clients across the agency’s core consumer technology, consumer lifestyle, insights & engagement, and enterprise verticals. Presently, the team’s capabilities include organic and paid social, content production, influencer engagement and management, as well as SEO strategy. The agency will focus on adding display, search, and design strategy as the team evolves.

“Since our founding in 2017, we’ve had a crystal clear perspective that for public relations agencies to be successful, the storytelling has to exist beyond earned media, so we’ve always had aspirations to build SourceCode into a truly integrated shop,” said SourceCode’s co-founder and managing partner Greg Mondshein, who was named a PRWeek 40 Under 40 earlier this year. “I’m thrilled we’ve found the right leader in Sadé to bring our vision to life, and continue to find new opportunities to help the world’s leading tech brands tell their own stories in unique and creative ways.”

Council is a veteran digital marketing strategist whose expertise lies with helping brands create engaging content, grow their social media communities, build relationships with online influencers, and improve their overall digital footprint. For Carol’s Daughter, she expanded the brand’s digital strategy and footprint after its acquisition by L’Oreal and launched its first-ever paid Pinterest campaign. She also managed the company’s branded content partnership with Refinery29, which produced nearly 60 million engagements and exceeded several R29 content engagement benchmarks. 

At American Express, Council supported paid social strategy and execution for the company’s sponsorship portfolio, which included prestigious partnerships with the NBA, US Open, Tribeca Film Festival and more. Her proudest achievement while there was leading paid social, content, and influencer strategy for Small Business Saturday 2018 and crafting engaging social content with Tina Fey for the Blue Cash Everyday Card.

Caring deeply about diversity and representation, Council is committed to being a change agent, and strives to positively impact lives through thoughtful, value-driven marketing. She is also passionate about paying forward her knowledge and did so by crafting and teaching the course content for the Paid and Organic Social Media training modules of the Digital Marketing Institute's Certified Digital Marketing Professional program.

“From the beginning, I’ve been enamored with SourceCode’s commitment to humanity, and found the agency’s approach to the business of PR refreshing. I’m excited to help shape the Digital Strategy practice from the ground up,” said Council. “As a Black woman, it’s also incredibly important to me to make sure that people can see themselves in marketing – one of the things I love about working in the digital space is the way it has democratized storytelling and given a voice to so many consumers who simply didn’t have one before. It’s my job to make sure that brands are listening and responding with authentic content and stories that reflect human truths in ways that resonate.”

SourceCode has become part of a formidable group New York-based technology agencies, most recently being named PRWeek’s 2020 US Outstanding Boutique Agency, one of America's Best PR Agencies 2021 by Forbes, the #10 fastest growing agency by Adweek, and included on PR NEWS’ 2020 list of Top Places to Work in PR. The firm runs and founded the Diversity Marketing Consortium and recently announced the appointment of Stephen Waddington as its first non-executive director. The company currently has a number of open roles available off the back of more than 30% growth in 2020. Current FY21 projections have the agency once again reaching similar top-line growth percentages.

To read the article on PRovoke, please visit PRovokemedia.com. If you’re interested in learning more about SourceCode Communications and its award-winning approach to technology public relations, drop us a line at hello@sourcecodecomms.com.

by Gaby

Employee Spotlight: A day in the life of Willa Pearl Hahn, Senior Account Executive at SourceCode Communications

Continuing SourceCode’s “A Day in the Life” employee spotlight series, by sharing a feature on our second employee spotlight, introducing Willa Pearl Hahn, a Senior Account Executive at SourceCode Communications. Part of our B2B team, Willa has spent over a year and a half at SourceCode supporting various accounts on our Enterprise team. In this “A Day in the Life” feature, Willa walks us through her typical work day as an SAE. 

