Rajat Aggarwal 20PGDM162

Shivam Kuchhal 20PGDM173

Saloni Ajmera 20PGDM113
Shardul Karve 20PGDM171
Akansh Bomb 20PGDM120
Adhithya R 20PGDM005
Vineeth Varma 20PGDM249
Baishali Mazumder 20PGDM019

Submitted To:
Professor D.K. Batra Batch 2020-22

INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION

Coca-Cola
FINAL PROJECT REPORT
Submitted By: Group 1

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We express our sincere gratitude to Prof D.K. Batra for giving us the opportunity to work on
this project. We would not have been able to complete this project without her constant
support and guidance. This project complements what is being taught in the class. The project
also gave us practical insights into what is already being taught in the class.

At the very outset of this report, we would like to thank everyone who helped us and has
contributed directly or indirectly to the successful completion of this report. The views
expressed by all our interviewees have further expanded our thinking horizon and contributed
to the success of this report.

We take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the entire IMI New Delhi fraternity for
providing us with this opportunity and making it a worthy learning experience. Last but not
the least, we would express our heartfelt thanks to all our fellow batchmates who helped in
making the course of ‘Integrated Marketing Communication’ more enriching and exciting.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

05
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………….…/

Brand Evolution………………………………………………………………….………… 06

Change in Identity……………………..……………………………………………. 07
08
Change in Packaging…..………………………….………………………………….
08
Change in Popular Culture…………………………………………………………….
08
Change in Advertising/Visual Content………………………………………………
10
The Trademark Typography…………………………………………………………
11
Emotional Aspect……………………………………………………………………….
12
Campaigns of Coca Cola……………………………………………………….…………….14

I. Thanda Matlab Coca Cola…………………………………………….……………16

II. Open Happiness………………………………………………………………….. 17

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III. Coca-Cola’s Festive Campaigns – Christmas………………………………………

DAGMAR Model…………………………………………………………………………….20
20
Share a Coke Campaign………………………………………………………………………...
21
Message……………………………………………………………………………..
22
Market……………………………………………………………………………….
22
Mission………………………………………………………………………………….
23
Media……………………………………………………………………………………
24
Measurement……………………………………………………………………………
24
Objectives of the Campaign……………………..…………….………………………………
25
Execution……………………………………………………………………………….
25
Impact………………………………………………………………………………….
26
Choice of Media………………….……………………………………………………………..

‘Share a Coke’ Campaign – Media Analysis………………………………………….

PR Campaign Analysis………………….…………………………………………………….

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Corporate Social Responsibility and Public Relations……..………………..………………..

Consumer and Trade Sales Promotions…...……………………….…………………………

Digital Marketing……….……………………………………………………………………01

Celebrity Brand Endorsements – Tear Analysis………….……………….…………………

Direct Marketing Analysis for Coke’s Campaigns…………………………………………

Direct Marketing Analysis for Coke’s Campaigns……………………………………

Recommendations…………………………………………………………………..………….

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 INTRODUCTION

Coca-Cola's journey as a brand has been nothing short of a roller coaster, from a cocaine-
infused elixir to one of the most renowned brands in history. Dr John S Pemberton, an
Atlanta pharmacist, began experimenting with different ways of generating distinctive soft
drinks that could be sold at soda fountains, which led to the creation of one of the world's
most popular beverages. Pemberton blended the Syrup with carbonated water at the local
pharmacy in the early days, and it was even regarded as a therapeutic syrup. Even though
Pemberton created the dark elixir, it was his bookkeeper Frank M Robinson who labelled it as
"Coca-Cola" and sold it for 5 cents a glass at the time. Following that, Asa G. Candler carried
the brand outside of Atlanta and gave it wings, allowing it to reach the heights it has today.
The early days of the fun and happiness-filled beverages grew through standard marketing
strategies, such as delivering samples to clients for sampling. It wasn't until the early 1970s
that the brand finally broke free and began making attempts to establish a marketing
campaign that would increase customer connection to the brand.

Whether it was the 'Hilltop Singers' singing 'I'd want to buy the world a Coke' in 1971 or the
1979 marketing campaign, 'Have a Coke and a Smile,' the brand proposition for iterated in
both these campaigns, which eventually floated around the fizziness and buzz around the
beverage and promoted it as a symbol of celebrating happiness and different festivals.
Coca-Cola, without any doubt, is one of those brands which travelled beyond its time to leave
its imprint on people at large. The beverage company recognised from the start that in order
to gain the loyalty and attention of its customers, it needed to sell not only a product but an
experience, making it genuinely unique. The 1993 campaign wherein the company came up
with the tagline "Always Coca-Cola," and which was supported by a series of advertisement
campaigns featuring animated polar bears, is perhaps an apt example that proves Coca-Cola
is a brand that has had its main focus and vision very clear from the start. Even with a
compelling change in the market, the company was able to stand on its vision and put
forward decent growth throughout its history.

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Coca-Cola is well ahead of its marketing competition and has linked its brand voice to the
concept of happiness, as well as embracing concepts such as community, pleasure, and
inclusiveness amongst its audience.

BRAND EVOLUTION

Change is always good, and when in case it comes from a brand such as Coca-Cola, which
has a long and rich history of being followed by billions of people all over the world, the
brand must pique the interest of its fans and followers. Coca-Cola has also declared that its
well-known tagline and celebrated philosophy, "Open Happiness," will be replaced with
"Taste the Feelings" to level up its connection with the consumers.

The tagline "Open Happiness" was coined in the year 2009 and has since spawned a slew of
serious, heartfelt, and upbeat advertisements – all owing to the ever-evolving digital social
media platforms. According to Marcos de Quinto, Coca-Cola’s Global Chief Marketing
Officer, the prior marketing communication had become a bit preachy, whereas the new
strategy is based on Coca-Cola's core principles of humility and simplicity. Perhaps sticking
to the same premise for too long, limited the alternatives and unwittingly shifted the brand's
focus from selling aerated beverages in bottles to selling happiness.

Whatever the underlying explanation was, we were entirely convinced of the Open Happiness
concept. According to one research study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies,
Coca-Cola truly did sell happiness with their bottles.

In actuality, this was not the dynamic brand's first reinvention. Coca-Cola has always been an
ever-evolving brand that, in terms of content and context, is relevant to the audience, culture,
and period. Coca-Cola has been developing many messaging for various geographies at the
same time. For example, when Coke departed India in 1977, the tagline was "Coke gives
life," and when it made its formal return in 1993, under the shadow of the Taj Mahal, the
tagline was "Always the Real Thing." This tagline was unique to India, and it is a mash-up of
two popular communications from 1990 and 1993.

To assure continuous product penetration and brand success, the firm has formed alliances
with several organizations. Coca-Cola's tie-up with McDonald's to sell Coke as a beverage
with all meals in all of their locations has been a big success, particularly in India.
Collaboration with ICC has also proven to be a big success for both businesses. Both
companies have benefited greatly from this agreement, particularly Coca-Cola, which has
become a part of one of the greatest linkages the Indian consumer group has with happiness –
cricket. In an effort to promote happiness, the brand is given the option to expand its line of
beverages.

In 2017, Coca-Cola partnered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
to train street food sellers. This was done in the hopes of making street food healthier and

6
more secure. In a similar endeavor, the brand recently teamed up with DeHaat to help
promote improved farming methods. This is a calculated move that will aid the brand in
obtaining materials for its healthy beverage business.

Change in Identity:

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 Figure1: Evolution of Coke’s Identity

Change in Packaging:
Not just the logo, but the bottle that held this mystical medicine has changed a lot throughout
the years as well. The Coca-Cola Company is claimed to have encouraged bottle makers to
submit ideas for a Coca-Cola bottle that was so unique that it could be recognized in the dark
or lay broken on the ground. When the peculiarly shaped bottle design was trademarked in
1915, the hunt came to an end.

