Coca Cola Social Media Snapshot

Coca Cola has three executives who are instrumental in driving their social media strategy and implementation.

Clyde Tuggle, SVP of Corporate Affairs and Productivity.

Coca-Cola has created a new office of digital communications and social media within its public affairs and communications department. Mr. Tuggle stated "mass media is declining in importance," when introducing the new department in a memo to staff, which the beverage manufacturer shared with PRWeek. “Our future success depends on our continued ability to connect people to our brands and our Company all around the world, one person at a time,” Tuggle wrote.

Michael Donnelly, Group Director World Wide Interactive Marketing.

Donnelly's plan is to be active on multiple social media different platforms promoting the free-living values associated with Coca Cola, connecting with customers who are passionate about the soft drink.

See Donnelly's social media goals here.

Adam Brown, Director, Office of Digital Communications and Social Media.

Brown has outlined Coca Cola’s "4R" social media approach:

1. Review what the social media world is saying about Coke
2. Respond to the chatter with accurate, fully transparent answers
3. Record short video vignettes that respond to the chatter in an entertaining, but informative manner
4. Redirect social media users to other content on other social media sites

Program Components

• Corporate Blog - run by Phil Mooney historian/archivist for Coca Cola. Goal is to “develop a blog with a unique voice, topic and conversation spectrum that wasn't being delivered elsewhere” The blog is filled with posts about different Coca Cola memorabilia events, artwork, and videos
• Facebook - Over 3.5 million friends mainly showing photos of them using Coke products. Almost 90 discussions listed. It's important to note that Coca Cola didn't start their Facebook page. This is a consumer creation. Read more here.
• Coke Tag - a widget for sharing links to content. Tag is placed on Facebook page. Can be customized to reflect personal interests
• Flickr - Coke Side of Life - 300+ members. Coca Cola logos and products in various settings

Program Goals

Coca Cola is using social media to further influence purchase decisions and loyalty by leveraging the emotional ties people have with their products. As Brown puts it, social media is being used to encourage people "to enjoy our beverages in different parts of their lives".

Effectiveness

"I'd love to assign a monetary value to what we do with social media, but we're not quite there yet” Adam Brown.

Snapshot Caption:

Coca Cola "gets" marketing in the Post-Crash World. They are committed to conversation; they are leveraging proven marketing principles (market segmentation, customer insight, measurement); have taken on social media with clear leadership and processes in place that will enable them to learn from mistakes and repeat successes; and, are focused on consumer experiences.