7-9am: I start my day drinking lots of coffee so I feel less dead on the inside and I do my makeup so I look less dead on the outside (I’m joking, but also not). In addition to working at SourceCode, I’m also getting my master’s. I just finished my first semester so I’m on a much-needed winter break right now and get to sleep in a little bit, but during the semester I like to wake up at around 5:00am to get my homework and studying out of the way before I start the work day. I usually finish off my morning by checking emails, listening to music and often singing along. 

9am-12pm: I typically like to start my workday around 8:00am or 8:30am so I can get a head start on the day. Once I log on, I like to check my to do lists and organize my day. I’m a huge list maker, I love writing things down and keeping track of my progress. Once I do that, I go through my email and do some light media monitoring to see if any client coverage has come through from the night before. 

I also like to use this time to read through the news and in particular I subscribe to a few different newsletters like the NYT Daily Briefing, the Skimm, Techmeme and also Stat so that I can keep track of what’s going on. Once I know what’s going on in the world, I will dive into my to do list.   

12-2pm: After spending my morning doing some media outreach, drafting content and having some meetings, I like to take a quick break for lunch. 

Like most people around the world, SourceCode has been remote since March and I’ve tried to utilize this time to make healthy lunches instead of ordering in. I think it’s really important to use lunch as a way to take breaks throughout the day. Since I tend to have a busier afternoon, I use lunch time to eat, sit on my couch, hang out with my cat and drink some more coffee so that I don’t fall asleep this afternoon.  

3-6pm: As I spend the afternoon wrapping up my day, I think it’s important to recognize that with PR and especially with remote work it's so easy to fall into a pattern of overworking and not being able to separate yourself from your work. I’ve been trying to counteract that during the pandemic by setting a schedule for myself and logging off at a reasonable time every night. I’m also lucky that I have a home office where I live so I know when I leave the room, I am done for the night. 

I usually like to end my day by doing one last coverage scan and looking over my to do list and calendar for the next day. 

After the workday, I typically like to have a healthy dinner, do a workout, hang out with my cat (and husband, but mostly my cat) and I finish off the night with a good TV show. 

To see Willa’s Instagram takeover from earlier this month, check out the highlights reel on our Instagram and feel free to follow along with our employee spotlight features over the next couple weeks both on our blog and on our Instagram page. Check out part one of this series with Account Executive, Briggs Brady’s employee spotlight. 

To learn more about SourceCode Communications, please drop us a line at hello@sourcecodecomms.com we’d love to chat.

by Gaby

Missive and SourceCode Communications selected to handle UK and US communications for Koa Health

LONDON—December 15, 2020—Missive, the strategic technology communications consultancy, and US technology agency SourceCode Communications, have partnered to oversee global communications for Koa Health, pioneer of digital mental healthcare solutions.

Missive and SourceCode are collaborating to deliver an integrated communications program that includes media, influencer and stakeholder relations, and digital and social media strategy through strategic campaigning and thought leadership. Both Missive and SourceCode will raise the profile of Koa Health to its core audience of healthcare providers, employers and insurers in the UK and the US.

Their first assignment was coordinating Koa Health’s spin out from Alpha, Telefonica’s moonshot factory, in November 2020 following the closure of a $16.5 million (€14.1 million) raise from Ancora Finance Group and Wellington Partners.

Ollie Smith, Strategy Director and Head of Ethics, Koa Health said, “We’ve worked closely with Missive for a number of years now, ever since we started life as a moonshot project under Alpha. The agency has been an invaluable partner as we’ve evolved, helping us to tell our story, offering strategic counsel and always responding creatively to our briefs. SourceCode is a great US counterpart to Missive and they have started strongly out of the blocks with our spin out. I’m looking forward to working with them and with SourceCode as we enter a new chapter of growth and expansion.”

Nicola Koronka, Chief Client Officer, Missive, added, “With its strong management team and highly accessible, personalized and effective mental health solutions, Koa Health is going to be a true game-changer in digital therapeutics. At Missive we love being able to deliver integrated communications programs across tech industry specialisms like digital health, where there are real-world applications that have the potential to positively impact millions of lives.”

