It all started in Australia. Coca-Cola’s famous campaign generated 25 million likes on Facebook and more importantly, increased sales — for the first time in 10 years.
Based on their ambition to inspire shared moments of happiness and strengthen the brand’s relationship with Australian teens and millennials, Coca-Cola’s Share a Coke campaign celebrated the power of a person’s first name in a playful, social way.
A first of its kind, this iconic campaign showed us the power of market research, personalisation, user-generated content, and calls to action.
Lesson 1: Know Your Target Market
Before spending significant amounts of money on your marketing campaigns, you MUST research your target market first. Every great marketing campaign starts with knowing exactly who you want to reach and then getting deep and insightful understanding about them.
Coca-Cola’s Share a Coke campaign has always been targeted towards teens and millennials. According to Lucie Austin, Coke’s brand executive, “Our research showed that while teens and young adults loved that Coca-Cola was big and iconic, many felt we were not talking to them at eye level.”
With this research in mind, Coca-Cola was able to put millions of advertising dollars to good use by communicating with their target audience clearly and directly.
Market research also played a critical role in determining which names to use. Coca-Cola execs calculated that by using 150 names for the initial launch, they would effectively reach 42 percent of the Australian population.
The Share a Coke campaign was purposely made as an invitation to share a coke with others rather than keeping one for yourself. And again, this move was backed up by research and sound statistics.
Take away:
Use insights gained from your target audience to drive your creative execution.
Lesson 2: Connect on a Personal Level
As previously stated by Austin, Coca-Cola determined that their target audience felt that the company was not talking to them at eye level. So the solution? Personalisation.
Coca-Cola marketers know that consumers are bombarded with hundreds of ads every day. And they recognised that in order to stand out and grab their target audience’s attention, they must make them feel important and communicate to them in a tailored way.
The success of Coca-Cola’s Share a Coke campaign hinges on the fact that the campaign was never about Coke. It was always about YOU.
Take away:
Personalisation is key to winning in the marketing world today. Figure out how you can talk eye to eye with your target audience and find creative messaging solutions that resonate with them. Remember, it’s always about them — not you.
Lesson 3: Focus on Consumer-Driven Success
Because of social media, consumers now have a powerful influence on brands. And Coca-Cola marketers capitalised on this by encouraging their consumers to spread the campaign on social media using the hashtag #shareacoke.
And the result?
- Over 500,000 photos shared;
- More than 6 million virtual Coke bottles created and shared by consumers; and
- Additional 25 million Facebook followers.
Amazing isn’t it? Remember that this success isn’t just about telling people to use a hashtag. As a marketer, you must first give your target audience compelling and irresistible reasons to talk about your brand in their social circles.
Another popular company that used social media effectively to trump their competitor is Volvo in their infamous Interception Campaign. Learn about it here.
Take away:
Social media is a powerful tool to create brand awareness in an organic way as long as you give your audience compelling reasons to talk about your brand. Remember that social media can work against your brand too if you’re not careful.
Lesson 4: Use a Powerful Call to Action
What makes a powerful call to action? Action words that stick. And Coca-Cola created one that’s exactly like this.
The campaign’s main slogan, “Share a Coke” prompts consumers to buy a coke to share with their friends — and even strangers.
“We gave consumers an opportunity to express themselves through a bottle of Coke, and to share the experience with someone else. The campaign capitalised on the global trend of self-expression and sharing, but in an emotional way.” – Lucie Austin
Take away:
Always include a clear call to action message with your campaign. Keep it short and catchy!
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to marketing. You can always learn from the greats and add your own out-of-the-box creative twist. To sum it up, a highly effective marketing campaign needs a:
- Well-researched target audience;
- Personalisation;
- Consumer-generated buzz; and a
- Clear, short, and catchy call to action.
Need help creating a powerful marketing campaign for your business that’s worth every dollar? Get in touch with us.