Gonzo Marketing: Coca Cola

Coca-Cola has done it again! While Coke lagged behind at first in the social media world, its recent advertising campaigns have made up for its slow start. Innovative and interactive, Coke’s recent ploys have targeted the Internet as the primary sight for gaining brand recognition and exposure. “Expedition 206” is Coke’s most recent quest under its “Open Happiness” campaign. The process will include choosing three bloggers for the Expedition tour who will blog, tweet and upload media as they complete a journey from Aruba to Zimbabwe.

The campaign strives to raise international awareness throughout the trip from beginning to end. Coke has structured the finalists to be chosen by the public from a group of 9 nominees. This is an incredible tactic, as Coke has found a way to creatively and discreetly manipulate the public as they become invested in this pseudo-reality ploy. Seemingly having nothing to do with the beverage directly, the three finalists will be required to travel on a mission that Coke has boiled down to this promotional mantra: “206 Countries, 365 Days, 1 Mission.” The team will undergo a yearlong quest interacting with locals around the world to determine what makes them happy. During their journey they will encounter several incredible events including the Winter Olympics in Vancouver and the FIFA World Cup in South Africa before ending up at the Coca Cola headquarters on December 31.

Coke may be the biggest company that has taken on a social media driven campaign such as this but it is not the first. Recently several hotels and travel sites have made news because they have recruited grounds keepers or travel bloggers through a series of online competitions. Ranging from Tweet trivia and Blog wars, contestants are encouraged to gain as many votes as they can through the social media medium. Clearly, the marketing world has shifted not only to incorporate social media but to actual position itself so that target markets become invested in monitoring brands through social media networks. Cheap and efficient, social media provides a vast array of dynamics which corporations can use to promote their brands… or simply a cause such as Coke’s ‘Open Happiness” Campaign.

There is no doubt Coke will get its Happiness Ambassadors featured on TV during the Olympics or make a viral video of the finalists worldly adventures. And yet, this method of social media guiding a campaign is new and exciting. It elicits support as well as input from social media users and the company can continue to cultivate a fan base by not solely focusing on the promotion of its products but on global causes.

Image by Meanest Indian.

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