Kristen Stippich, Senior Vice President at SourceCode commented, “We are thrilled to join Missive in supporting the growth and expansion of Koa Health. Among the many challenges 2020 has thrown at us, managing its toll on our mental health has increasingly become a struggle. This is further exacerbated by the stigma Americans face when seeking support. SourceCode was founded on the determination to put humanity back into technology and Koa Health is a terrific example of how tech built upon empathy can demonstrably change lives.”

by Gaby

PRWeek Recognizes SourceCode Communications as a Best Place to Work 2020

As we close out the year, we are thrilled to share that SourceCode has been named a Best Place to Work in 2020 by PRWeek. Each year, PRWeek surveys employees in the industry including small, midsize, large and extra large agencies on what factors they consider most important in the workplace. While factors including internal development, compensation, camaraderie and employee support have always been major decision makers, this year the judges also looked at these key issues through the COVID-19 lens. 

SourceCode was one of the small agencies awarded this year, and PRWeek specifically called out the following:

When it comes to any opportunity you want, “SourceCode Communications will find a way to help you work toward it,” raved one employee.

From a $1,500 stipend designated for personal development, training, conferences and networking events, to quarterly KPIs to help set goals and track metrics in order to measure professional as well as personal growth, the agency works hard to ensure staffers are “on the path they want to be on, not necessarily the one management outlines for you.”

After taking voluntary pay cuts during COVID-19 to ensure operations could continue and staff would not be affected, leadership went on to support Black Lives Matter by doubling down on the money it spent on diversity and employee development.

“SourceCode [leadership] really walks the walk,” explained one staffer. “They care deeply about their employees and show it every day. Their transparency during the pandemic has been unmatched. Management supports people at every corner. This firm remains true to its roots with integrity.”

To keep employees safe, SourceCode was “one of the first, if not the first, company to go remote in New York,” one staffer pointed out – an extension of the agency’s employee-first spirit. “Our leaders are invested in everyone’s interests and in ensuring we are all happy, personally and professionally,” said another staffer. “I've never felt as supported as I do at SourceCode.”

This recognition is SourceCode’s tenth agency win in 2020, including recently being named one of America’s Best PR Agency by Forbes, Outstanding Boutique Agency by PRWeek, and a Top Place to Work in PR for the third year in a row by PRNEWS. 

We’d like to thank PRWeek for this recognition and congratulate all agencies who were recognized. To learn more about this award, check out PRWeek’s article here. Interested in learning more about SourceCode Communications? Please drop us a line at hello@sourcecodecomms.com, we’d love to chat.

by Gaby

Employee Spotlight: A day in the life of Briggs Brady, Account Executive at SourceCode Communications

Welcome to SourceCode’s “A Day in the Life” employee spotlight series, a place where we are introducing some members of our staff. COVID-19 has made it challenging to stay connected and we have worked hard at maintaining our company culture, whether it be through new slack channels, virtual happy hours, or virtual coffee chats. We have also had a few new members join our team and while we would normally get to know each other better at post-work happy hours or chatting in the office, we have had to find new ways to catch up. 

To kick off our very first employee spotlight “A Day in the Life” feature, is one of our recent hires, Briggs Brady, an Account Executive at SourceCode Communications. Part of our consumer team, Briggs has spent the last three years in PR supporting various accounts in the DTC, health & wellness, retail and consumer lifestyle spaces. In this “A Day in the Life” feature, Briggs walks us through his typical work day. 

7-9am: I like to start my day off doing some yoga or meditation in my apartment building’s gym. This helps me really get my mind right, stay centered and just relax before starting the day and diving into the news. 

9am-12pm: After I finish with my morning yoga and meditation, I start my workday by creating my to-do list, going through my calendar and checking my emails. I often do this sitting next to my roommate's cat, who pretty much sleeps all day. But starting my day off with checking emails and making priorities helps me stay organized and ready for the day.    

