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Tag: Coca-Cola

  • Coca-cola’s ‘Share a Coke’ campaign shares a feeling

    Coca-cola’s ‘Share a Coke’ campaign shares a feeling

    The latest Share a Coke campaign from leading beverage company, Coca-Cola, is not only offering Nigerians an opportunity to open happiness when they drink a bottle of Coke, but a chance to share unending happiness with friends, families and even strangers. This is following the excitement which welcomed the Share a Coke campaign last year, which saw the swapping out of some of Coke’s iconic logos for the personalisation of PET packs and cans into popular Nigerian names. For the campaign this year, emoticons and fun phrases have been added to the personalisation.

    “Share a feeling”, which is the tag for this year’s campaign, includes popular Nigerian phrases in English, and other Nigerian languages like Efik, Igbo, Edo, Hausa and Yoruba. The campaign which is fast becoming popular among consumers around the country is helping Nigerians to invent a new way to tell their stories to friends, families, as well as create instant acquaintances that may lead to stronger relationships.

    Speaking on this year’s Share a Coke campaign, Patricia Jemibewon, Marketing Director, Coca-Cola, explained that, “We have been creating moments of happiness for Nigerians for over 60 years, inspiring happiness and optimism, in fleeting, personal or at national times. This year’s campaign has been warmly received, and we continue to receive good responses from people, telling us they love the phrases and the designs, that it has given them a new way to share messages with friends and families.”

    Corroborating the Marketing Director, Gbolahan Sanni, who is the Senior Brand Manager, Colas, at Coca-Cola, noted that, “Our audience speaks in smileys as well as fun phrases these days, and since it has become a kind of second language for our younger consumers, we felt this was a great opportunity to connect on a deeper level with our most important demographic.”

    So, for those whining about not finding their names on Coke bottles last year, keep cool. With over 1, 200 names, which is 50 per cent more than last year’s Share a Coke campaign, 119 cool phrases that speak to just about anything you can think of, and real fun smileys which bring the popular online emoticons to the real world, Coca-Cola is ready to help its consumers tell their own stories.  So, a customer named Albert who is known for strategising and achieving can post a photo of his personalised can and a fun phrase, Albert+Setting-P on Instagram.

    With phrases like, sexy, hot, bae, on fleek, hug me, love you, XOXO, I’m yours, my girl, my guy, soulmate, my boo, my #1, what’s up, turn up, YOLO, smile, etc., it is certain that many would not be sharing their feelings with just words anymore.

  • Coca-Cola repositions to meet increasing consumer demands

    Coca-Cola repositions to meet increasing consumer demands

    Consumers are in for a new experience as Coca-Cola moves to harmonise products under one umbrella, offering consumers’ choice with more clarity.

    The ‘One Brand’ global marketing strategy will for the first time ever unite Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Light, Diet Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero and Coca-Cola Life under the iconic Coca-Cola brand positioning in one global creative campaign ‘Taste the Feeling’.

    Addressing a global press conference at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Dubai Palm Jumeirah last Thursday, the company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Marcos de Quinto, said the new strategy reinforces the company’s commitment to choice, allowing consumers to choose whichever Coca-Cola that suits their taste, lifestyle and diet.

    At the event which was attended by about 75 journalist from Eurasia and Africa,   Marcos de Quinto enthused that “this campaign is supposed to fulfil 80per cent of the needs of consumers while also responding to the needs of people who want to limit the consumption of sugary drinks as Coca-Cola Zero, Light and Diet made with artificial sugar, will, for the first time, be better positioned.

    “We are emphasising that Coca-Cola is for everybody,” de Quinto said. “Coca-Cola is one brand with different variants, all of which share the same values and visual iconography. People want their Coca-Cola in different ways, but whichever one they want, they want a Coca-Cola brand with great taste and refreshment.”

    Speaking further, the company’s Chief Marketing Officer explained that the new strategy shows that the company can adapt more quickly to changing consumer needs. “It will do this by making consumers more aware of its low or no calorie variants while strengthening the overall brand.”

