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Today's food for thought: SHOULD SKITTLES HAVE DONE MORE FOLLOWING THE TREYVON MARTIN SHOOTING? [CASE STUDY]

This past February, Trayvon Martin bought some ice tea and a packet of Skittles from a local 7-11, and proceeded to walk home. The rest, unfortunately, you probably already know.

The 17-year-old high school student was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, a 28-year old neighbourhood watch volunteer despite clear instructions not to shoot by police. Zimmerman is free to walk the streets, protected by Florida’s ‘Defend your ground’ legislation.

The event has triggered a social movement. #Trayvon was tweeted more than two million times and the police were inundated with bags of Skittles – a symbol of the injustice.

Overnight, Skittles was thrust into the public domain as a cultural icon – used as a symbol of racial injustice that underscores Trayvon’s story and highlights the tragic circumstances surrounding his death. Naturally, Skittles’ Facebook wall and��Twitter account came under an avalanche of messages from people asking Skittles to do something:

Yet in the offices of the parent company, Wrigley, this attention has quickly become an unwanted marketing crisis that is threatening to hurt the company, despite a massive increase in sales.

“You get trained if someone dies eating your product, but I don’t think anyone has been through training for something like this” said Beth Gallant, a marketing professor at Lehigh University who has worked as a brand manager for Nabisco, Kraft, Pfizer and Crayola.

“There is this moment where as a brand manager you think, "Oh my God, this is bigger than we are” said Heidi Hovland, a senior partner at Fleishman-Hillard in New York whose client list includes Hyatt Hotels, Barnes & Noble and several food companies.

A no-win position?         

There is a wide consensus among professionals that the company are in a no-win position regardless of how it handles the situation. If it donates money, people will criticize it for being not enough. If it speaks publicly, people will say they are capitalizing on it. And it will all be played out so much faster because of social media. Maybe that is the main reason why Skittles approached the issue like they did, with a rather quiet statement:

Weldon McWilliams, a professor of African-American studies at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, said that “Wrigley should invest in communities where murder based on stereotypes is a reoccurring theme.”

Consumer Vs. Cultral Symbols

For brands, creating networks of associations in consumers’ minds is the basics for all of us marketers (see my Coca-Cola case study for more on brand associations).  For Skittles, a teenage shooting and moral outrage is definitely not consistent with a marketing strategy of tasting rainbows – obviously it’s quite the opposite.

Yet I can’t help but feel that Skittles’ statement is indicative of corporate fence sitting, hoping that non-involvement will somehow detach them from the on-going international altercation. And perhaps this is the right thing to do.

But I can’t help think that Skittles could have taken a philanthropic position. We know how powerful social media channels can be at delivering a purposeful, consequential and loud message, and by reinvesting some of the additional profits into a worthy cause, Skittles could have done a good thing.

Weldon McWilliams, a professor of African-American studies at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, took this view when he said that “Wrigley should invest in communities where murder based on stereotypes is a reoccurring theme.” This action would demonstrate that the brand has feelings, that it’s human, and that it tries its best and that even after (or in) the darkest times, there comes a rainbow. 

There is a world of difference between a brand/product being a CONSUMER symbol firmly embedded in individuals’ heads; and it being a CULTURAL symbol, representing justice, equality and community. Instead of creating yet another entertaining commercial spot and pray for it to go viral, Skittles had the opportunity to create something that made a difference in the real world and sends out a strong cultural message. These are the actions brands can take to create strong, truthful and real messages that can be shared proudly by many.

However, this is only my opinion. I would LOVE to hear from all of you out there! What would you do? Would you adopt the same strategy Skittles now exert; or would you stir this unfortunate event other direction? Would be interesting to know your thoughts.

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10 great documents for social media professionals and for your business!