12-2pm: So after a morning of calls or spending the morning pitching for my clients, I usually like to have lunch around 12:15pm. When I have lunch, I like to step away from the computer, and away from slack and emails which helps me clear my mind and stay energized for the afternoon. 

Sometimes during lunch, I also like to read a book or watch funny videos. Today I am going to be reading, I’m currently reading Teach you to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi, a book about financial security. Reading books on different topics allows me to learn something new that's different than PR. 

3-6pm: While in the morning I really like to spend time pitching and getting in reporter’s inboxes early, in the afternoons I try and work on other projects like writing new pitch angles or building out media lists. 

At the end of the day, I like to go through my slacks, email and calendar once more to make sure I am fully caught up on the day. I also end the day by checking in with my manager to make sure there’s nothing else I can help with at the end of each day. 

To see Briggs’ Instagram takeover from earlier this month, check out the highlights reel on our Instagram and feel free to follow along with our employee spotlight features over the next couple weeks both on our blog and on our Instagram page.

To learn more about SourceCode Communications, please drop us a line at hello@sourcecodecomms.com we’d love to chat.

by Gaby

PRNEWS recognizes SourceCode Communications’ VP of Consumer as one of their Rising PR stars 30 and Under

We’re excited to share that Nicole Pfeifer, VP of Consumer at SourceCode, has been recognized as one of PR News' Rising PR Stars 30 & Under in PR News’ PR people awards this year. PRNEWS showcases top talent, passionate professionals and budding PR leaders who are making communications matter in the marketplace.

As part of this award, Nicole was recognized for contributing to SourceCode’s growth over the last year and specifically growing the consumer practice nearly three times. Under Nicole’s guidance, we have been able to grow our consumer account retainers an average of 11% YOY. 

This recognition comes after Nicole was also named one of PRSA’s 2020 15 under 35 earlier this year. Nicole was hired at SourceCode almost two years ago and is currently leading major consumer accounts at SourceCode including Everlast, MakeSpace, Handshake and Gympass among others. 

SourceCode was recently named PRWeek’s Outstanding Boutique Agency of the Year and a Top Place to work in PR. We’d like to congratulate Nicole on the recognition and all PR rising stars recognized this year. To see more about the awards, check out the news on PRNEWS here. 

Interested in learning more about SourceCode Communications? Drop us a line at hello@sourcecodecomms.com, we’d love to chat. 

by Gaby

SourceCode Communications clients get creative at SXSW

2020 has felt like the longest year, and yet it’s November and the year is almost over. While we won’t know what’s in store for 2021, we are excited for all the opportunities just around the corner. Speaking events, award shows and festivals are different now but we can count on one event happening virtual this year and that’s SXSW. 

SXSW Online taking place in March 2021, is a digital experience including keynotes, conferences sessions, music festival showcases, film festival screenings, world-class networking and everything in between. SXSW will be different this year, however, we know we can always rely on the creativity from our clients. 

Check out our roundup for some panels our clients have been nominated for in the panel picker:

  • Blockparty’s: The Future of Monetizing IP and Digital Content 
    • Panelists will discuss cultivating digital ownership and how brands can build a digital link with their most passionate fans, attract new audiences and build new revenue streams.
  • Handshake’s: Your 10-year Diversity plan, Achieved in two 
    • We’ve replaced career fairs and campus visits with online talent marketplaces and video interviews. This means the traditional hiring barriers are lower than ever, and we can reach a critical mass of candidates from underrepresented backgrounds faster than ever before.
  • Technovation’s: How to Build Resilient Online Learning Communities 
    • Virtual afterschool programs have the potential to help close equity gaps by introducing students to technologies like AI while engaging them in hands-on challenges to develop skills like resilience, collaboration and problem solving.

We’re excited for this year’s SXSW and can’t wait to share more. To learn more about SourceCode Communications and the amazing brands we are working with, please drop us a line at hello@sourcecodecomms.com, we’d love to hear from you.

by Gaby