Change in Popular Culture:

Coca-Cola, in addition to its own assets, is a brand that is responsible for changing a cultural
symbol that still exists today. Coke was the brand that first created and depicted Santa Claus
in red, which is still honored today. The Christmas advertising from the brand is still
celebrated to this day and those from 1921 and 1951, vividly demonstrate the power of
advertising-driven transformation.

Change in Advertising/Visual Content:

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Coca-Cola not only transformed TV commercial production but also modified and
revolutionized the format of visual and audio content and how it is distributed through time.
Coke began advertising on television over Thanksgiving in 1950. It provided a way of life for
the youth in the 1960s. They began investigating lengthy format content that touched the
emotions of the age in 1971. Among the finest television commercials ever created, a few
names include "I'd want to buy the world a Coke" (1971), "Mean" Joe Greene (1979), and
"Northern Lights" (1993).

Figure 2: Classic Coca-Cola Advertisement (1907)

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 Figure 3: Coca-Cola Advertisement (the 1990s)

Figure 4: Advertisement from Coke’s ‘Taste the Feeling’ Campaign (2016)

A close examination of all of their ads reveals that they have always attempted to
communicate the company's straightforward and friendly character via the use of words and
graphical concepts that symbolize the same.

The brand's choice of the color RED to signify its famous product was not an accident, but
rather a determined decision based on research and analysis. According to research, the color
‘red’ is distinct from others and has a distinct personality among customers, and it has the
power to induce impulse purchases. Not only was the color attractive, but the calligraphy
used by the company looked to give the client a liquid-like feeling, making each bottle more
appealing and bringing forth a cool fun aspect. Although from the beginning until the 1980s,
the brand struggled with customer awareness, which was attributed to a lack of uniform
coloration, the company was successful in generating a trademark logo for them after a
concerted effort, and they now claim to have more than 94 percent identification among users
even when the brand name is not present. Multiple ads centered around a constant subject not
only unlocked the company's ambition to expand into new markets but also helped them
increase their CLV score.

The Brand’s Trademark Typography:

One of the most intriguing things that the firm has employed since its start is Coca-Cola’s
Trademark Typography. This typography has not only helped customers comprehend and
recognize the brand but has also effectively developed a strong brand image in the minds of
its consumers via consistent efforts. The Classic Serif Script now has a full brand label tied to
it, and the firm has quietly employed the typeface to reflect the swirling motion of the
beverage to this day. Furthermore, the way the letters in the Coca-Cola logo flow conjures up

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images of liquid and movement. Even so, the chosen typography has proven to be effective in
portraying a professional yet very individualized invitation to the buyers.

The brand logo evolved throughout time, but the essence stayed the same, same as the
company's vision, which is to 'refresh the world in mind, body, and spirit, to inspire moments
of optimism and happiness via the brand and deeds, and to generate value and make a
difference’.

Figure 5: Evolution of Coca-Cola’s Logo

Emotional Aspect:
When you take a closer look at the company, it's clear that it doesn't want to be simply
another beverage selling firm; instead, it wants to be known as a brand that evokes emotion
and offers an experience to its consumers. Nonetheless, the entire brand is based on joy,
happiness, experience, and community, which inherently gives it an emotional brand
perception. As a result, everything they do, from the joyful Santa to the polar bear campaign
to the company's social strategies, has an underlying emotion, bringing the brand closer to the
consumers and making it successful.

Throughout its history, the brand has never emphasized the fizzy, sweet, or flavor of the
drink, but has always attempted to associate individuals with the sort of lifestyle that the
company hopes to instill in its consumers. Through their advertising efforts, they indirectly
capture the experience component. Finally, the brand seeks to convey that it has a product
with its spirit, which makes it distinctive and remarkable.

CAMPAIGNS OF COCA-COLA

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Every one of us has had the pleasure of tasting or experiencing the enchantment of a Coca-
Cola bottle. We've seen it everywhere, from a refrigerator at home to a huge event. Coca-
Cola has employed incredible marketing strategies to develop the consumer base that it now
enjoys. Whether it was the taglines or the campaigns, everything touched people's hearts.
This effort seeks to bring forward two iconic campaigns, "#ShareACoke" and "Thanda
Matlab Coca-Cola," which proved to be bigger than ever and had a tremendous effect. The
team's marketing technique of immediately interacting with customers' emotions worked
wonderfully for the product. A Coke bottle is now synonymous with spreading joy and
showing affection to anybody we care about.

This campaign had tremendous popularity not just in foreign nations, but also in the Indian
subcontinent, where individuals used the gift of a personalized bottle to communicate their
feelings to their loved ones. Coca-Cola has made the most of every opportunity, from catchy
names to hit song hook lines. A brand that was both engaging and effervescent, global and
local, and black and white, which has remained everyone’s favorite, Coca-Cola.

Coke has always concentrated on owning the public's mood, from the Indian 'Thanda Matlab
Coca-Cola' to 'Open A Bottle of Happiness' to the more contemporary 'Share a Coke,' the
company has never let its customers down. As it attempted to lure the younger market, the
brand shifted gears dramatically. Let's decode the three C's of the fascinating campaign as we
unravel the aim and implementation:

 Co-Creativity: Never myopic, the brand has always adapted to and recognized
evolving customers and their requirements, so for the creative millennial, the
company turned over the creative director's hat to a new creative director—the Coke
consumer who developed new songs with their narrative.
 Co-Connection: The new generation Coca-Cola customer is not the solitary Baby-
Boomer, but the virtual and always-connected-millennial, for whom sharing comes as
naturally as opening a can of Coke.
 Co-Celebrations: The campaign builds on and expands on the previous 'happy'
campaign. The formula is simple: Celebration=Sharing, and Sharing=Coke, hence
Celebrations=Coca-Cola by deductive logic.

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 Figure 6: List of Coca-Cola’s Slogans

I. ‘Thanda Matlab Coca Cola’

Coke’s ‘Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola’ advertisement campaign starring Aamir Khan is one of
the most successful commercial campaigns in the Indian setting, as well as one of the most
innovative advertisements in the world. Coca-Cola became a household name in rural India
as a result of this. The ad featured the narrative of a rural person named 'Babu' played by
Aamir Khan, who is a mainstay in the Indian film industry. He is looking for 'Thanda', which
is meant to be a cold drink, and he buys Coca Cola.

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This commercial series appeared in many Indian state contests, passing numerous characters
according to various states, from Bengali Babu to Tamilian Babu. Coca-Cola became a 'Desi'
brand among the commons as a result of this.

When viewed through the lens of DAGMAR, this commercial campaign described itself as a
campaign to bring Coca-Cola into rural markets and households as a 'Thanda' cold drink.
Usually, in such rural settings, the people utilize lemonade, Chaas, or soda as a welcome
drink or a cold beverage. It’s like when guests or visitors arrive at our house, we inquire,
"Kuch Thanda lenge yaa garam?" which translates to "Will you take anything cold or hot?"
The brilliant mind of famed ad creative, Prasoon Joshi saw this as an opportunity in the
Indian rural market and produced this fantastic ad campaign which resultantly made Coca-
Cola associated with "Coolness" in the eyes of Indians.

For many years, Coke has been primarily consumed by young people in cities and
metropolitan regions. Through numerous personalities of Aamir Khan in many aspects like a
regular man of India, the developer and the brand deliberately addressed the Indian rural
market in this advertisement campaign.

Figure 7: ‘Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola’ Ad Campaign featuring Aamir Khan

In the year 2003, the company correctly recognized that roughly 80% of the consumers in the
Indian scenario came from the rural sector. Coca-Cola was also seen as an urban brand.
Prasoon Joshi correctly grasped Indians' coolness and created the "Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola
campaign" which carried Coca-Cola to the rural market and transformed it from a youth
brand to a mainstream brand. From 2003 until 2009, the "Thanda" series of advertisements
aired on television for six years. Furthermore, Coca-Cola gained the trust of Aamir Khan as it
moved into the hearts of the rural population. This campaign opened the way for Coca-Cola
to establish itself as a popular brand in India.