1.) Pinterest - Learn how to increase traffic, leads and sales by reaching more than 11 million people http://bit.ly/GGdZQe The fastest-growing social media site ever has become a huge traffic referral (arguably, more powerful than Google+) for all businesses. An increasing number of companies are leveraging the platform to reach a new audience, increase visits to their websites, and generate leads or retail sales. And guess what? It's working. 2.) Learning LinkedIn From the Experts: How to Build a Powerful Business Presence on LinkedIn http://bit.ly/GElwgy In Learning LinkedIn from the Experts, five LinkedIn specialists provide key insight into how you can use LinkedIn to successfully grow your network and business. 3.) How to Create Epic Facebook Ads http://bit.ly/GExOvB Placing ads on Facebook provides one of the most targeted advertising opportunities today. The social network knows the demographics and interests of more than 800 million people who are active online. Written by Andrea Vahl, co-author of Facebook Marketing All-in-One For Dummies, this ebook will walk you step-by-step through the nuances of Facebook ads. 4.) How to Use Google+ For Business http://bit.ly/GFqmPU Google+ is the new social network on the block. With more than 90 million users and a growing influence on search, Google+ has definitely emerged as a key player in online marketing. 5.) The Ultimate How-to Marketing Guide http://bit.ly/GFAELr How do you get a comprehensive view of the important ones and prioritize accordingly? To ensure your proficiency in Internet marketing, we’ve designed this multimedia ebook which, as David Meerman Scott says, "identifies nuggets of inspiration to drive success at your business." 6.) How to Execute & Measure Successful Email Marketing http://bit.ly/GEycug Email marketing is arguably the most powerful channel for lead generation. If you don't have a strong email marketing foundation, you'd better start building that knowledge. Download our free ebook and use the best practices shared here as a roadmap to your email marketing success 7.) An Introduction to Lead Generation http://bit.ly/GEyhOA By now, many businesses understand that lead volume is based on a wide array of factors, ranging from social media presence, to blogging frequency, to online content. Learn how to effectively generate traffic and leads for your business through the basics of lead generation and techniques for optimizing your lead gen strategy. 8.) An Introduction to Business Blogging http://bit.ly/GDnJj8 Nearly 40% of US companies use blogs for marketing purposes. •Companies that blog have 55% more website visitors. Marketing data clearly shows that blogging is a critical piece of the inbound marketing methodology and directly correlates to better business results. In this ebook, we walk you step-by-step through blogging fundamentals. 9.) An Introduction to Inbound Marketing Analytics http://bit.ly/GBIOWY Analytics programs can give marketers amazing insight into their marketing campaigns. Our free ebook highlights the essential inbound marketing metrics for data-driven decision making, along with advice for how to use that data to improve and optimize your marketing efforts. 10.) An introduction to Lead Nurturing http://bit.ly/GFeZFh 50% of leads are qualified but not ready to buy. So if you are not nurturing them, you are simply burning money. Lead nurturing is all about understanding the nuances of your leads' timing and needs. Learn how to leverage lead nurturing to increase high-quality conversions and reduce your cost of customer acquisition. Download them all for reading later and feel free to pass this email along. Here's to your success!

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9 WAYS SOCIAL MEDIA WAS USED TO FUEL 'THE HUNGER GAMES' HYPE MACHINE

The Hunger Games, premiering on March 23 in the US and Europe, is a movie based on a book trilogy by American TV writer and novelist, Suzanne Collins. 

The social media marketing activity concentrated around this movie took me more time and effort to analyse than the whole Super Bowl 2012 social media activity - there really was a ton of effort spent on building the hype machine. It makes sense too, just think of the social opportunities Lionsgate have at their disposal that they simply wouldn't have had a decade ago.

This blog outlines the platforms they used to generate a hype machine, and how they did it. Clue: it's got a lot to do with empowering advocates.

Timeline

1. Hashtag Creation - August 2011 

In the very first stage of Hunger Games social media promotion, Lionsgate launched the first teaser trailer for the film at the MTV VMAs in August 2011 (great target audience event facilitation too, by the way). At the end of the trailer was a hashtag:#whatsmydistrict. This hashtag led all the curious Twitter users on a chase to find a hidden website with the help of @TheCapitolPN (official twitter account of the campaign creators) and the website, thecapitol.pn was finally revealed. Initially a fading image of the website became more and more clear over the next days and followers could eventually log in with Twitter and get assigned to one of the 12 districts, mirroring the movie’s plot.  