    Speaking on the new strategy, Nathan Kalumbu, Coca-Cola’s Eurasia and African Group President, said, “This is not just a campaign but a new business approach, a new communication approach to meet the needs of every consumer.”

    On the African market, he excitedly said, “We are optimistic about the marketing strategy helping us to enhance the relevance of what African consumers are looking for. The entire campaign will appeal to every consumer as it speaks to all segments of the market.”

    “There is virtually no remote area on the African continent that the brand had not penetrated,” said the company’s Eurasia and African Group President. Buttressing his point, he said he was amazed to see Coca-Cola in Dogon, a very remote town in Mali.

    Throwing more light on the campaign strategy, Rodolfo Echeverria, Vice President, Global Creative, Connections and Digital, the Coca-Cola company said, “There is nothing quite like the taste of an ice cold Coca-Cola. The campaign creative was designed to celebrate the notion that the simple pleasure of drinking an ice cold Coca-Cola makes any moment more special. A simple pleasure you can access and afford.”

    “The universal moments and storytelling depicted in the campaign were created to resonate with our consumers globally. We are going from open Happiness to exploring the role Coca-Cola plays in happiness,” said Rodolfo Echeverria.

    ‘’ ’Taste the Feeling’ will bring to life the idea that drinking a Coca-Cola is a simple pleasure that makes everyday moments more special. While Coke’s award winning ‘Open Happiness’ campaign leaned heavily on what the brand stands for over the last seven years, ‘Taste the Feeling’ will feature universal story telling with the product at the heart to reflect both the functional and emotional aspects of the Coca-Cola experience,’’ explained Rodolfo Echeverria.

    Responding to the question on why the company was embarking on this new approach to business, speaking exclusively to The Nation on Sunday, Coca-Cola’s Chief Marketing Officer disclosed that the company was doing it as the former strategy of multiple brand campaigns was not the logical thing.

    “Through the one brand strategy, we will move away from multiple brand campaigns to one single iconic brand campaign that celebrates both the product and the brand,” emphasised de Quinto

    He further said, “Over the years, consumer taste, preference and lifestyle have changed, and with that has Coca-Cola. We have innovated to include a range of lower and no sugar and calorie alternatives, each with their own identity.”

    However, added de Quinto, “recent research has shown that not everyone understands the options available to them, and the benefits of each drink, which is why we are introducing the new ‘one brand’ strategy to help make the choice easier and simpler.”

    The new changes that the company is introducing are that their advertisements will show their full range of Colas. The television advertisements will feature all four variants in the final frame. The new packaging will clearly highlight the benefits of each variant.

    Also, the branding of every Coca-Cola can and bottle will be in the same style with different colours to distinguish each variant while the marketing spend for lower, no sugar and calorie colas has been doubled.

    The strategy which is expected to roll out all over the world this year has already been launched in the UK and Paris. According to Bobby Brittain, the Brand’s CMO for the UK and Ireland,” ‘The ‘One Brand’ strategy has had a positive effect on sales in the UK. During the 52 weeks ending 25 December, Coke as a trademark grew in the UK. Sales of diet coke and coke zero also increased but coke life was the only variant to see a decline in sales.”

  • Coca Cola acquires stakes in Chi Limited

    Coca Cola acquires stakes in Chi Limited

    The Coca-Cola Company and Tropical General Investments Group (TGI Group) – the holding company of Chi Ltd, Nigeria’s leading dairy and Juice Company – yesterday announced an agreement for The Coca-Cola Company to acquire an initial minority equity shareholding in Chi Ltd.

    Under the agreement, the Coca-Cola Company made an initial 40 percent equity investment in Chi Ltd and intends to increase ownership to 100 percent within three years, subject to regulatory approvals while working on other long-term commercial structures.

    The parties also agreed to jointly discuss and explore other opportunities in the region to further develop the relationship.

    The investment in Nigeria’s leading value-added dairy and juice beverage brands – which include Hollandia and Chivita – further expands The Coca-Cola Company’s West African portfolio of still beverages while establishing Coca-Cola’s presence in Africa’s high-growth value-added dairy category.