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II. Open Happiness
Coca-Cola’s ‘Open Happiness’ campaign, a part of the global campaign named ‘Coke Side of
Life’, had a successful launch in the United States in the year 2008. The campaign was then
launched in India in 2009. 'Dost', the first 'Open Happiness' commercial, starred Indian
cricketer Gautam Gambhir. Coke connected itself with cricket with this advertising, which is
more than a religion for many people in India. Indians from different states, ages, castes,
groups, and backgrounds gather to watch and appreciate the sport's passion.

Coca-Cola entered the hearts of millions with its 'Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola' and 'Sabka
Thanda Ek' campaigns, and through Open Happiness, the brand identified itself as a means of
distributing happiness, and Coke as an image of spreading happiness. In a subsequent
campaign, Coca-Cola included cricket star Sachin Tendulkar, who is revered by Indians as
the ‘God of Cricket’. This commercial was inspired by the film 'Cricket Ki Khushi'. The ad
once again honors Cricket, India's most popular sport, which, like a bottle of Coca-Cola,
crosses all boundaries, bringing delight to people all across the country. The new campaign
honors the game's thrilling essence, which brings people together regardless of geography or
situation. Sachin Tendulkar, the Master Blaster, encourages people to keep playing, be happy,
and drink Coca-Cola in the new commercial.

Figure 8: ‘Open Happiness’ Ad Film Campaign featuring Sachin Tendulkar

The goal of this commercial was to transmit pleasure through Coca-Cola and the necessity to
use Coca-Cola as a platform to do so. Cricket has been chosen as the vehicle for achieving
this goal, with Sachin Tendulkar serving as the campaign's ambassador.

Coca-Cola partnered with teams such as the Delhi Daredevils for Coca-Cola and the Kolkata
Knight Riders for Sprite during the IPL. Coca-Cola positioned itself as a celebratory
beverage. Cricket is a team sport rather than an individual one, and they presented strangers
becoming friends through cricket and Coca-Cola, demonstrating that Coca-Cola can bring
strangers together. The commercial depicts how cricket and Coca-Cola bring joy and
refreshment to our lives by enjoying happy moments together. Coca-Cola became a vehicle

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for celebrating pleasure as a consequence of this campaign, and a bottle of Coke provided
satisfaction while taking a break from the daily routine to interact with people.

III. Coca-Cola’s Festive Campaigns - Christmas

If festivals aren't included in the Coca-Cola marketing story, it seems a little naive. In truth,
the corporations' relationship with festivals is an unavoidable one, and it has already reached
a point where a significant section of the public believes that Santa Claus is an invention of
the company's production house. One cannot be blamed for thinking that the red and white
iconic figure of western legend is a Coca-Cola adaption. It's remarkable to observe how
Christmas and Coca-Cola are inextricably linked, and how the company's vision and ideals
are sufficient to cement the relationship.

During the 1931 campaign, one of the most significant events in the history of advertising
campaigns occurred, which continues to echo in its depths and breadths. Haddon Sundblom,
an American artist, created a depiction of Santa Clause that was distinct from what people
were familiar with at the time. From then on, all authors, filmmakers, and artists throughout
the world began to depict Santa as a man with a long white beard, pink cheeks, and a round
figure full of joy and surprise. This demonstrated how, with a little know-how, the company
was able to turn their concept of Santa Claus into a distinct emblem that complemented their
mission.

Figure 9: Coca-Cola’s ‘Holidays are coming’ Campaign (1995)

The company's famed festival advertisements began with the 1931 campaign, and the cola
brand developed a distinct reputation as a festival brand over time, which helped it conquer
many western nations from the start. In 1995, the 'Holidays are Coming' ad featured brightly

17
colored red trucks with the picture of Santa Clause prominently displayed. When the firm
launched a different campaign in 2006, many individuals objected to the same, and the
original campaign featuring the truck was brought again.

Coca Cola – The Brand with Color

Coke’s relationship with Christmas isn't the brand's only identity; in fact, it's only one of the
numerous marketing strategies that the company has used to effectively establish a place in
the minds of its customers. The concept of positioning the brand with the joy and happiness
associated with festivals is more than a marketing stunt; it's a logical step in the company's
branding strategy. From the beginning, the firm has been focused on its core goal of
associating the brand with the concept of pleasure, and this has always been the underlying
theme of all of the company's marketing initiatives, which is to make people happy.

DAGMAR MODEL

The DAGMAR model states that a sale must take a potential client or customer through four
stages of comprehension, including from unawareness to awareness. This implies that the
customer must first be aware of the brand or business. Then after being into the Awareness
stage, one must transition to the Comprehension stage, which means to understand what the
product is and what it can do for oneself. Conviction is the third stage. This implies that the
person must have a mental disposition or conviction to purchase the brand, and the last
DAGMAR phase is Action, in which customers purchase the goods.

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 Figure 10: DAGMAR Model

I. Awareness
It is vital to familiarise the target audience with the product or company before expecting
buying behavior. The advertising activity's initial communication task is to raise customer
awareness of the product or offer. We witnessed Coca-Cola raise product awareness and
name recognition by repeating basic messaging with a slogan, with the target market being all
people, via newspapers, social media, and other channels. Consumers become aware of
Coke's product and seek out more information about it at this early stage.

II. Comprehension
Only awareness will not be sufficient to entice a purchase; sufficient expertise and
information about the product or business are required. This stage comprises informing the
target audience about the product, organization, or offer. Here, the advertising activity's
communication job is to educate the consumer about the product - its qualities, advantages,
and applications. Coca-Cola Company lets potential customers comprehend by presenting
particular information that Coke is responsible for, such as "Taste the Feeling," the varieties
accessible in commercials, and other elements that make it the world's largest participant in
the soft drink industry. Telling this will help people understand the product better.

The attributes of the Coca-Cola Company mentioned above may now be understood by the
potential client. Coca-Cola will utilize a variety of techniques to assist customers to
comprehend this level, including advertising in newspapers, television, billboards, and radio.

III. Conviction
A sense of certainty is developed at this point. Buyers are brought to a position where they
are convinced that a certain product in the class should be tested at the next chance by
building interest and preference. At this stage, the advertising activity's communication
objective is to shape the audience's views about the product, which is commonly
accomplished through communications that illustrate the product's superiority over a
competitor or by discussing the benefits of using the product. Coca-Cola establishes
conviction among the target audience during this stage. Coca-Cola is known for its flavor, but
it has recently sought to attract attention by introducing new sustainability targets for the
corporation, which has drawn a lot of attention to the brand.

IV. Action
Finally, communication should urge the consumer to make a purchase. The last stage is that
all of these messages will eventually inspire purchasers to engage in Coca-Cola’s product
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purchasing behavior. Buyers are led to a position where they are convinced that Coke should
be tried or that they should make repeat purchases at the next chance by building interest and
preference.

‘SHARE A COKE’ CAMPAIGN

The Share a Coke campaign was a groundbreaking Marketing success. According to Ogilvy,
the campaign raised Coke's share of the category by 4% for the first time in more than a
decade, while also managing to raise sales by more than 2.5%. Furthermore, the consumption
of the popular drink increased by 7% in less than a year after release. The Share a Coke
campaign was then implemented in over 80 countries. The campaign won numerous honors
at the Cannes Lions for Creative Effectiveness. The corporation expanded the campaign in
2015, bringing the total number of names to 1000. Nicknames like 'bro, "better half,' and
sidestick have also been added to the list of names.

I. Message
To commemorate partnerships, Coca-Cola India launched the Share a Coke campaign. Before
coming to India, this campaign has been running for seven years on a global scale. Coke's
emblem was changed with words like "Papa," "Mama," "Didi," and "Bhai" as the logo for
this campaign. In India, the campaign was launched in 12 different languages. The ad agency
McCann India created it. The commercial portrayed two young guys standing by one other in
difficult circumstances and enjoying their friendship with Coca-Cola, which included the
slogan "Share a Coke" with the word "Bhai" inscribed on it, conveying the notion that good
friendship is no less than family. And during the IPL season, this ad was broadcast on
television, garnering a lot of attention from Indian fans.