In the first stage of the campaign, anticipation was built up and on the top of it, fans got engaged and in a quest to made the website appear via their Twitter activity. Mirroring the movie plot in assigning fans into different districts is a brilliant idea that makes the movie plot more personal.

2. Become the Mayor! November 2011

Full 2.5 minute Hunger Games movie trailer premiered on iTunes Movie Trailers. In order to spread the word, fans were offered to become the “mayor” of their district on Facebook by following a prompt giving them a unique URL to a CapitolTV video they could share. The most influential sharer could then become the mayor of his/her district on Facebook and gain access to more news and prizes.  

(Ed's note: This is a wonderful way to use advocates' enthusiasm to promote your product.)

  3. Join the District - January 2012

Starting January, selected district mayors have been getting exclusive packages in the mail with t-shirt, pin, and other district-related items. Additionally, other Facebook fans were randomly selected to obtain t-shirts with their district. Of course, these had to be shared online and are mandatory to be worn while watching the Hunger Games this March.

Following the Foursquare mind-set, offering participants exclusive ‘social status’ through gamification, even only the virtual one, motivates fans to participate and engage on a whole new level. Exclusive content drives social media activity, no matter what field or product. Opinion leaders who are most active on social networks identified themselves to the campaign creators and those are the ones who keep spreading the word for you for free (well, for a status of “mayor”)

  4. More Hashtags, with Free Tickets! February 2012

On the Leap Day, fans could start unlocking Hunger Games free advanced screening via Twitter hashtags. Again, mirroring the movie plot of “24 tributes” that fight to death, Lionsgate announced to give away tickets to 24 advanced screenings in various US cities. Fans can tweet hashtags related to their cities such as #hungergames24POR for Portland’s advanced screening. Top four cities with the most tweets are being revealed and ‘unlocked’ each day. Only after unlocking a city can fans enter to win tickets in those locations. 

After #hungergames started trending in various cities, digital media started reporting on it, attracting more attention to the campaign and the movie itself.

5. Twitter Reach

Since the very beginning of the promotion campaign, Twitter account @TheCapitolPN has been the core informational platform for fans, spreading the clues and pointing them in the right direction of completing all tasks needed to build a responsive and engaged fan base. Since then, @TheCapitolPN has been tweeting updates about the characters, posting movie trailers, posters, and behind-the-scenes gossip to build anticipation for the first film of the trilogy.  Starting March, @TheCapitolPN has been tweeting about the movie’s merchandise (you can get anything from t-shirts to pet collars), especially popular is the line of Hunger Games nail polishes by ChinaGlaze, where each district gets represented by a different polish shade.

6. Facebook and the Personal Touch

Each of the 12 districts featured in The Hunger Games has its own Facebook fan page, in addition to the main Facebook page for the film. One thing that I have to highlight regarding the movie’s Facebook activity is the personalization. All my Facebook activity and 'likes' evolve around technology and social media. When I signed up for a district on the main page, based on my interests and other data I allowed the app to access, I was assigned to District 3 – Technology.  This may seem insignificant and simple, however this is exactly one of those extra value-adding features that make the online experience feel real and personal, especially when there is a ‘gamification’ in play.

Apart from a movie trailer that plays automatically within the first second you land on the page, there is nothing revolutionary about the main movie website. Videos, photos, cast&crew… all of the ‘expected’ movie information you find on every other movie website. That is, until you roll out the possible destinations in the main menu...

7. Creating a Kick-Ass Engagement Site (thecapitol.pn)

Thecapitol.pn is the additional main site of the movie targeted specifically on the social media community created around the movie. Fans can also undergo the ‘citizen registration’ here and get assigned to their district. This website serves as “citizen information terminal” which is essentially a dashboard with movie’s social media activity across platforms, including discussion rate by district or number of registered citizens per district. Such display is aimed at furthering the ‘gamification’ of this campaign and prompt fans/or Panem citizens to be more active and engaged with the campaign in order for their district to take the lead.

