Coke's big social media push is both stupid and doomed to fail
11/18/09 03:01 PM Filed in: Social
Media Branding
I recently read that Costco has decided to stop selling Coke in its warehouses because of a “price dispute”. Maybe Coke would do better to settle the dispute with Costco than to spend money on a social media campaign tracking 3 20 year old somethings through countries that sell Coke. The company will track media impressions, Facebook and Twitter followers, as well as page views, said Clyde Tuggle, senior VP-global public affairs and communications, to determine how the program is resonating externally. If I am not mistaken Coke already had very high brand awareness.
This sounds like what happens when marketers give too much control to an agency that likes to think it is more important than the brand. Social media impressions mean nothing; sales are everything in today’s economy and watching a bunch of guys go around the world is not going to make anyone want to buy a Coke over brands like Mountain Dew which are considered hip and cool by the 20 something audience. In addition older women make the majority of food and beverage purchases and this strategy completely ignores them.
A social media strategy is not a marketing strategy. We are wired to connect to each other and nowhere even close to the top of that list is the desire to be sold to...or find interesting new products to buy...or have a chit chat with a brand representative or watch people go around the world tasting Coke when right now most people can’t afford to go across the country.
Coke needs to find ways to be cool again..a brand that you want to be seen and want as part of your life. This is sure not the way to do it.
Can you imagine a bunch of women talking about 3
guys going around the world drinking Coke?