Coca-Cola aimed to engage more with Indian consumers through this ad series, which
focused on the concept of "relationship." The successful campaign's concept was 'Har Rishta
Bola, Mere Naam Ki Coca-Cola,' and the story revolved around the importance of
relationships for Indians. The campaign's target demographic is young adults, or millennials,
who are engaged on social media yet also have common names. Coca-Cola conducted
extensive research in each of the 80 countries where the project was launched, resulting in a
list of the 250 most popular names in each. It was an excellent decision because they vary
greatly from one region to the next. Coca-Cola began with 150 names in Australia's inaugural
launch, estimating that it would reach 42 percent of the country's population.

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 Figure 11: Coca-Cola’s ‘Share a Coke’ Campaign (2015)

II. Market
Before launching this ad in India, Coca-Cola polled an Indian population of 18 to 29-year-
olds to determine what the campaign should be about. They were asked to rank their top 20
relationships, and the best ones were chosen for this campaign.

Because the multi-faceted India campaign comprises multiple consumer touchpoints, such as
marketing activations, digital and social media engagements, in-store marketing, and
marketing campaigns featuring Diljit Dosanjh, they focused on various customer touchpoints
while producing the advertising.

Figure 12: Coca-Cola’s ‘Elevator’ Commercial featuring Diljit Dosanjh (2017)

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III. Mission
Coca-Cola’s "Share a Coke" campaign was established with a specific goal in mind: to
increase sales in Australia. However, over some time, it was rolled out in 80 different nations,
and the campaign's aims were expanded to include the following.

 Increasing public knowledge of the business and its offerings.

 Encourage customers to prefer the company's products over those of
competitors.
 Encourage potential new customers to try the product.
 Short-term sales are increased through encouraging activity.
 Reassuring customers and reinforcing their preferred purchasing habits.
 Obtaining information from clients.
 Making a sales lead.

Figure 13: A promotional poster for the Campaign

IV. Media
Coca-Cola’s ‘#ShareACoke’ campaign was nothing short of a smash hit. It was a well-
thought-out strategy that addressed the right audience at the right time. Coca-Cola made
effective use of every marketing channel available to reach the largest possible audience.
Newspapers, TV advertising, and social media all featured them. They made an effect even
before the campaign began by handing out personalized Coke bottles. In Australia, these
customized bottles might be found in refrigerators, allowing customers to discover the names
for themselves. People began sharing the information even before the corporation launched a
focused campaign, creating a buzz. It first appeared on page three of The Australian
Newspaper, garnering a lot of attention. It was then broadcast on television, with images of
real people sharing the personalized bottles.

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The joy customers felt when 'Sharing' these name-written bottles was what the corporation
wanted to emphasize. By finding the appropriate time to run the TV, they were able to reach
30% of the target demographic. Celebrities like Selena Gomez and Emma Roberts promoted
the campaign on their social media handles by posting pictures.

Figure 14: Celebrity Promotions for the Campaign

V. Money
Although the company has been around for 130 years, it continues to invest heavily in
advertising its products. In 2018, the company spent $5.8 billion on advertising, putting its
arch competitor PepsiCo in second place with about $4.2 billion spent on global advertising.
Every year, the company commits to investing a significant portion of its sales in marketing.
In 2018, the brand spent 18.3 percent of its revenue, which is higher than the $4 billion spent
the previous year. Even though the company has a global reach and popularity among a huge
number of consumers, advertising remains one of its primary competitive strengths. The
strategy has aided them in introducing new items to the market, increasing brand awareness
and brand equity among consumers, as well as increasing user knowledge and education.
Coca-Cola’s ‘Share a Coke’ campaign started in 2011 and as mentioned above it started in
Australia in 2011 with an initial budget of 3.3 billion dollars. However, in the subsequent
years, owing to the success of the campaign it has seen a steady inflow of around 1 billion per
year and that has been continuing since 2012.

VI. Measurement
Thanks to its personalized bottle promotion, Coca-Cola Co. recorded a sales increase for the
first time in more than a decade. The initiative, which began in Australia in 2011, has since
spread to more than 70 countries. Even though Coca-Cola hasn't revealed official sales

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numbers, close sources report that sales volumes increased by 0.4 percent over the past 12
weeks compared to the same period last year, and sales dollars increased by 2.5 percent
overall—all after more than a decade of constant reductions.

Coke's direct competitors have experienced a sales decline in recent years. Coca-Cola upped
its advertising budget by $1 billion in 2014, despite industry sales trending downwards and
Coke's revenues consistently rising.

The #ShareACoke campaign is a watershed moment in marketing since it was one of the first
times a big brand shifted its primary target group from baby boomers to millennials. Coca-
Cola already had the allegiance of baby boomers, but the business understood it needed to
shift its focus to the next generation. Coca-Cola tries to show millennials that they care about
them by utilizing popular names on their goods.

OBJECTIVES OF THE CAMPAIGN

They intended the campaign to have such an impact that even the consumers began to love
the brand instead of merely buying its items.

 Multichannel Rollout: The company wanted the campaign to reach as many people
as possible, so it opted to distribute it through a variety of channels, including
newspapers, television advertisements, and online social media platforms like
Facebook. Customers were able to readily connect as a result of this. They were
invited to send an SMS with the name of a buddy they wanted to see on the famous
Coke bottles. Following that, they received an MMS with their friend's name lit up on
the bottles, which could be shared online or mailed to them.
 Online Media Campaign: Rather than pushing the brand themselves, Coca-Cola
converted customers into creative directors and engaged them in promoting the brand.
The entire campaign grew in popularity as a result of social media sites such as
Facebook and Twitter. They targeted those who are frequent users of social networks
and enjoy sharing photos with their peers. Such people found it appealing to share the
names of their loved ones and socialize with them even more.
 Customer Engagement: Coca-Cola recognized that customers prefer to express
themselves creatively via story-telling and to stay connected to their loved ones
through simple gestures rather than words. As a result, they emotionally connected
clients by providing them with the choice of personalization. For example, a son
giving his father a customized bottle of coke does it as a mark of respect and
affection, not for the aim of advertising.

Execution:

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Coca-Cola efficiently utilized every channel of marketing to reach the maximum population.
They were everywhere, newspapers, TV commercials, social media. They created an impact
even before launching the campaign and rolled out Coke bottles with names on them. These
personalized bottles could be seen across fridges in Australia, allowing the customers to
discover the names themselves. This created a buzz when people started sharing the same
even before the company launched a dedicated campaign.

What the company wanted to highlight was the joy people felt while ‘Sharing’ these names
written bottles. They were successful in reaching a 30% audience by spotting the right
opportunity of airing the TV.

Impact:

CHOICE OF MEDIA

Coca-Cola's advertising strategy approach deserves special appreciation since, since its
inception, the company's media campaigns have been iconic and memorable enough to stick

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in the minds of consumers. Coca-Cola is a brand that may be found in many types of media,
including print, visual/aural, and digital. Through a succession of clever advertising, it has
gotten people's attention.

Coca-Cola has used a variety of media, and its media strategy is among the finest in the
world. They have always used the greatest creative directors and well-known celebrities in
their campaigns, and they have placed ads in all of the major newspapers, connecting millions
of people all over the world. Coca-Cola leaped ahead to produce creative television
advertising for its target audience as visual media debuted and became a means of
entertainment.