8. Tumblr (capitolcouture.pn)

Hunger Games’ Tumblr platform hosts their Couture magazine. Here fans can read more about the lifestyle and fashion style of the Capitol’s citizens. Of course, Capitolcouture serves mainly for user-generated content, with competitions prompting fans to participate and upload their own content, such as their own design of shoes to be worn to the Hunger Games event.

9. Now time for a Social Game!

Still unrevealed, Hunger Games Adventures: Facebook game, is now prompting fans to sign up for beta testing. Fans will have the opportunity to complete various missions around Panem, again, mirroring the movie plot. Seemingly an additional engagement tool will be able to provide fans with a detailed cartographic depiction of the story world. This has been the source of curiosity and speculation in the fan community.

I predict a bright future for the Hunger Games phenomenon. The social media campaign creators knew exactly how to sweep their target audience (the ‘generation Z’) off their online networking feet. Personal engagement induced by gamification and sense of belonging to one’s district should carry the movie creators far beyond the movie’s premiere in two weeks. A whole new world has opened up to Hunger Games fans, one they can create their identities in, join their fellow (proud!) district members, compete, create content, explore, discuss… all in real-time and on their personal devices. All that is left for me to wonder is whether people would be riding brooms outside nowadays if Harry Potter were given such technological progressiveness to use since the very first movie?

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#SUPEBOWL #SOCIALMEDIA #MADNESS ANALYSED [iStrategy]

This year’s Super Bowl activated 12.2 million social media comments on Facebook and Twitter, making it the biggest televised event in social media. Just to give you a valid comparison, the previous record breaker, MTV's Video Music Awards 2011, generated 3.1 million social media comments. At its peek, the Super Bowl was generating 10,000 tweets a second on Twitter. 

Super Bowl 2012 was definitely a milestone in the history of digital marketing and social media as a whole. Here is a selected review of social media strategies selected by the biggest Super Bowl 2012 brands and suggested implications for your digital strategy divided into pre-game, During, and post-game social media activity.

PRE-GAME

USA Today reported that brands posting Super Bowl related messages on Facebook registered 60 percent greater comment engagement than posts unrelated to the game. There is an entire array of opportunities for brands to release and communicate compelling content while their customer base is in the top-of-mind state regarding an event. This way, relevant posts will increase the fan engagement on social media leading to more effective fan-base facilitation and activity.

 Kia

Looking at the big commercial players on the Super Bowl 2012 field, KIA not only released a teaser of their game ad with supermodel Adriana Lima on YouTube, they also had stars of the ad (Lima, Mötley Crüe and Chuck Liddell) posting links to pictures and videos of the KIA spot on Facebook and Twitter. Smart move from KIA including their celebrities in making the ad go viral. As a result it increased the curiosity, added on likeability and widens the audience pool from brand-fans to celebrity-fans.

Volkswagen

The pressure was on for the ‘winner’ of last year’s Super Bowl viral ad contest, Volkswagen. Living up to the expectations of their fans, VW released the teaser and a "making of" video weeks before the full 60-second spot aired in Sunday's game.

"With a mass audience of over 100 million, you have to find a way to connect. It's like leaving bread crumbs along the trail.” said Tim Mahoney, VW's chief of US marketing.  

VW definitely does a great job in keeping their audience wanting more after each year and uses all social media tools necessary to enhance this feeling by doing exactly that. Here is the Bark Side video if you haven't already seen it (which i'm sure you have).

Chevy

Chevy also demonstrated their clever take on social media pre-game engagement. With their Chevy Game Time app ("Don't Just Watch, Play Along With the Super Bowl") fans could download an app for free and all who registered before January 27 were given a unique license plate number. The owner of the generated licence plate number, which appeared in the commercial spot, won the car carrying the license plate. For further analysis of customer engagement with social media, check out my last case study, where I explained the importance of incentives for customer engagement especially when bridging the online and offline world.   

