Coke Zero vs. Pepsi Max: Vigorous fight in Brand Media Plan
As I learn more about marketing, I suddenly realized how close the relationship between me and marketing is. Those purchasing decisions I use to be proudly considered to be self-determined and free to follow my own inclination are actually so heavily influenced by ubiquitous advertisements which are specifically designed to communicate with me (as one member in the target market) in a specific way.
Think about how we make decision as small as what to drink after an exciting game. Beverage giants Coca Cola and Pepsi have vigorously competed for share of voice, share of heart and share of throat for decades. In the case of Coke Zero and Pepsi Max, they are chasing a burgeoning market of men who apparently aren’t man enough to own up to drinking a soda marked “diet.” As our textbook mentioned, in order to communicate the value of new product — Caffeine-Free, low calories coke and promote it against a “girly” drink, they specifically targeted men through its fast-paced TV commercials, out-door advertising and the dark, bold colours.
Coke Zero centered its brand media strategy on four key pillars: sports, social media, schools and Spanish language media. The marketer secured prominent advertising placements in and around college basketball, college football and Nascar. Over 70% of Coke Zero’s TV commercials ran on CBS, many during coverage of the NCAA basketball March Madness season. Also Coca-Cola Zero’shome page was at one point devoted entirely to its “Playbook Challenge” game and contest. College football fans could win prizes by making quick decisions about how they would respond to a variety of dilemmas that fans would potentially face at a game.
On the other hand,Pepsi Max’s plan had a more traditional media flavor to it, delivering strong audiences for the advertising . And it did a smart job leveraging Doritos’ early buzz for the Super Bowl.Here’s the very latest on the Coke / Pepsi war as a remake of the original Pepsi vs Coke commercial from 1995 – today it’s Pepsi MAX versus Coke Zero. Pepsi has done a great job at integrating technology advances in this version and the clip ends with a funny twist. Enjoy!