How an innovative company used an innovative campaign to increase sales and profits

How it all started?
The campaign first originated from Australia back in 2011. The background to the campaign was a sequel to research undertaken by Coca-Cola which unearthed some startling results concerning their brand’s performance among teens and young adults and their market share within the food and beverages industry.
What did their research discover?
Research showed them that while Australia’s teens and young adults loved that Coca-Cola was iconic, many felt the brand was not connecting to them on a personal level and they could not identify themselves with what the brand had to offer (Mind you, they are a new generation who are not privy to Coke’s heritage over the years). Soft drinks were seeing strong sales drops especially amongst youth. The preceding campaign; Bottle Blast retained consumers of the brand, but did not attract new consumers.The next campaign, needed to be so disruptive for Coke to catch the attention of their target market……millennials!!!!
The result?
SHARE A COKE CAMPAIGN

How was it executed?
The most important aspect the ad agency team touched on was to identify their target market for the campaign which were teens and young adults (Millennials). The team also used effective communication channels such as social media, interactive local displays, Above The Line (television and print),Below The Line ( in-store activations etc.)All these were channels that actively engaged millennials. They also started with 150 of the most popular names in Australia. Consumers participated by voting for the next wave of names. Other activations included Iconic King’s Cross digital sign in Sydney, Australia, travelling kiosks, store activations etc. Consumers personalized the campaign and developed an emotional twist to it.
What were the gains?
About 250 million named bottles and cans were sold in a country of under 23 million people. Young adults flocked to the new personalized bottles. The brand’s social media impressions shot to more than 18 million with Facebook recording more than 800%. Sales increased by approximately 7% amongst the target demographic that year. The brand enjoyed great visibility and brand loyalty grew. As a result of this success, the campaign took a multi-national marketing campaign dimension with equally resounding success stories.
What are the key learnings?
Research is key to assess your current business situation. Understand your target market. Use effective communication channels to reach out to them. Mass customization pays off better than mass production.