Dorritos

Dorritos chose a highly fan-interactive approach for this year’s Super Bowl. Their social media fans could choose from multiple 30-second commercial spots which one they would like to see airing during the game. Giving your fans the opportunity to choose what they want to see can go either way; in this case, the strategy proved social media marketers effective when Dorrito’s “Sling Baby” was voted most favourite out of all Super Bowl commercials. 

  DURING THE GAME

More than 5.4 million people made a total of 12.2 million tweets or other social media-related comments about the game with almost an additional million comments on the ads. Of course I can’t forget Madonna and her halftime show triggering 862,000 comments (almost as many as were made in response to the entire evening of 2011 Academy Awards). Foreseeing such activity, the Indianapolis host committee built up The Super Bowl 2012 Command Center consisting of social media strategists, analysts and other tech-savvy volunteers. 

According to Taulbee Jackson, head of the command centre and CEO of marketing agency Raidious, it had a direct reach of about 49,000 people in the Indianapolis area over Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and YouTube and it delivered an average of 1.8 million online impressions each day. Additionally, the centre became a hot spot for tours by other event and civic organizations suggesting such real-time monitoring and approaching of customer care operations is effective and desired for the future.

That's Shazamable!

The 46th edition of the NFL championship game also marked a digital milestone, with more than one third of the commercials being “Shazamable.”  The app maker Shazamoffered its users chances to download videos, enter sweepstakes and donate to charity. Some advertisers like Best Buy, Cars.com and Pepsi used Shazam to connect with online and mobile viewers. In the Pepsi ad, viewers were invited to 'unlock' a free video online.

Shazam says the spot that received the most interaction was for Best Buy, which was one of my personal favourites and also featured both of Shazam’s founders, Chris Barton and Avery Wang. 

Fandango

Fandango (Movie ticketing site) also experimented with a Super Bowl commercial for the first time. For the advertised upcoming action-adventure film “Battleship,” viewers wereprompted to download its mobile app.  There, they could sign up for alerts that would notify them when tickets were available at their local theaters and could enter a contest to win five years' worth of free movie tickets. Cross-platform and real-time engagement = success for Fandango or your brand.

Chevy... again

Chevy also engaged the Super Bowl audience during the game. Their aforementioned app allowed users to interact socially with trivia questions and polls during the game along with the chance to win cars and thousands of other prizes.

The power of the hashtag - with Bud Light & Audi

Surprisingly, only some brands incorporated Twitter hashtags into their TV ads such as Bud Light (#MakeItPlatinum), Hulu (#mushymush), and Audi (#SoLongVampires). It is almost shocking that close to 25 percent of the ads didn’t show any extensions of the brand online. In this way, the audience wasn’t prompted to go and look for further information or unite under a hashtag to join the conversation. Waste of money for advertisers including Dunkin' Donuts, Lexus, and Chevy Sonic?

Combining Hashtags & URLs with David Beckham

Other brands combined both hashtags and URLs in their ads. One of these brands was H&M with their most talked-about David Beckham underwear spot, which won the most social media reaction contest with over 109,000 social media comment within the 45 minutes of airing (and yes, 80 percent of comments came from women). Watch David here: 

Still, Mark Ghuneim, CEO of the digital analytics firm Trendrr offered some constructive criticism regarding the use of social media extensions within TV commercials: 

"Throwing out a hashtag, as many did, is a great first step, but advertisers need to do a better job of a call to action."

  POST-GAME

On the contrary to VW's strategy, Chrysler, whose ad featured Eastwood with his half-time message to get America ‘back on its feet’, waited until after the spot aired to post it on social channels. Extending the two minute spot, the YouTube page allows viewers to share the ad and track how it's being spread via a map of the United States. The interactive map shows the total number of people who have shared the ad via Facebook and Twitter, and their locations.

"In addition to viewing the spot on our YouTube page, we wanted to create an experience that allowed people to share the message while seeing a live visualization of where the spot was being seen across the United States," says Chrysler spokesman Gualberto Ranieri.

