In 2019, the general state of play of social media for FMCG brands has transformed from its product-focused beginnings to a more content-driven approach.
As social media has evolvedand matured, consumers’ thirst and expectation for original, authentic content have increased exponentially… and the world’s biggest brands are not excused.
Coca-Colais one such brand that has managed to navigate its way through this age ofsocial mediaenlightenment within FMCG.
Coca-Cola has used various tactics to ensure ithas maintained a healthy presence on social mediaand in this piece, I’m going to look at three ways it keeps itself front of mind for consumers.
Consumers as creatives (UGC)
co*ke launched #RefreshtheFeedin November 2018, by givingits social media accounts a complete factory reset.
We’re celebrating #WorldKindnessDay by spreading a little love and positivity. ❤️️ #RefreshTheFeed pic.twitter.com/aneTjuLOQg
— Coca-Cola (@CocaCola) November 13, 2018
The revamp marked the launch of the brand’snew social strategy “rooted in optimism, uplift and connection.” and was conceived to celebrate World Kindness Day (observed annually on November 13th).
Coca-Cola went dark on its Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts on November 12th,only to re-emerge on World Kindness Day 2018;sharingnearly 100original images, with help from four popular street artists who embrace the brand’s core values.
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Following on fromits success in 2018,Coca-Cola ran a similar organic social campaign for World Kindness Day 2019, called#KindnessStartsWith.
The brand partnered with artists on Instagram to create original co*ke-inspired images, all responding to kindness.
Coca-Cola tagged the artists where possible, conveying a feeling of community and harking back to the campaign’s original purpose of prioritising optimism, uplift and connection on social.
Another campaign using similar tactics, but engaging consumers rather than artists, was the brand’s Share a co*ke campaign, which involved Coca-Cola replacing the logo on the bottles of its co*ke products with popular names.
In early 2013 Coca-Cola released the first 150 names in the UK. The company also sent some to celebrities and let the public find them for themselves in store, with the aim of them sharing their own personalised co*ke bottle on social media.
The campaign was a social media success and within six months of its launch, Coca-Cola reported 330 million impressions on Twitter, with nearly 170,000 tweets from 160,000 fans.
#shareaco*ke with Wu ???????????? pic.twitter.com/MMM7VYKkdW
— Jasmine???? (@JASMINEZENG0221) November 25, 2019
The Share a co*ke campaign is always on, with co*ke expanding on the number of names, expanding to different countries and experimenting with interactive packaging in the years since.
Takeovers
Coca-Cola worked with Stranger things to promote the third season of the popular ’80s-themed Netflix OriginalTV series’ witha takeover style approach to its social media – includingthe introduction (or reintroduction) of New co*ke.
So excited to finally try my @Stranger_Things “New co*ke” pic.twitter.com/YIJ797596j
— M@xwell ✈️ NYC (@mxwllbrbnll) June 15, 2019
For those not old enough to remember (myself included), New co*ke was a sweeter version of Coca-Cola withimproved taste,originally rolled out in the US, in 1985, as a response to the dwindling sales of the originalproduct.
New co*ke wasone of co*ke’s most unsuccessful product launches, with clamour for a return to the original recipe impossible to ignore. But with Stranger Things’ third season set in the summer of 1985 both Coca-Cola and Netflix recognised the authenticity the beverage could bring to the programme (through product placement)andCoca-Cola’sonline and offline promotion.
Recognising the power of nostalgia in marketing and by homing in on the fanfare and buzz surrounding Stranger Things, Coca-Cola gave its social media an ’80s makeover through Stranger Things-inspired posts ahead of the new season.
In addition to theorganic and paid social media activity, Coca-Cola and Netflix teamed up for some experiential marketing by launching a Stranger Things-themed pop-up arcade in London, presenting an opportunity for fans to feel apart of the launch and create some additional UGC (user-generated content) for Coca-Cola.
After an incredible ending to season 3 of @Stranger_Things @NetflixUK, I attended the brilliant @CocaCola #StrangerThingsArcade #CocaCola #PopUp #London Great to play some #classic #games, find the #UpsideDown and love the limited edition co*ke cans and palace arcade themed shirt! pic.twitter.com/5CTf4M7Dlz
— Brad Miller (@BradBMiller1) July 12, 2019
Stranger Things fans were transported back toHawkins(the fictional setting for show) to experience its famous arcadeandplay original video games featured in the series.
In addition to the earned and owned social media coverage, the campaign was successfulfinancially too.co*ke beat its second-quarter earnings estimatesand boostedits full-year 2019 revenue forecast, with some of that success attributed to the Stranger Things takeover.
This multi-pronged approach is likeothertakeoversthe company has rolled out in the past. Take#ThatsGold, for example.
To celebratethe 2016 Olympic Gamesin Rio, Coca Cola Brazil launched the #ThatsGoldcampaign,which wasdesigned to celebrate the feeling that comes with accomplishing something great.
thanks for @cocacola for having us down in rio! what a week, good game @nalbert12 #thatsgold ???????????? xox pic.twitter.com/g6PbYkJtve
— Alli Simpson (@allisimpson) April 12, 2016
co*ke used experiential marketing for#ThatsGold, with the Olympic Parkin Riohosting Coca–Cola’s dedicatedspace.
