As a public relations major I can’t help but get excited about companies that come out with
brilliant marketing and PR campaigns. One company that is really doing things
right is Coca-Cola. When Coke introduced its Share a Coke campaign this
summer, I had to give the iconic carbonated beverage giant props for their
stroke of brilliance.
In case you
aren’t familiar with Share a Coke, the concept is to be able to walk into a grocery
or convenient store and walk out with a Coke with YOUR name on it. It’s the
perfect marketing strategy because whether your name is Isabelle or Isaac you
suddenly feel part of something bigger than yourself. Seeing your name on a
bottle of Coke makes you feel as if the world’s most popular soda company cares
about you as an individual.
The campaign
also effectively makes use of word-of-mouth advertising by engaging customers.
After Molly or Mathew goes home with a shiny bottle of personalized Coke, the
first thing they are going to do is tell their friends and family about it. No
one buys a Coke with their name on and keeps that information to themselves
because it’s something too special not to talk about.
Also, in
today’s world Coke is able to count on its customers to do the advertising for
them through social media. I can’t tell you how much of my Instagram feed this
summer was of people posting about how they finally found a Coke with their
name on it. Coke’s website even has a
page providing info about an official hashtag and Twitter handle to use if you
are posting about your Coke on social media.
Furthermore,
through this simple campaign, customers are helping Coke leave a legacy. Once
people find the Coke bottle made just for them, they aren’t going to throw it
out after the last sip of soda. You can bet that everyone from Coke enthusiasts
to your kid brother is going to keep his or her bottle on display somewhere for
years to come.
Next, there
is the thrill of the hunt. In Chip and Dan Heath’s book, Made to Stick, they address the Knowledge Gap Theory. The Knowledge
Gap Theory is the idea that people have an insatiable need to know more about
what they don’t know. According to Coke’s Web page, the Share a Coke campaign
has introduced over a thousand different names; that doesn’t change that fact
that you never know where you might find your name on a bottle. It could take
weeks of searching and lots of patience as you sort through bins three feet
deep with personalized Cokes. You never know when you might turn one over with
your name making the experience that much more exciting.
Last but not
least, the campaign portrays Coke as a humble brand. Seeing over a thousand
different names where the iconic Coca-Cola name usually appears is certainly
not a prideful thing to do. A company’s logo is part of its identity. For Coke to
put other people’s names on its bottles instead of its own says to the
world, “Hey, it’s your turn to be a superstar. Let us take a back seat while
you get a chance to be seen.” Who can deny Coke respect for a move like that?
Personally,
I don’t even drink that much Coke and I have been known to choose Pepsi over
Coke on many occasions. However, Coke has proved time and time again it
deserves my attention. Out of respect for its mad marking and PR skills I just
might become a loyal Coke drinker, and if you still aren’t convinced I’d be
happy to sit down and “Share a Coke” with you to talk more about it!
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