Mindful Marketing
  • Home
  • About
    • Mission
    • Mindful Meter & Matrix
    • Leadership
  • Mindful Matters Blog
  • Engage Your Mind
    • Mindful Ads? Vote Your Mind!
  • Expand Your Mind
  • Contact

Coke's Simple Sharing

10/6/2014

4 Comments

 
Picture
People often buy gifts for others that they wouldn’t buy for themselves. Sometimes it’s because the items are too expensive to justify self-indulgence. Other times they’re things we don’t like or want for ourselves, but we rationalize the tastes of the gift recipients: “they’ll probably like it.”

So, what gift-giving motivation has been behind the success Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign, which is credited for a 2% increase in the company’s U.S. cola sales?

First it’s important to acknowledge that despite a shrinking U.S. market for colas, many people do still like to drink Coke’s cola products.  For some people, therefore, a Coke is an appreciated gift. Also, a personalized gift of most kinds tends to be liked because it plays to our vanity. In fact, the success of the Share campaign may have been driven as much by ego as by generosity, i.e., people buying cans and bottles with their own names, for themselves.

A decade-long decline in Coke sales also suggests, however, that some gift-givers have been rationalizing—“I wouldn’t buy a Coke for myself, but Tyler will like it because his name is on it.”

So, does “Share a Coke” represent Mindful Marketing? Probably not.

To encourage gift-giving of something small and personal that might brighten another’s day is a noble thing, so in that sense it upholds societal values.

The program, however, never had long-term potential, which Coca-Cola knew. It doesn’t take long for the novelty of giving or receiving a personalized Coke to wear off, especially if people don’t like sugary, high-calorie beverages to begin with . . . that’s the much bigger issue, which the program did not address.

“Share a Coke” does uphold societal values (i.e., generosity), but by creating no real, long-term stakeholder value, the program must be called “Simple-Minded” marketing.

Picture
Picture
4 Comments
Cameron Shirk link
12/10/2014 12:34:04 pm

When reading this article , it was quite interesting to see that sales for coke increased 2% for putting your name one a coke bottle to either give to someone or just put your own name on a bottle or can. Honestly, I think it is awesome, if I was a coke drinker and someone gave me a coke bottle with my name on it I would be pretty stoked, I also, probably think the coke tasted better because it had my name on it. I would also keep the bottle as well just to say I have a bottle of coke with my name on it. I think its a great idea to give as a gift because people like recognition or have there name on things. But I can see that it does create any a long term stakeholder value and it is a simple minded marketing strategy but still a real cool idea that I would take part in.

Reply
hire dissertation writers link
3/25/2018 01:05:45 pm

From these theme of coca cola there is majority which has been excited to get while sharing their happiness with others. I really like to say that it has been a great thing to express your feeling.

Reply
essay writing services link
4/23/2018 12:52:10 am

This new trends of sharing happiness is the one that is good for almost every person to give a try. Coke company has really done a great thing that is going to go for a very long time at every place.

Reply
Jennika Davila
11/4/2018 11:40:35 pm

Personally, when I heard about the idea of being able to have your name on a coke bottle, I thought it was very cool and I also really wanted to receive one as a gift, one because it’s a brand we all know and two because now it was personalized and meant something. Do I think however this would be a game changer marketing idea, no I think it was cute and fun for the moment, but it wasn’t going to make a long lasting impression. I would say that I do agree with the choice of this being a simple-minded marketing strategy. I know since this has been published Coke still has cans that have sayings and names, so it must have worked if people are still buying them. If you received a Coke with your name on it would you not feel special?

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Subscribe to receive this blog by email

    Editor

    David Hagenbuch,
    founder of
    Mindful Marketing    & author of Honorable Influence

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014

    Categories

    All
    + Decency
    + Fairness
    Honesty7883a9b09e
    * Mindful
    Mindless33703c5669
    > Place
    Price5d70aa2269
    > Product
    Promotion37eb4ea826
    Respect170bbeec51
    Simple Minded
    Single Minded2c3169a786
    + Stewardship

    RSS Feed

    Share this blog:

    Subscribe to
    Mindful Matters
    blog by email


    Illuminating
    ​Marketing Ethics ​

    Encouraging
    ​Ethical Marketing  ​


    Copyright 2020
    David Hagenbuch

Proudly powered by Weebly