Multinational soft drink giant introduces its new brand architecture strategy to Australia.
After decades of establishing more niche brands, Coca Cola has shifted back to what they call the ‘one brand’ design. Essentially, they are now refocusing on creating a stronger master brand, with more united family of sub brands.
The new approach has been gradually rolled out in some overseas markets during the past year. This month, the new designs will hit the shelves across Australia.
Marcos de Qunito Coca Cola’s Chief of Marketing explains that ‘One Brand’ approach is about sharing the equity of Coca-Cola, across all Coca-Cola Trademark products, reinforcing our commitment to offer consumers choice with more clarity. “This is a powerful investment behind all Coca-Cola products, showing how everyone can enjoy the specialness of an ice-cold Coca-Cola, with or without calories, with or without caffeine.”
Coca Cola define their ‘One brand’ strategy as;
- Extending the global equity and iconic appeal of original Coca-Cola across the Trademark, uniting the Coca-Cola family under the world’s number one beverage brand.
- Coming to life in a global campaign – “Taste the Feeling” – that uses universal storytelling and everyday moments to connect with consumers around the world.
- Featuring the product at the heart of the creative, celebrating the experience and simple pleasure of drinking a Coca-Cola, any Coca-Cola.
- Underscoring the Company’s commitment to choice, allowing consumers to choose whichever Coca-Cola suits their taste, lifestyle, and diet.
All Coca Cola variants will now heavily feature the Coca Cola red visual language. The different varieties such as Life, Zero and Diet will retain their colours as secondary visual elements, rather than the dominant brand colour. The naming also reflects more of a focus on the main brand with the varieties becoming secondary rather than the core name.
While this may result in some confusion from consumers in the short-term, the bigger play from Coke makes sense.
Like most companies, the investment in building separate brands is costly and doesn’t necessarily deliver better returns. As Coca Cola’s market continues to shrink in many countries, this architecture strategy will enable them to consolidate their marketing to get more back for their buck.
The new packaging is designed to also give Coke a stronger presence on shelf and take back the brand’s ownership of red. It certainly creates more of an impact and easier to promote the entire Coca Family in one campaign.
When it was launched in the UK, Coke’s one brand approach was praised by much of the marketing industry. However, it is unlikely that packaging and design changes will help Coke it’s turnaround its brand reputation decline, which is largely a soft category issue.
Michael Hughes
Michael is Managing Partner and Strategy Director at Truly Deeply, a brand agency with 25 years’ experience working with brands to position them for growth. His deep expertise is in unlocking the strategic power of your brand to create a differentiated, compelling and authentic brand proposition that will engage all your audiences. Michael has extensive experience working across Australia and the Middle East working with leading Australian and International organisations across just about every sector.
Images courtesy of Coca Cola.
Coke has recently shot itself in the foot with the closure of its South Australia facility.
I’m detecting a lot of anger. It’s not as if Coke are struggling to make a profit. After hearing some comments it might find it hard to do the same next year.
COKE. I will identify your brands and refuse to buy them and encourage others to do the same.