Coca-Cola Launches Global Marketing Campaign to Revitalize Soft Drink Sales

Strategic Insights -

The Coca-Cola Co. has initiated a global marketing campaign to recapture the attention of consumers and reignite interest in soft drinks, a sector that experienced a 4.8% decline in sales in the US during the first nine months of last year. The campaign, titled "Open Happiness" and tied to the "Coke Side of Life" slogan, aims to shift the focus back to soda after both Coke and rival PepsiCo Inc. temporarily prioritized other products such as bottled water, energy drinks, and sparkling juice drinks. The move signals a return to the core business for the world's largest beverage maker, with the stakes heightened in its competition with PepsiCo.

Key Takeaways:

  • Coca-Cola's soft drink sales in the US fell 4.4% in the first nine months of last year, but the company gained 0.1 percentage points of market share.
  • The company's new marketing campaign, "Open Happiness," is designed to draw consumers back to soft drinks and slow the decline in sales.
  • Part of the campaign includes three ads set to run during the Super Bowl on February 1, along with TV commercials, outdoor ads, and a song.
  • Coca-Cola believes that soft drinks are key to the company's success, as stated by CEO Muhtar Kent.
  • PepsiCo Inc. CEO Indra Nooyi has also unveiled a rebranding campaign, indicating the efforts of both companies to revitalize their soda sales.

Statistics:

  • Soda sales fell about 4.8% in the US during the first nine months of last year.
  • Coca-Cola's U.S. soft drink sales fell 4.4% in the same period.
  • The company gained 0.1 percentage points of market share in the US during the first nine months of last year.

Sources:

  • The Associated Press
  • Beverage Digest