Development and Execution of a Creative Message for Coca-Cola

By Siddy Molina

Key words: Coca-Cola, coke, creativity, Interbrands…

The Coca-Cola Company, founded in Atlanta in 1886 by John S. Pemberton, is a giant in the beverage industry. Its success is largely attributed to its iconic brand, Coca-Cola, and its innovative marketing strategy. Coca-Cola has expanded its presence on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Its creative campaigns and engaging content have attracted millions of followers worldwide. It has expanded internationally and diversified its product line with variants like Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar. Today, it operates in over 200 countries and leads efforts in social responsibility and sustainability. The history of The Coca-Cola Company is a testament to how creativity in marketing can turn a beverage into a global icon. Currently, the brand ranks 7th on Interbrands.

The three main objectives of the message strategy are to promote brand recognition, establish a connection between key attributes and the brand name, and persuade the customer, as demonstrated by the chosen brand:

1. Advertising Campaign: «Share a Coke» (2013)

Coca-Cola’s «Share a Coke» campaign is one of the brand’s most iconic and successful campaigns.

Objective: The primary goal of the campaign was to foster an emotional connection between consumers and the brand by personalizing Coca-Cola bottles with popular names and terms like «Friend» and «Mom.» The campaign aimed to encourage people to share a Coca-Cola with friends and loved ones, generating greater engagement and loyalty to the brand.

Segmentation: It targeted consumers of all ages but particularly focused on young adults and teenagers. Personalizing bottles with popular names allowed for a closer connection with young consumers who often seek personalized experiences and share products on social media.

Strategy: The strategies employed included «Personalization,» with the brand printing popular names on bottles to make consumers feel closer to the brand and encourage sharing; social media engagement, as the campaign encouraged people to share photos of personalized bottles on social media with the hashtag #ShareACoke; events and activations, where Coca-Cola organized live events and activations where people could personalize their own bottles and interact with the campaign.

Coca-Cola’s «Share a Coke» campaign exemplifies how a brief creative idea becomes a successful global campaign through effective execution, aligning with Chapter 11 of the book. Beyond creativity, the focus of Coca-Cola’s creative team on developing and executing the campaign was crucial. Collaboration and the right tools, as highlighted in the «Wrike Way,» allowed the creative team to maintain efficiency and performance in large-scale projects. In summary, the campaign’s success is based on solid execution and collaborative work by Coca-Cola’s creative team.

Media: Additionally, the «Share a Coke» campaign used various media, including television, social media, and point of sale, as personalized bottles were available in stores across the country, as well as live events such as activations and festivals.

Results: Key performance indicators (KPIs) included an increase in Coca-Cola sales, social media engagement, including the number of mentions and posts with the hashtag #ShareACoke, brand recognition, and brand perception as personalized and friendly.

• The «Share a Coke» campaign in Australia increased consumption among teenagers by 7% and attracted two out of every five people.

• 378,000 personalized Coca-Cola cans were printed, driving a 3% increase in total sales.

• On social media, 76,000 virtual cans were shared, and Facebook traffic increased by a staggering 870%.

• The hashtag #ShareACoke became the number one worldwide trending topic, with over 1 billion impressions.

• The campaign won seven awards at the Cannes Lions festival.

• It revitalized sales in the U.S. with a 2.5% increase after a decade of decline.

2. Advertising Campaign «Coca-Cola Masterpiece» (March, 2023)

Objective: Coca-Cola’s ‘Masterpiece’ campaign celebrates the brand’s timeless appeal and emotional connection with consumers, emphasizing the joy of savoring its taste. This exemplifies Coca-Cola’s expertise in creating powerful and emotionally resonant marketing narratives.

Segmentation: Coca-Cola is launching its campaign for everyone once again. The message is inspired by the world of culture, and the ad takes place in a museum: a pop art masterpiece comes to life and transforms into a Coca-Cola bottle. They aim to reach adults, young adults, and teens through famous artworks that have stood the test of time.

Strategy: Regarding the campaign strategies, the following were analyzed:

• Visual Creativity: Use images of iconic paintings in print and digital ads to capture the audience’s attention.
• Brand Association: Connect the brand with the beauty and cultural significance of famous artworks to enhance its perception.
• Inspiring Narrative: Craft a story that highlights how the brand relates to creativity and artistic appreciation.
• Creative Collaborations: Collaborate with contemporary artists to reinterpret classic artworks and generate original content.

Media: This impressive campaign will include digital advertising billboards produced by Open X, a WPP division focused on Coca-Cola, along with digital collectibles crafted by Tafi and Blitzworks.

Results: The outcomes of this campaign will be evident in the financial report for 2023-2024. However, in terms of social media impact, we can mention certain metrics that give us an idea of its impact in Latin America and among the brand’s previous, current, and new consumers. The video posted on YouTube and Instagram 6 months ago by Coca-Cola, titled «Coca-Cola Masterpiece,» had 1.4 million views on YouTube and 668 comments so far.

Bibliography:

Bellota Vasquez, L. E., Huanchi Palacios, D. O., Palacios Muñoz, J. A., Torres Meier, J. I., & Verastegui Ñaupari, E. H. (2021, June). Advertising Strategies Used by Coca-Cola in the Latin American Centennial Population in the Last Three Years. Universidad de Lima. https://repositorio.ulima.edu.pe/bitstream/handle/20.500.12724/13973/Bellota-Huanchi-Palacios-Torres-Verastegui_Publicidad-CocaCola.pdf?sequence=1

Coca-Cola España (n.d.). John Pemberton. The Story of the Man Who Invented Coca-Cola. Retrieved from https://www.cocacolaespana.es/conocenos/nuestra-historia/john-pembertoninvento
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Coca-Cola. (January 17, 2021). Share a Coca-Cola, Share Positive Feelings. Retrieved from https://journey.coca-cola.com/novedades/comparte-una-coca-cola-comparte-sentimientos-positivos

Economía 3. (February 25, 2021). Successful Marketing: Share a Coca-Cola with… Economía 3. https://economia3.com/marketing-de-exito-comparte-una-coca-cola-con/

Interbrand. (2013). Coca-Cola. Recuperado de https://interbrand.com/best-global-brands/coca-cola/

The Coca-Cola Company. (July 8, 2014). Share a Coca-Cola: A Successful Case Study. https://arcacontal.com/media/160579/cdp_share-a-coke_ac.pdf

Marketing Insider Review. (n.d.). Coca-Cola Marketing Strategy: Lessons from the World’s Most Iconic Brand. https://marketinginsiderreview.com/estrategia-marketing-coca-cola/

Moye, J. (2014). Share a Coca-Cola: How the Innovative Campaign Started in Australia and New Zealand. Retrieved from https://journey.coca-cola.com/historias/comparte-una-coca-colacomo-la-innovador
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Revista NEO. (2023, March 6). Coca-Cola presents its new global campaign «Masterpiece.» NEO Magazine. https://www.revistaneo.com/index.php/articles/2023/03/06/coca-cola-presenta-su-nueva-campana-global-obra-maestra