“Last September, in the dead of night, the world’s most iconic brand did the unthinkable…”
In September 2012, Coke issued a new, Australian “Share A Coke” campaign in response to the fact that “50% of young adults hadn’t even tasted a coke” in August 2012.
Tragedy? Well, for the health of young adults this absence of sugar and empty calories was probably beneficial, however for Coca-Cola, this drop in product consumption was definitely bad news.
So what did Coke do in response to its lack of popularity in Australia? Click here to see!
Coke re-evaluated its consumers in the Australian market, and recognized that interest in its product was burning out. Coke needed to get consumers excited about Coke again! And the company did just that, with the initiation of this fun and interactive marketing campaign. Coke began displaying customer names on bottle labels and massive advertising screens, taking the marketing principle of “the consumer being the centerpiece” to a whole new level.
Coke attempted to fulfill much more than solely the functional need of quenching thirst; Coke pertained to the psychological needs of consumers, in particular to the esteem needs of many modern young adults. Today, with such constant exposure to media and celebrity gossip, many young adults crave fame and attention. Coke no doubt capitalized on this need, and gave consumers the chance to get noticed and have their “name in lights.” Not only that, but Coke hit another level on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: the “Love” need. Coke changed the way consumers interact with one another, and encouraged them to use a can of Coke to connect, and nurture relationships. Coke got personal.
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