Source[De]Coded: 🫥 No Comment

Hey Team – 

Is it warm enough out there for ya? We’re sweating out ALL the toxins here in NYC. 

It’s been a busy time for us here at SourceCode. The new business pipeline really ramped up, we’ve just had our quarterly Advisory Board meeting (TL;DR – we’re ready for a big H2 😁) and we’ve picked up a really nice piece of organic growth with our amazing client Vultr. They went with a fully built-out EBM program, holler if you’d like some info on it. Lastly, we’re also DEEP into our own website revamp…cross your fingers and toes that we get it done before our website project manager’s baby girl decides to join the fam 👶. 

Shameless Plug – Our VP of Consumer, Cori put together some tips on holiday gift guide season, which shockingly is already upon us. Check it out and let us know if there’s anything you want to chat about. 

Alright…back to the business at hand…this week we have a few articles that caught our attention. The first is an interesting take on the ‘no comment’ PR response. Christa, our new EVP of Client Services also weighed in below. The second is a report on Gen Alpha from our client Razorfish and last but not least, a fun AI-focused campaign from Motorola. 

As always, let us know your thoughts. Enjoy the sunshine!

Best,

Greg & Becky

Silence speaks: Is there value in the “No Comment” PR response?

TL;DR: The “did not respond to a request for a comment” phrase is appearing more and more often in news articles. Many journalists claim it’s harming stories and painting companies in a bad light, while some argue it may even perpetuate recent public hostility towards the press.

Takeaway: There are obviously times when a “no comment” response is warranted. But, as CNN writer Oliver Darcy points out, “It’s the job of spokespeople to tell the best story about the companies they represent.” That means when you get a journalist reaching out for a comment, you’re getting an opportunity to tell your brand’s story your way. No response leaves room for others to paint your brand however they want – don’t give them that power. An uncomfortable comment back might be better than no comment at all.

Consider:

• How can you control your brand’s narrative in someone else’s story?
• If you’re tempted to provide a “no comment” response, ask yourself why this is your gut reaction. Is it because you genuinely think your brand shouldn’t comment? Or is it coming from another place of discomfort?

Here is what our EVP of Client Services, Christa Conte had to say:

This may be an unfavorable opinion but in a situation where you’re not able to provide a planned or thoughtful response to a reporter, it’s better to not speak off the cuff.

Today, media are on tight deadlines and will reach out to a spokesperson 30 minutes or less ahead of a publishing deadline. In that case, a response of let me review this with my team and get back to you’ will buy time and is much better than saying ‘no comment. Once you’ve had a chance to review and assess the situation with your comms team, then a comment – even one that just clarifies your brand’s affiliation (or lack thereof) from the current story – is better than trying to completely disassociate with a ‘no comment’ to prove you aren’t hiding anything. In many cases, reporters will be happy to quickly update a story after posting with a well-crafted response from a spokesperson.

Prepare for future consumers: New research shows Gen Alpha’s increased brand awareness may pose a unique challenge

TL;DR: A new study from Razorfish and researcher GWI found that a majority of Gen Alpha (those born between 2010 and today) possess a more grounded, mature perception of brands than their parents did at the same age due to increased access to technology. This has also led Gen Alpha to be more skeptical and discerning when evaluating brands – a unique challenge that brands will have to plan for.

Takeaway: While Gen Alpha still has a ways to go until they achieve independent purchasing power (and their habits may change by then), brands should take note of their interests as it may help to future-proof strategies. Gen Alpha doesn’t put much stock on popular brand promotional techniques, like using athletes or celebrities as spokespeople. The cohort generally associates large-scale promotions with a lack of brand authenticity – just 14% favored a brand due to a celebrity endorsement and only 20% favored companies that “produced really great commercials.” Overall, the tactics that typically work well for other generations may not perform the same with Gen Alpha. May be time for brand marketers to get a new bag of tricks.

Consider:

• What are you doing to future-proof your branding and promotional strategies?
• Gen Alpha mostly distrusts brands due to a lack of authenticity. Is your brand showing its authentic self? What would it look like to lean into more raw, authentic promotions rather than highly produced ones?

Intersecting interests: Motorola creates an entirely AI-generated campaign to promote smartphones on the runway

TL;DR: Smartphone company Motorola wanted to position itself as a technological innovator and a fashionable brand, so it turned to AI to create its latest campaign. The campaign launch video, “Styled with Moto,” showcases fashion designs, runway shows, and models in photoshoots entirely made from thousands of AI-generated images.

Takeaway: Motorola really wants to be taken seriously as a design-forward tech brand, but positioning towards a different industry than your norm can be risky. AI can help take away some of that risk with lower costs, fewer human resources, and faster iteration. It’s actually a really interesting way to break into the intersection of tech and other industries, and we should expect more brands to copy this approach. AI provides brands with the chance to test out new messaging and campaigns without the typical risk.

Consider:

• How could your brand or product expand into a different industry or the intersection of another industry?
• AI can help you test more and expand your abilities. What messaging or campaign would you try out if time, money, or team efficiency weren’t an issue? This may be the best area to start experimenting with AI tools.