In general, the Coca-Cola brand has marketed its beverage using two forms of media: print
media and visual/aural media. Let us go through both of them one by one to learn about the
many media forms that helped the Coca-Cola brand get to where it is now:

I. Published Media:
 For advertising purposes, Coke makes use of Newspapers, which is one of the most
prevalent forms of media advertising. The Coca-Cola Company is one of the few
firms that has starred in media advertising since its inception, and it has done so for
almost a century.
 Coca-Cola advertisements may be found in publications all around the world. The
magazines are chosen based on their readability for the company's target audience.
These advertisements usually take up a whole page of the magazine to maximize the
positive impact of marketing efforts.
 Coca-Cola advertisements may also be found on the internet in a variety of ways.
Online advertising for the brand is generally done through banners, pop-up ads, on-
site sponsorships, and other kinds of online advertising on hundreds of websites
throughout the world. Users may also post their Coca-Cola-related stories on
numerous forums and websites dedicated to Coca-Cola’s fans.

II. Visual and Aural Media:

 Coca-Cola has aired commercials on television in several nations. Depending on the
country, Coca-Cola promotes its advertisements in some ways. These ads are written
keeping the local culture in mind to minimize any misconceptions caused by cultural
variations across nations.
 Coca-Cola is marketed in two different ways at movie theatres. To begin, Coca-Cola
video adverts are shown in theatres before the commencement of the film. Second,
Coca-Cola is marketed in movies through product placement, which entails
incorporating the drink at some time throughout the movie and maximizing the

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 effectiveness of the commercial placement by showing the drink being consumed by
the protagonist.
 Even though it only lasts a few seconds, Coca-Cola radio advertising is seen to be
effective in terms of generating brand recognition and consumer loyalty.
 Coca-Cola media routinely advertises through posters and billboards. Billboards may
be seen in city scenters and on roadways all over the world, as well as in certain rural
locations. Posters, on the other hand, are commonplace in public transit, stores, and
restaurants.

‘Share a Coke’ Campaign – Media Analysis

The Share a Coke campaign comes first to mind when we think of major campaigns in
advertising history so far that have had a significant influence on pop culture. While we've all
heard and read countless lectures and books about customization in marketing being the next
big disruptive notion, seldom has a campaign brought it to life with such grandeur—not in
terms of cash or scope, but rather in terms of virality.

The concept sounded easy enough when it was initially introduced in Australia in 2011 -
place 150 of Australia's most popular first names on the labels of Coke bottles and cans with
the slogan 'Share a Coke with...'

It was introduced at a time when huge businesses all over the world were only just beginning
to embrace the concept of social media marketing. Television and outdoor hoardings and
billboards were the most common forms of advertising. ‘Share a Coke’ was a campaign that
went viral primarily because of being digital at its core wherein consumers could send a
virtual coke to someone they cared about. The campaign elicited a strong emotional response
from the whole country.

This campaign was also indeed one of the greatest instances of Word-of-Mouth (WOM)
marketing methods at that time. Other firms have begun to implement WOM, but there is no
competition in the manner Coca-Cola has executed it. One of the main reasons for the
campaign's success is that Coca-Cola focused on Happiness, Connection, and Youth, making
it a global campaign for its target audience.

All campaigns for 'Share a Coke' throughout the world featured their own unique and specific
creative elements and used a variety of digital and conventional media platforms in the most
distinct ways.

1. Traditional Media – Print/TVCs/Radio

 The arrival of Prince George in 2013 was eagerly awaited by Britons (and also the
rest of the world). Coca-Cola greeted the prince with a one-of-a-kind advertisement in
the UK's Metro newspaper, congratulating the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge:

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 Figure 15: Newspaper advertisement in Great Britain

 In Australia, 150 name songs were written and broadcasted on-air through a
partnership with Austereo. Customers then utilized these songs as motivation to
interact with one another on social media platforms such as Facebook.

2. Digital Media

 In China, Coke onboarded Jonathan Mak, a creative genius who created a digital ad
featuring two hands sharing a Coke bottle. This brilliant creative also made him the
youngest recipient of the Grand Prix Award at the 2012 Cannes Festival of Creativity.

Figure 16: Jonathon Mak’s famous creative for Coke

 Technology was at the heart of Israel's Share A Coke initiative. Users downloaded an
app that allowed them to input their names. Using Geofence technology, personalized
digital billboards synchronized with the app would then fill with the name. The
technology detected the user's distance from the billboard, and the billboard would

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 then populate the name with that information. When their names were shown, users
would receive notifications in their apps.
 Coca-Cola also partnered with well-known celebrities including Selena Gomez,
Lupita Nyong'o, and Tyrese Gibson, who were among the big millennial influencers
at the time. Coca-Cola gained massive impressions by launching the amazing
campaign with the support of these influencers on the digital platform. The Facebook
page was a major success, with traffic increasing by 870 percent. In 2011, 170,000
tweets were posted on Twitter, which was a significant deal at the time, and Coca-
Cola's entire US sales grew by 3 percent.
 Coca-Cola launched the campaign in the United Kingdom in 2013, using 150 of the
country's most popular names. Being a multi-media campaign, the initiative included
social networking sites, television commercials, and billboards, among other
platforms. Social media was at the core of the campaign from the start. Coca-Cola has
replaced its logo with the most prevalent names in each location, along with the
hashtag #ShareaCoke, to encourage people to share their photographs, stories, and
tweets on social media.
 To drive its digital campaign a bit crazy, Coca-Cola teamed with Twitter and W+K
agency to design a custom emoji in 2015, making it the first-ever company to have its
own custom Twitter emoji.

3. OOH Media

 Coca-Cola's campaign was extended around the time of Prince George's birth with a
festive effort in which the renowned Piccadilly Circus was lighted up with a
celebratory greeting message: “Time for a Royal Celebration. Share a Coke with
Wills. Share a Coke with Kate". Being a 'Royal Warrant Holder' (one of the
specifically designated companies that usually provides their products or services to
the royal family), the Coca-Cola team anticipated the magnitude of the event and
tapped into the emotion of the nation, partaking in the celebrations.
 Thousands more requests for further names flooded in when the campaign launched in
Australia. The company displayed kiosks at 18 Westfield shopping centers, in an
attempt to invite its consumers to personalize Coca-Cola cans with names of their
choice.
 Billboards were often seen in India at crossroads, buildings, and stores. In addition to
this, the campaign name was painted on buildings, bus stops, dhabas, and other
locations, with a good focus on rural areas of the country.

PR CAMPAIGN ANALYSIS

Over the years, Coca-Cola has not only managed to stay on the top due to its sales but also
managed to stay on the top because of its corporate reputation. For example, in 2014, they

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managed to nab the top spot for the fifteenth year in a row according to the Nielsen surveys.
With our primary and secondary research, we summarized a few reasons which have been the
reason for Coca-Cola’s success.

 Internal PR: It's easy to have tunnel vision in public relations. If you put too much
emphasis on impressing the general public, you may overlook one of your most
crucial audiences: your employees. According to Harvard Business Review research,
keeping your employees engaged and in good spirits can boost sales by over 40%.
When it comes to internal public relations, Coca-Employee Cola's Groups are the
most intriguing strategy. Employees can form groups based on shared histories or
interests to discuss programs, projects, recruitment, and other real-world company
issues in these volunteer-led groups. This includes Asian-American organizations,
LGBTQ+ workplaces, and even military veterans. Employees can easily feel like
soulless cogs in a faceless corporate machine. Coke, on the other hand, does not need
visitors to leave their identities at the entrance. It demonstrates to them that each
individual is valuable and distinct. Coke's Employee Groups are cost-effective and an
easy approach to get workers motivated, while also allowing historically underserved
groups to push for better representation because they're administered by volunteers.