CONCLUSION

And there you have it –  the Super Bowl 2012 social media game summary. Overall, ads were playing on the awareness and likeability factors and so was brands’ additional social media activity. Now, when the game is done, it is up to the brands to quickly analyse tweets, retweets, content shares, mentions and its sentiment in order to start on next year’s planning. My expectations about the 2013 Super Bowl are great! I am looking forward to seeing more interactive, personalized and cross-platform campaigns integrating all devices possible to keep the audience engaged, even when Tom Brady isn’t on the field. 

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Great [INFOGRAPHIC] about the power of #socialmedia with some numbers to persuade you about its potential thrown in. 

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CHEVROLET & NATIONAL FOREST FOUNDATION CREATE 'CHEVROLET TREE PROJECT' [CASE STUDY]

Chevrolet and National Forest Foundation have joined forces… Yes, you read that right. Detroit’s own proclaimed 'eco devil,' Chevrolet, has joined forces with the “Goodie-goodie” National Forest Foundation in the mission for carbon dioxide reduction from the atmosphere and you and I, can help. 

Before you close this tab not interested in getting your hands dirty, let me just say that you don’t have to go anywhere outside of the city or, an even worse, outside of your 3G reach. You can help the environment on your coffee break with exactly five taps on your smartphone.

In exchange for your involvement, the 'Chevrolet Tree Project' Facebook application promises to plant a tree of your choice, in a US forest of your choice, on your behalf in 2012. When the project launched on October 5, there were approximately 175,000 trees up for grabs leaving only 1,616 more trees awaiting adoption by new, proud ‘planters’ – I would advise you to click quickly if you want to brag to your followers about what an awesome eco warrior you are. 

CARBON STORIES

With the launch of Chevrolet’s plug-in hybrid, Volt 2011 expected this November, 'Chevrolet Tree Project' app on Facebook is one in a series of social media projects, called Carbon Stories. It nicely rounds out the greener brand strategy Chevrolet has been pursuing. 

If you are a global change enthusiast like me, you should definitely start by visitingChevrolet’s Carbon Stories webpage to get a feel for all the good things Chevrolet and their partners will be doing in the near future. 

You will be happy to calculate your carbon footprint and read suggested ways of how to start reducing it. 

  An interactive US map will enable you to easily browse all the projects Chevrolet will be investing in for the sake of our planet.

GETTING THE RIGHT SUPPORT

And if that’s still not enough to get you on board, Michio Kaku, physicist, futurist and the face of Carbon Stories, will try to change your mind in his Carbon Stories on YouTube.(Side Note: If you are just a social media enthusiast not really caring for the environment but caring to be entertained, forget about all of the above and go check out Michio Kaku on YouTube anyway. It’s worth it.)

Even though I am currently based in Amsterdam, I was definitely proud to present my brand new Red Alder to all my friends residing, along with my tree, in Oregon and beyond. It genuinely made me happy to share this app with all my US and non-US-based Facebook friends. Some of them made sure they planted their trees in the Oregon forest too, so our Red Alders can hang out.

I am applauding Chevrolet for giving us all this opportunity to make a difference and for comprehending what an amazing vehicle for social, environmental or any kind of change social media truly represents. Sales enhancing strategy or not, global carbon dioxide reduction comparable to the annual impact of a Yellowstone-sized forest sounds good to me – especially if I can do my part. And I want more of the same, please!

PS: No, Chevrolet did not pay me to write this.

That’s exactly the point.

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HOW COKE'S 7-ELEVEN SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN ETCHES POLAR BEAR EVEN DEEPER INTO OUR PSYCHE [CASE STUDY]

When Coca-Cola introduced the “Always Coca-Cola” ad campaign in 1993, the ads were a revelation.

They included innovative computer animations, and used various likability factors such as music and humour to give consumers no other option but to pay a great amount of attention to them and then fall in love with them.

I was five years old when the legendary polar bear first appeared on TV.  By the age of seven, I knew very well that once the polar bear showed up, Santa was on his way!

