COCA COLA MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS SUCCESS
We all know what coca cola is. It needs no introduction. It is the carbonated drink that we call coke and that most people can’t live without. Coca cola has been in business for 125 years. It has 139,600 employees in more than 200 countries from all over the globe and produces 1.7 billion servings per day. As a successful beverage company, coca cola has enjoyed 49 consecutive years of increased dividends which means that it is successful and it is profiting – a lot! (The Coca Cola Company, n.d.)
Coca cola is the major sponsor of the biggest show on earth, American Idol – a reality singing competition in the United States which has ran for 10 seasons. This year, American Idol is on its 10th year. If you watch the show every week you will see the seriousness and aggressiveness of its marketing campaign. Coco cola is used as a screen saver for American Idol’s big screens on stage. You will also see very conspicuously and coca cola resting on the judges’ tables sipped by the famous celebrities of the world, Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez. Of course the seemingly subtle hints are screaming subliminally to viewers to sip the same soda that the famous people are drinking.
At present there could be more than 60 million viewers of the show from the United States alone, that excludes the other countries all over the world that are glued to the primetime show, let’s make it then hundreds of millions of viewers representing different races, genders and age and even religion. So that is the target number of coca cola’s market through American Idol. This is an effective strategy of coca cola that can be summed up as hitting many birds with one stone, that is, through American Idol alone.
In addition to American Idol Coca Cola also shows advertising campaigns that are customized in each specific country and which are shown on televisions, internet, radios, billboards and simple signs and banners on retail stores. The objective of customization is to ensure a culturally-friendly and gender-sensitive marketing campaign. The differentiation of coke’s marketing strategies ensures a stable and growing market for the soda. In some countries coca-cola is advertised using cartoon characters that attracts children. More appropriately coke advertisements show the whole extended family from the great grand-parents up to the great grand-children who are all enjoying a big and important family celebration with coke. With this strategy the age category is hit and so with the concern of being culturally sensitive especially for cultures who value the family or Christmas celebrations all their lives.
Coke is endorsed by famous international and local celebrities from Hollywood to Bollywood actors and actresses, sports celebrities and athletes, singers and politicians. Some of its advertising campaign use local celebrities admired by the coke-drinking public. Some advertisements also show regular people that the majority of the coke market can very much relate to. From the major cities of the world to the most remotest communities coca-cola is a popular carbonated drink. It is a fact that coca cola has conquered even the remotest of communities in the Sub-Saharan Africa or in South-East Asia, which means that it is virtually everywhere.
Today, the company promotes the following positive messages to its patrons. It’s coke smile-izer; Live positively; Where will happiness happen next?; Yes Coca Cola; and Coke Perfect Harmony and a lot more! All of these positive and happy images attract a large number of following, because who would not want to be not happy and positive. In addition to this coke has a proven benefit to drinkers which is its quenching thirst ability and its good taste. In a globally competitive world where stress and depression are the outcomes, the stimulating taste and effect of drinking coke coupled with its similarly stimulating advertisements in all forms of media from the television, the internet, radio, print ads, billboard and banners that are customized and translated to different language is a big hit. In other words it is successful.
While coke advertises aggressively it also promotes itself through marketing gimmicks such as coke rewards, voting American Idol for free by submitting free lyrics, its poverty reduction campaign and protection of polar bears. These techniques particularly the last two promotes coca cola as a socially and environmentally responsible company that appeals to the socially aware drinking public.
With coca-cola’s marketing strategy it is assured of growth, leadership and sustainability which are its overarching goal and its mission: optimism, happiness, creating value and making a difference (The Coca Cola Company, n.d.).
REFERENCE
The Coca Cola Company, n.d. Our Company. [online] Available at: < http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/ourcompany/index.html> [Accessed 10 May 2011].
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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