 Adding a Personal Touch: Consider their massively popular 'Share a Coke'

campaign, which began in the early 2010s. Coca-Cola delivered hundreds of unique
Coke cans and bottles with the traditional logo changed with common first names as
part of the Share a Coke campaign. People might present a drink to a friend or family
member with the same name, or they may choose one with their own name. For a
variety of reasons, the campaign was a success. 'Share a Coke' is a wonderfully direct
call-to-action on a basic level. But it was Coca-public Cola's relations campaign's
ability to get people talking on social media that made it truly brilliant. We identify
more strongly with our names than with anything else. It's only natural that when
people see a Coke bottle with their name on it, they want to share it with the rest of
the world. As a result, the campaign was tremendously successful in its first year,
garnering over 18 million media impressions. Customization encourages clients to
interact with your business rather than passively consume advertisements. This is a
crucial step in transforming customers into brand champions. Coke even managed to
transform the campaign's biggest flaw into a win. The obvious disadvantage of
printing labels with people's names on them is that you can only print so many at a
time. Coke, on the other hand, brilliantly allows consumers to order their personalized
bottles via the internet.

 Political Stand: According to a recent poll, 66% of millennials believe businesses

should take a statement on social problems. The best example was the public relations
campaign for "The Black Lives." In the instance of Pepsi, they were accused of
dehumanizing black people, and even well-known celebrities like Kendell Jenner
were chastised for appearing in it. Coca-public Cola's relations strategy, in
comparison, was significantly superior. Rather than an ad, billboard, or any other type

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 of visual campaign, which are all too easy to get wrong on such a delicate subject,
they issued a solemn statement condemning racism: 'Reality is that there is still a scar
in the fabric of America that is not only not healed – but is being reopened.' Racism. It
produces violence and death. Action, of course, is more essential than words. Coke,
on the other hand, did not disappoint. The company invested over $2.5 million into
organizations fighting for racial justice, like the NAACP and the National Center for
Civil and Human Rights.

 PR Stunts: A well-executed stunt has always been an effective way to draw attention
to your company. Coke has a history of large-scale public relations stunts. It may be
'Share a Coke,' or leveraging celebrities at the peak of their popularity, such as James
Bond in their 2013 campaign for the film 'Skyfall.'

 Mastering Heritage Marketing: Simply said, heritage marketing is the practice of

selling a brand based on its history. Consider the classic shape of the glass Coke
bottle: in a world of sleek, smooth surfaces, the iconic design instantly transports us to
another era. They've become a staple of American culture. One of the best examples
of heritage marketing is this.
 Diversifying Brands: According to recent health trends, sugary drinks are prompting
skepticism. As a result, Coke has expanded into a variety of additional sub-brands.
That's why Coke put a lot of money into healthier drinks like Powerade, Evian, and
Diet Coke. As these instances demonstrate, brand diversification is about more than
just survival. It's also great public relations: Powerade allows Coca-Cola to reach out
to new markets, such as bodybuilders and gym rats. It may even provide new avenues
for altruistic public relations stunts.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

CSR Activities

The company boldly says that its drink is "Made in India and Made for India," and it is truly
made entirely in India across 57 facilities, employing over 25000 people directly and over 2
lakh people indirectly. The company claims that more than 95 percent of the raw materials
used by Coca-Cola India are sourced locally, and the company has influenced the lives of
over 4,00,000 farmers and 25 lakh merchants. In addition, the firm exports agricultural goods
and packaging materials to 44 nations.

A decade ago, India was the 19th largest market for Coca-Cola, but now, the narrative has
changed, and India is the company's sixth-largest market in terms of volume, making it one of
the most strategically significant places in terms of business. Coca-Cola India has launched
several projects since its inception, owing to its enormous potential and market breadth. The

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fruit circular economy, as the name implies, is similar to the farm-to-market model in that the
product is directly bought by the enterprise, providing high quality and consistent supply of
fruits, particularly orange and mango.

Figure 17: Coca-Cola’s Unnati Initiative

The Unnati initiative is viewed as a full package for enhancing the quality and quantity of
fruit produced by framers. Unnati's goal is to lower total farm costs, increase yield and
productivity, and hence increase overall product quality and demand while minimizing
supply chain waste.

PR Crisis
In a news release from 2003, the Center for Science and Environment (CSE) reported that
"about 12 cold drink brands in and around Delhi carried a dangerous mix of pesticide
residue." The Pollution Monitoring Laboratory conducted the tests, which revealed that 12
cold drink brands contained pesticide residue that was 35 times higher than the global
threshold. CSE adopted the European standard for maximum permitted limits for pesticide in
package water because the Bureau of Indian Criteria (BIS) had imprecise and uncertain
standards for pesticide residues. The pesticide discovered was dangerous to humans, as it has
been linked to cancer, birth deformities, and serious damage to the immune, nervous, and
reproductive systems. All of these dimensions, including social, environmental, ethical, and
political, have been impacted, and each has played a significant role in the Coca-Cola
disaster.

Many scientists have claimed that the pesticide, which is a by-product of India's agriculture
industry, spilled into the groundwater that Coco-Cola uses to make its drinks. Most Indian
enterprises are supposed to achieve a certain level of pesticide tolerance, however, when
tested, the level was significantly higher than the tolerance. Coca-Cola sales decreased by
40% in just two to three weeks. Sanjiv Gupta, President, and CEO of Coca-Cola India
rejected the charges made by CSE, calling them unfounded and deceptive. They went so far

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as to question CSE's credibility and outcomes, and they intend to make the data public. To
further add fuel to the fire, Coca-Cola raised the prices of its products by 15% citing reasons
for the increase in the cost of raw materials, cost of distribution, etc.

Coke was under a lot of pressure from the protestors, who even attacked the shops in Delhi
which sold Coca-Cola products. The Indian Supreme Court also pressurized the company to
reveal the secret recipe which has been kept a secret for almost 120 years, so that more
testing could be done. States like Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh banned Coca-Cola products
and wanted a nationwide ban. Sales dropped by 40 percent and also the Coca-Cola Bottling
Company stock went down by 5 percent. This is arguably the biggest controversy in Coca
Cola Company in India. Coke concentrated more on arguing the allegation made by CSE of
the pesticide charges instead of concentrating on getting back the support of the customers,
especially in India. This caused a backfire as stated by Richard. S. Lewick who specializes in
crisis management. All this led to the main concern of winning back the support of the
consumers, quality issues, environmental issues, and political issues.

Response
This was arguably the biggest crisis the company had ever faced, and as a result, the company
had its back against the wall. However, the company never had a detailed PR response for the
crisis. The first mistake for the company was directly attacking the CSE by arguing with them
about the allegations made. By increasing the prices, the whole crisis reared its ugly head as
stated by famed Crisis Manager, Richard S. Lewick. Moreover, Sushmita Sen, a famous
Bollywood Celebrity, and the current Miss Universe of the time accused a senior Coca-Cola
official of sexual harassment. However, Coca-Cola decided on a reactive response which
generated a negative PR for the company. Hence, the reactive response didn’t work.

Since the company is dedicated to offering healthy and refreshing products, the priority
should have been to re-examine the testing facilities and improve the water purifying system
throughout the plants in India. The President and CEO of Coca-Cola India should have held a
news conference immediately after the CSE allegations and the press release of high levels of
pesticide in Coca-Cola products, addressing the issue and assuring the public that the
company is committed to offering high-quality products and that Coca-Cola independent tests
have resulted in support of the European Economic Commission (EEC) standards, and
officials should also take care not to smear the company. The corporation should have
strengthened transparency by making lab findings, quality control, and other information
available on their website.

Rather than condemning the CSE for its allegations, teaming up with them would go a long
way toward solving the problem and preventing client loss in India and around the world. The
Coca-Cola Company may potentially have claimed that CSE's tests were conducted by a third
party. The corporation could have been less inflammatory, giving the impression that it is
taking this situation seriously and is concerned about the public's health and safety.

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 CONSUMER AND TRADE SALES PROMOTIONS

Coca-Cola invests a significant amount of money in its sales promotion activities. Despite
being one of the world's largest companies, they are always coming up with fresh selling
concepts and unique offerings for their consumers. It may be on a vacation, a holiday, or just
another day. They go about it in various ways. They visit campuses from time to time to
market their product or to hold sales, and they also give out presents such as Mobile phones,
laptops, and recharge coupons to those who buy Coca-Cola.