Anyonevisitingthe activation couldhave their photos taken with Coca-Colaprops, merchandise and memorabilia, with the resulting photos creating some great UGC for the company.
Notably, Coca-Cola also took advantage of new features on Facebook, Messenger and Instagram Stories by allowing visitors to its ‘Gold Room’ to create 360-degree images of themselves to share on the social media platforms. In addition, influencers were encouraged to share content on (the then new) Instagram Stories.
Christmas
The #HolidaysAreComing ????????
Can anyone else hear bells in the distance? ????????It's not really Christmas until you see the iconic truck on your TV, and tonight might just be the night. Let us know in the comments when you spot it! #HolidaysAreComing ????????
Posted by Coca-Cola on Friday, 22 November 2019
Kris Robben’s, Marketing Director at Coca-Cola Great Britain and Ireland, commented: “This year, we’ve taken the iconic and much-loved campaign and made it the biggest yet by bringing back the elements people love and adding new partnerships, activity and special moments to bring it to life in even more ways that we hope our existing fans and new ones will love.”
co*ke arguably has the most famous ChristmasTVad of all-time, with its‘Holidays are Coming’ advert from 1995 and, much like with the Stranger Things campaign, it harnesses the power of nostalgia by recreating the original ad.
Coca-Cola will be sending its famoustruckon a tour tovisitseveralUK Towns and Citiesfor Christmassy pop-ups, where consumers will be able to sample its limited-editionCoca-Cola zero sugar Cinnamon.
Someone that works @CocaCola told me the lit up Christmas trucks ???? are expected to make a comeback in T&T this year so look out for them!???? pic.twitter.com/RbQLA0Zo71
— Haydn Dunn (@HaydnDunn) November 24, 2019
Coca-Colaalsopartnered with homeless charity Crisis, with10pdonatedfor every co*ke zero sugar Cinammon can sampled and recycled, throughout the truck tour.
In addition to thead and tour, co*ke has worked withSnapChatto create its own ‘Coca-Cola Christmas lens’ andworked with Waze to give drivers using the navigation app a Santa Claus voice assistant option.
Conclusion
For big FMCGs, approaches to social have morphed from being heavily product-based to more nuanced and varied and Coca-Cola has recognised this shift towards content and experiences to push its brand in a less celebrity-led approach than its major competitor, Pepsi.
Coca-Cola employs a successful combination of enabling its consumers to produce original user-generated content, tactically working on takeover-style activations, and capitalising on emotions such as nostalgia.
Read Econsultancy’s Social Media Best Practice Guides
As an enthusiast deeply immersed in the world of social media marketing, particularly for FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) brands, I can provide insights into the strategies and tactics used by industry leaders like Coca-Cola to maintain a robust presence in the ever-evolving landscape of social media.
User-Generated Content (UGC): Coca-Cola's #RefreshtheFeed and #KindnessStartsWith campaigns exemplify the power of user-generated content. By resetting its social media accounts and collaborating with street artists and Instagram users, Coca-Cola successfully harnessed the creativity of its consumers. This approach not only generated authentic content but also created a sense of community and connection, aligning with the brand's values of optimism and uplift.
Share a co*ke Campaign: The Share a co*ke campaign, initiated in 2013, stands as a testament to Coca-Cola's understanding of personalized engagement on social media. By printing popular names on its bottles and encouraging consumers to share their personalized co*ke bottles on social platforms, the campaign achieved remarkable success. The interactive and personal nature of this campaign resulted in millions of impressions on Twitter and widespread user participation.
Takeovers and Experiential Marketing: Coca-Cola's collaboration with Netflix for the promotion of Stranger Things Season 3 demonstrates the brand's adeptness at takeovers and experiential marketing. By integrating New co*ke, an '80s product, into the series and creating a Stranger Things-themed pop-up arcade in London, Coca-Cola not only capitalized on nostalgia but also leveraged the show's fan base to generate user-generated content. The financial success of this campaign, reflected in increased earnings and revenue, underscores the effectiveness of this multi-faceted approach.
Similarly, the #ThatsGold campaign during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio showcased Coca-Cola's prowess in experiential marketing. By creating dedicated spaces for visitors to interact with Coca-Cola props and merchandise, the brand not only celebrated achievements but also encouraged user-generated content through photos and social media sharing.
Seasonal Campaigns - Christmas: Coca-Cola's iconic Christmas campaigns, particularly the 'Holidays are Coming' advert, illustrate the brand's ability to tap into nostalgia. By recreating and reinventing its famous Christmas ad, Coca-Cola maintains a tradition that resonates with consumers. The integration of partnerships, such as with homeless charity Crisis, and collaboration with platforms like Snapchat and Waze, further enhances the brand's engagement during the festive season.
In conclusion, Coca-Cola's approach to social media reflects a shift from product-focused strategies to more diverse and nuanced methods. The brand's success lies in a combination of user-generated content initiatives, strategic takeovers, experiential marketing, and a keen understanding of emotional triggers like nostalgia. These tactics showcase Coca-Cola's adaptability in navigating the dynamic landscape of social media for FMCG brands.