This is what Coca-Cola have to say about it:

In 1993, we made a sharp shift in our advertising with the “Always” campaign. “Always” was diverse in nature, with an initial run of 27 commercials created to appeal to specific audiences.

The “Always” ads ran around the world and included a variety of innovative technical approaches, such as computer animation. The commercials used everything from humor, music, animation and even Shakespearean parody to appeal to people's enjoyment of the Coke taste and the refreshment it provides.

What Coca-Cola did for my generation and all future generations was to create a network of associations of various objects, sayings, animals or songs with their brand in our brains. I don't think it's a push to say confidently that my generation now recognizes Coca-Cola as the main sponsor of Christmas worldwide.

Therefore, when I first read that Coke will be building their winter 2011 social media strategy on the concept of the polar bear, I got excited. Since Coke is the ultimate number one in consumer brand 'likes' on Facebook (over 36,257,989 fans and 321,340fans talking about it), there might just be a lesson for all of us.

COCA-COLA'S 7-ELEVEN

Coca Cola, together with the World Wildlife Fund is bringing you your first playful digital Christmas experience this winter, yet again setting a trend for the rest of us interactive marketers.

In the quest of saving their very own polar bear over at Arctic habitat, 7-Eleven in the US is now offering Coca-Cola cups with QR codes (look left) that take customers to the iTunes App Store where a free interactive app, Snowball Effect by Coca Cola, can be downloaded. QR codes are a great choice for Coca-Cola due to their ability to navigate the consumer wherever needed and in about two seconds, no further clicks or taps needed, no distractions on their way to your target information.

Besides having some fun with your friends (integration with Facebook is self-implied), Coca-Cola also enables you to help their Arctic polar bear and spread the word to help them protect their home. The only drawback is the app is only availble on iPhone, turning all other users a bit Grinchy this Christmas. 

THE INNOVATIVE 'ARTIC HOME'

The “Arctic Home” Facebook page obviously isn't restricted to only one smartphone, so is available for anyone willing to play with it and is loaded with all kinds of widgets that bring potential consumers closer to the polar bear and its natural habitat. Consumers canlivestream recordings of actual polar bears or track them traversing the Arctic. There is also a link to “Live Positively” website dedicated solely to Coke’s CSR causes making it very easy for the reader/customer to get all the information needed and donate some money too.

Coca-Cola is now not only bridging the online and offline world this season; it is now bridging the corporate and real world and protecting their beloved advertising symbol’s natural habitat in the process. 

4 WAYS TO BRIDGE THE ON- AND- OFFLINE EXPERIENCE

According to Robert Withagen, one of the speakers at the Amsterdam iStrategy Conference this October, you have to offer you customers four elements in order to bridge the on -and -offline experience to your brand’s advantage: Information, Conversation, Win and Experience. 

Coca-Cola is bringing all four of them in this year’s social media campaign:

1. Information about the polar bear, ways to donate money to this or any related cause can be found on their “Live Positively” website. 

2. Conversation has been deeply embedded in Coke’s social media practice ever since they emerged on Facebook as consumer-generated brand fan page and consistently get 321,340 fans conversing online.

3. Consumers constantly ask themselves what’s in for them. Coca-Cola give them a worthwhile answer by offering iPads and other prizes for the Snowball Effect app owners. 

4. Finally, engaging customers is the essence of social media. I spent some time on Coca-Cola’s Facebook page playing around with polar bear tracker and viewing the livestream videos. It's entertaining, educational and something new. Coca-Cola enable their customers a reason to talk about their brand, keep them engaged, and most importantly, tell them their brand’s story. In short, well told stories stick in consumers’ minds and create much needed brand associations that elevate brands up a level. Or ten. 

We live in a world where the new age fairytale is being told through contemporary consumer symbols. Coca-Cola are extremely adroit at doing this. Successful marketers and brands don’t try to sell; they tell a story instead. For a successful campaign to get a toe-hold stories need to be told. Experiences need to be shared. Inspiration needs to be spread.

We as consumers deserve more, especially over the Christmas season. Coca-Cola do just that.

And on that note... Merry Christmas!