For the summer of 2018, Coca-Cola decided to bring the campaign to India. Instead of simply
replicating the original idea, the team decided to co-create the campaign with Indian
consumers. The idea was to make it relevant for Indian consumers. This campaign aims to
give people the opportunity to celebrate relationships that have evolved over the years and
reignite them by creating a moment of happiness that comes from sharing a Coke.

As part of the Share A Coke campaign, Coca-Cola India surveyed its target audience of 18–
29-year-olds to identify what the campaign should be about. Out of the five concepts shared
with the participants (name, designations, relationships, film dialogues, and film names),
most of them picked relationships. Participants were also asked to list their top 20
relationships and the most popular ones made their way to the labels on bottles and cans. The
process helped Coca-Cola understand the relationships that are most significant to today’s
youth.

Labels have been created in 12 languages, which are English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu,
Kannada, Bengali, Malayalam, Oriya, Assamese, Gujarati, Punjabi, and Marathi. Each
relationship is accompanied by an exciting descriptor, such as Grandad (Old School. Yet
Cool), Grandma (Scolds me. Spoils me), Daddy (My teacher. My friend), Mom (Above the
rest. Simply the best) Son (My devil. My angel), Sis (Supermodel. Super role model), Bro
(Troublemaker. Merrymaker), Boss (Pushes me. Promotes me) and nicknames including BFF
(Laughs with me. Cries with me), Bae (Bugs me. Hugs me).

The multi-faceted India campaign includes several consumer touchpoints, including

marketing activations, digital and social media engagements, in-store marketing, and
marketing campaigns with Diljit Dosanjh. Further, consumers can go online to download
virtual Share A Coke labels at the Coca-Cola India Journey webpage.

DIGITAL MARKETING

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Coca-Cola has launched several digital marketing campaigns that focus on various aspects of
the brand, and it has been a comprehensive approach that includes a healthy engagement with
existing and potential customers. They manage a lovely Twitter profile with a following of
around 2.7 million, which they started in March 2009.

Even the image on the page focuses on the most basic emotion the brand wishes to evoke:
sharing happiness with others. This was combined with timely posts (including images and
videos) that reinforced this value communication to their target consumers as well as the
general consumer population. It has also resulted in a fruitful and healthy engagement with
their customers. The most important thing for any brand to do is to stay in touch with its
target audience. This is one of the most effective ways for the brand to communicate their
message and receive helpful feedback to improve on their feedback and properly understand
their concerns to work towards them. It also communicates another message: they enjoy
staying in touch with their customers. It demonstrates that the brand will always be present
and that consumers' voices will be heard and will not be silenced by the chaos.

Staying in touch with its audience via social media has enabled the company to launch
several daring campaigns to promote its brand. Some of the brilliant ideas they've had so far
include "Coke Blogs and Stories," in which they release light articles on a variety of pop-
culture topics such as music, fun, health, sports, and so on. These articles are intended to
provide light reading material for their consumers while also establishing a connection
through these topics and hopefully leaving them with the impression that the brand shares a
mentality with their customers. This was meant to elicit a higher level of human satisfaction.
These articles are written in a way that will help you develop a stronger sense of belonging
and success.

To stay relevant in the digital age, the company is implementing its own new digital
transformation policies to outperform the competition. Back in August 2018, the company
stated at the Adobe Symposium in Singapore that, while they currently offer "the real thing"
(their brand line), what they want to do is revolutionize the industry and bring in "augmented
reality" to "beat the real thing." They want to expand the experience that comes with their
product, which is now possible thanks to the addition of augmented reality.

The company mentioned a four-pronged strategy to accomplish this. A strategy to support

this digital transformation –

1. Experience Transformation – the goal is to expand on the one-of-a-kind experience

that the product can provide to the consumer. They will be able to improve this
experience by incorporating augmented reality, which will hopefully result in a
stronger attachment to the brand than the company currently has.
2. Operational Transformation – This is where they will focus on leveraging existing
assets in data and technology to improve internal processes and increase the speed
with which products are marketed.
3. Business Transformation – It is no secret that the industry is changing at a
breakneck pace. The only question is whether the brand reinvents itself before or after
the fact.
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 4. Cultural Transformation – this is one of the biggest challenges faced by any
company that deals with a huge consumer group. The brand communicates to millions
of lives daily and so, connecting with such a diverse cultural group and understanding
their behavior will be something quite troublesome

A part of this is already implemented by the brand in China. The company has taken a very
localized approach to market the cans. Each can is very personalized to the province in which
it is being sold. Adding a layer of augmented reality, with the assistance of internet services
available there (Baidu, Alibaba, or Tencent) the stories from these provinces can come to life.
The next biggest step they have taken is for the Olympics in Tokyo 2020. They are using
digital platforms to invite anyone to create content around the brand, the Olympics, and what
that represents to the public and share these sketches.

DIRECT MARKETING

Coca-Cola implements a variety of marketing strategies via various communication channels,

including mass media advertising, personal selling, and direct marketing. Direct marketing is
the use of direct e-mail, direct response, television, and mobile phone platforms to contact
directly with a specific consumer base to gain an immediate reaction and create long and
profitable relationships with the consumers.

 The company partners with various other businesses for incorporating exclusivity. For
example, partnering with restaurants and movie theatres that exclusively serve the
brand’s beverages, thereby striking any direct competition from rival brands such as
Pepsi. For example, the Coca-Cola brand is the only soft drink accessible in
restaurants like McDonald's and Dominos. This entices customers to buy a drink from
the company. Coca-Cola pushes the competition out and gains market share over and
over again in this fashion.

Figure 18: Coca-Cola’s strategic partnership with McDonald’s

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  Many of the events or shows that we watch on television are sponsored by Coca-Cola,
making it one of the most recognizable brands in the world. For the past 13 years, the
corporation has sponsored American Idol, the Olympic Games, and NASCAR, to
mention a few. They also sponsor athletic events by using the company's facilities,
such as baseball grounds, and only selling the brand's products to the attendees. This
enables one-on-one sales to significant clients in reserved or designated seating areas.
 Mobile marketing attempts to customize campaigns by sending text messages, while
viral marketing relies primarily on word-of-mouth communication from brand
loyalists. Coca-Cola consumers can also reach out to the company via a toll-free
number.
 Coca-Cola's social media marketing features crowd-sourced content along with direct
involvement with its audience. Banners, video, and public relations are created and
relied on under its web-based interactive marketing, which focuses on design and
functionality. The Coca-Cola Website focuses on new goods, online games, and
social, cultural, and sporting activities. Coca-Cola is highly recognized for its
dedication to building campaigns encouraging its audience’s engagement via all its
digital marketing initiatives.

Direct Marketing Analysis for Coke’s Campaigns

1. Coke’s association with Christmas and Santa: Before the implementation of Coca-
Cola’s Christmas advertising strategies, Santa was usually shown as a small and elf-
like person. The firm revolutionized the holiday season by making him happy, plump,
and brilliant red – thereby associating the company permanently with the holidays.
Coca-Cola made direct mail print advertising featuring Santa drinking coke as he
delivers presents. Since then, Coca-Cola has become so ingrained in the Christmas
season that even minor changes in the advertisements prompt customers to write to
the company officials.
To help promote the campaign, the business also created pop songs. Coca-Cola's
Christmas campaign, eventually considered to be the "world's most famous television
ad", cost $250,000 (being the company’s most expensive commercial at the time) and
included a camera moving across a hilltop while people of different ethnicities and
origins sing. The commercial reached its peak of success when the Coca-Cola direct
marketing team was stranded on a flight in Ireland, and passengers began singing
while sipping coke from bottles. The song was so successful that it reached number 7
on the Billboard charts, establishing Coca-Cola marketing as a formidable force.

