I'm sure most of you have heard the old adage/brand marketers wet dream "the two most recognizable word in the world are 'Ok' and 'Coca-Cola'." The brand is so widely popular it is almost impossible to find anyone who hasn't heard of it.
The company owes its global success to its devoted brand loyalists—which, let's face it, most likely includes you (yes, you!) or someone you know. Sure, there are plenty of factors that contribute to Coke's success, such as:
- Substantial distribution network. As fellow blogger sopinon8ed had expressed in his post about Coca-Cola's business model, Coke has a massive distribution system, so much so that it is not uncommon to find a nice, chilled bottle of Coke in the middle of nowhere in Africa
- Cheap production cost, which ultimately leads to mass-market appeal
- Large marketing spend. Coca Cola's advertising budget in 2010, came just shy of $3 billion
But all of these mean jack squat if the market demand isn't there.
Started in the US, Coke has built its brand on heritage. People identify the brand with the feeling of comfort, of joy, of timelessness. In other parts of the world, it is seen as such a perfect example of iconic western brand that people aspire to be a part of. One of Coke's allures, especially in developing countries, is the fact that it is seen as an affordable luxury. People relate to the brand, no matter where they're from.
An outdoor campaign created by Ogilvy Shanghai showing the dynamic Coca Cola ribbon as two hands passing a bottle of Coke. A powerful imagery illustrating how the Coke brand exist as part of our everyday lives, bringing people together.
So how exactly do Coca-Cola harness the power within its ever-growing evangelists?
Coca-Cola constantly churns out creative marketing stunts, one more outrageous than the next. Stunts that makes them relevant, that keeps them buzzed about around the water cooler. As an established brand, building an audience isn't an issue for them. But where Coca-Cola shines is in the way they make sure each campaign sings harmoniously with each other.
They constantly innovate ways to tell their story, not the story itself.
Share A Coke
Let's take a look at the Share A Coke campaign for example. The campaign was first launched in 2011 in Australia. It's about taking the global brand and making it personal to its consumers. Letting them share a Coke with their name adorned on the bottle, creating special moments of shared memories between people. Its success in the land down under triggered a global launch in more than 70 countries, including a US launch earlier this summer.
In Australia—where the campaign originated—Coca-Cola actually let people type in the name/word they want to see on their Coke can. Broadening their reach to include people with unusual names (such as yours truly.)
It's a brilliant marketing effort wrapped in a warm, personalized, and engaging blanket. People are not only sharing their Coke in real life, they are creating an online frenzy. Sharing pictures, tagging friends, utilizing the #ShareACoke hashtag. The campaign is responsible for the first sales growth the company had seen in the last decade according to the Wall Street Journal.
The Dancing Vending Machine
Another great brand engagement Coke has done comes in the shape of a Kinect-activated vending machine. This campaign was launched in 2012 in South Korea. The premise being people are rewarded for completing dancing tasks presented by the vending machine.
The campaign was a part of their "Share Happiness" project. Have you ever seen a sad person dancing? It is physically impossible to do. Without explicitly stating the message itself, they managed to convey the idea of joy, of sharing memories and moments of happiness with loved ones.
Nope, no sad person here.
Coca-Cola has been great in making sure to evolve their brand story using Dynamic Story Telling methods. They converse directly with customers in many social media networks. From keeping up with the volume of Twitter mentions, to tailoring their marketing efforts to fit the unique online medium that is Tumblr. Coca Cola evolve their way of quenching our thirst without losing sight of what they are all about.
Coca-Cola understands the importance of positive brand engagement in Social Media such as Twitter.
So the next time somebody offered you Coke in lieu of your soda pop of choice, say "OK!" and know that you're about to be on the receiving end of happiness.