2. Holidays are Coming Campaign: The Coca-Cola Christmas trucks, which were
voted Britain's favorite Christmas commercial of all time in 2014, are nothing short of
legendary. The trucks first featured in 1995 and have since been seen by billions of
people in over 100 countries. Coca-Cola popularised the “Christmas Caravans” that
were lit up with over 30,000 light bulbs and used the image of Santa from the print
37
 ads and changed perceptions of the big, red man around the world. The advertisement
has evolved slightly over time, but it remains so popular that more than 4 million
people in the UK have visited the Coca-Cola truck at one of its 46 locations around
the nation.

Figure 19: Coca-Cola’s iconic Christmas Caravans

3. The FIFA Worlds Cup Campaign (2014): The World Cup campaign was produced
to highlight the positivity that may come from people's passion for a particular sport.
Coca-Cola was the most prominent sponsor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and they
used the chance to convey the Coca-Cola narrative. "One World, One Game" was the
title of the company's 2-minute video ad for the World Cup. This film demonstrated
how football can bring communities together, create joy, and provide strength in the
face of tragedy. Coca-Cola also arranged and flew 1 million of its supporters from
more than 90 nations to Brazil for the 2014 Fifa World Cup. Coca-Cola created such
content that recognized how football can alter people's lives and communities while
still staying true to the brand's goal, thereby popularizing the campaign.

4. The Happiness Machine Campaign: The Happiness Machine Campaign is one of

the most renowned and celebrated campaigns of Coca-Cola’s Open Happiness
initiative. As a part of this campaign, Coca-Cola vending machines were deployed in
various locations across several nations. These vending machines were installed with
hidden cameras around the perimeter. To earn a free Coke, users had to engage with
the machines in unusual and enjoyable ways, such as hugging a machine in
Singapore, dancing on K-pop songs in South Korea, singing a Christmas song in
Sweden, etc. The participants were delighted and their reactions were captured and
broadcasted as a series of engagement videos across platforms. The videos were also
uploaded on YouTube, garnering millions of views and reinforcing Coca-Cola's
reputation as a company that spreads happiness and joy.

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 Figure 20: The Happiness Machine Campaign

5. Share a Coke Campaign: The advertising strategy of Coke used 150 of the most
popular Millennial names and displayed them on the bottle packaging, thereby
emphasizing the importance of personalization which is a crucial component of all
successful direct mail marketing efforts. Coke bet on the concept that consumers are
drawn to personalization and that seeing your name on a Coca-Cola bottle will entice
you to buy it. With over 500,000 photographs shared using the hashtag #ShareaCoke
and over 25 million Facebook followers, the campaign was a huge success.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Leveraging CSR and PR: The team was effective in discovering that the corporation
hasn't exploited much of its CSR or PR activities through primary and secondary
investigation. Coca-Cola as a brand has long been involved in many CSR projects, but
they haven't been exploited to enhance their brand image. The company's Unnati
Effort, as well as the recycling campaign, are excellent examples of this. The
corporation could establish goodwill in the country and hence increase sales by
properly exploiting these initiatives. The choice of various media for these events is
critical, and the same is highly important. As a result, a combination of digital and PR
campaigns could be employed to expand the reach. Because it is an environmental
concern campaign, there is a risk that the campaign will backfire if it is not effectively
executed. The brand may face protest because they have had similar experiences in
the past.

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2. Strategic Celebrity Endorsement: Many celebrities are used by the company to
promote its many products. Although each of the brand's products has a celebrity
ambassador, the celebrity's appeal, particularly for smaller firms, is not properly
leveraged. To deal with this, the corporation will need to combine numerous product
campaigns that will have an additive or even multiplicative effect. Coca-Cola and its
sub-brands, such as 7-Up, collaborating on a single ad campaign could be more
effective and demonstrate the company's brand strength. The corporation may also try
to get into undeveloped sectors, particularly in India's south and east, where present
celebrities have a limited impact. This might be avoided by launching inventive
marketing that includes a celebrity from the south endorsing it. Multiple campaigns,
on the other hand, may go over budget for the year, and having multiple campaign
endorsers may produce a muddled picture.

3. IoT Enabled Vending Machines: Coca-Cola can integrate their vending machines
with IoT so that whenever a user (with the Coca-Cola app installed on their phone) is
in the vicinity of a Coca-Cola vending machine, they will receive a push notification
on their phone that will direct them to that vending machine when they click it.

4. Launch of the Coca-Cola App in India: With the growing number of Smartphone
users and a low-cost internet connection, India is an ideal site for the app's launch. If
the organization is serious about realizing the full potential of its digital marketing
efforts, India should be a top priority.

5. Leveraging Coca-Cola as an Umbrella: Coca-Cola is a well-known brand among

consumers, both as a solo and umbrella brand. However, there are several other
products from the Coca-Cola company that do not have the same image and
reputation as Coke. For example, the 'Rani' drink is manufactured by Coca-Cola, yet
many consumers and ordinary people are unaware of this. Similarly, the fruit juice
'Minute maid' does not have that reputation, and customers from the Coca-Cola family
are not aware of it. For this reason, Coca-Cola should feature the family items in its
marketing by spotlighting them in their own ads while also promoting the Coca-Cola
brand. If Coca-Cola fails to brand its co-products well, other companies with strong
marketing and IMC processes will take the risk. Coca-Cola will provide its co-brands
with reliability and trust.

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 APPENDIX

Interview Roadmap
The following questions were broadly covered in the interview.

1. Do Coca Cola rely on third party Advertisement agency to create their marketing
campaign?
2. What are they and how the company as an International brand evaluate the entire
plot?
3. How do the brand select the Advertisement Agency?
4. What are the various processes involved in it?
5. How long does it take for an Advertisement brief to come live?
6. What all analytical measures do the company use to measure the success?
7. What is the procedure for the approval of the narrative?
8. What are the various measures used by the brand (Coca-Cola India) to measure the
effectiveness of an Advertisement Campaign?
9. What is the company’s take on creative Advertisement Brief and what all have the
company done in this area?
10. Do the company has a back-up plan or strategic plans to face situations where any
campaign or other media elements backfires?
11. What all touch points do the company/ Agency keep to check these?
12. What are the various touch points that the company use to create the Advertisement
brief for a Pan Indian Campaign?
13. Is there a change in these factors over time?
14. How as a company Coca-Cola responds to such waves in the market?
15. Integration of communication is an important factor, and what are the various
measures taken by Coke to address this?
16. How Coca-Cola Leverages regional festivals and events?
17. What is the advertisement strategy for the same?
18. How are these events and festivals selected for Advertisement campaign? What all
preliminary analysis are covered for it?
19. Rani, the fruit drink, is the latest addition in the market, what all communication
channels have been employed during its launch?
20. Ponder a bit on the various channels and their effectiveness for Coca-Cola on PLC of
the product (Rani or any other product of the brand).
21. How are competition from other brands being taken care of using communication
strategies?
22. Having multiple products in product line how do the company manage internal
Marketing?
23. How do Coca-Cola link all its various campaigns for different products?
24. Is there any product that Coke keep out of its branded house for promotion?
25. If yes, why and what all exclusive promotional activities are done for the same?

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26. Mention the various PR activities carried out by the firm?
27. Some 10-15 years ago, Coca cola had to face serious negative publicity saying it is
harmful and could be used as pesticides. How Coca cola brand overcome this
situation and what advertisement strategy company strategized to overcome the
negative publicity?
28. The advertisement strategies of Coca Cola is one of the best in the industry, what kind
of research company follows to analyse the mind-set of people to rightly target the
customers.
29. Many a times competitor brands used to come up with advertisements that subsides
the advertisement of coca cola. In that scenario how coca cola has challenged those
situations and what strategies has formulated to come up with the new advertisements.
30. The advertisement campaigns of Coca Cola is really successful, but whether these
successful campaigns has really helped in increasing sales and reach. In many cases as
a consumer while going to the stores, customers asks for ‘Cold drinks’ only specific
customers are seems to be less. What kind of IMC measures needs to be taken care by
coca cola to solve this problem
31. In this modern age of technology and digital era, how Coca Cola is managing the
budget over various mediums and what strategy company follows for its campaign

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