    The agreement will allow both companies to leverage their respective investments and expertise to further drive innovation, optimize efficiency and strengthen route-to-market to accelerate growth and increase consumer availability and choice.

    TGI Group’s relationship with The Coca-Cola Company will also help Chi Ltd achieve its ambitious growth plans through access to Coca-Cola’s broad product portfolio and integration into global best practices in production, distribution and brand-building.

     

  • Coca-Cola back with campaign

    Coca-Cola back with campaign

    Remember the Share a Coke campaign? Coca-Cola is back with an even more exciting version of the Share a Coke campaign that wowed Nigerians earlier in the year by putting personalised names on Coca-Cola packs.  Acclaimed as the most ingenuous marketing campaign by any company in recent memory, it won the ADVAN award for campaign of the year 2015.

    Along with more names, the new campaign version tagged ‘Share a Feeling’ also includes fun smileys that convey diverse emotions and messages on Coca-Cola and Coke Zero packs.  The smileys also include popular Nigerian phrases that connect with everyone across boundaries, giving consumers an avenue to share their feelings with friends, family and even strangers.

    To launch the campaign, the company is partnering with popular rapper/comedian Falz in recognising and ‘sharing a feeling’ with everyday Nigerians and influencers by delivering to them personalised Coke bottles with names and smileys.

    Some of the influencers who have received their personalised Coke bottles include DJ Jimmy Jatt, TY Bello, Tekno, Cobhams, Chi-Gurl, Dammy Krane, Audu Maikori, Liz Awoliyi, Kelechi Amadi-Obi.…..Some of the personalities have also identified their top fans on social media and will be sharing a feeling with them as well.

    Speaking on the Share a Feeling campaign, Marketing Director, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Patricia Jemibewon, said, “The Yuletide period is perhaps the most exciting time of year for families, friends and neighbours. In the first Share a Coke campaign, we used the power of the first name in a playful way. With the Share a Feeling campaign, however, we want to make the season extra special and memorable, by adding smileys. The Share a Feeling campaign brings a variety of smileys that express happiness and emotional messages in a way that would bring smiles to the faces of our consumers.’’

    Jemibewon revealed that everyone would have an opportunity to customise Coke and Coke Zero bottles or cans, with over a thousand names and a hundred smileys to choose from.

  • Coca-Cola lifts grassroots football in four Lagos communities

    Coca-Cola lifts grassroots football in four Lagos communities

    As part of its contribution to the growth of grassroots sport, Coca-Cola Nigeria through COPA Coca-Cola initiative has presented football training kits to four communities within Lagos State. They are Agege, Jakande Estate, Oworonsoki and Elegbata communities.

    Speaking at the presentation ceremony, which held recently at the Jakande Estate Pitch, Jakande Estate, Isolo, Marketing Director, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Patricia Jemibewon, said, “Nigeria’s passion for football is unrivalled anywhere else on the continent. Coca-Cola’s involvement in Nigerian football through COPA signifies a perfect harmony between platform and potentials. Through COPA Coca-Cola, young lovers of the game are inspired to live their dreams, while we at Coca-Cola help to create a new face for the sport in different communities.”

    She noted that COPA this year is divided into two phases namely; Everyday Football and the Tournament itself. “Through Everyday Football, Coca-Cola will elevate the everyday football experience of young Nigerians by providing 10 selected playing fields in major cities across the country with basic equipment and kits including Goal nets, Training bibs, Cones and Footballs. Community women in each of the communities will also be empowered with a kiosk and drinks to start their own retail business in the playing field.

    Today we are donating to Amoo Training Pitch in Agege, Jakande Estate Pitch in Isolo, Owonroshoki Playing Field and Orile/Sari Iganmu Sports Centre, Elegbata Playground. COPA Coca-Cola will also deliver what we have tagged a ‘Legacy Pitch’ to a community that will be transparently picked from a selection pool. What this means is that we will upgrade the key Football arena in the selected community into a mini- stadium,” she stated.

  • Coca-Cola, UK group empower girl-child

    The economic opportunities of the girl-child in Nigeria received a boost when Coca-Cola Nigeria and the United Kingdom Department for International Development of Girls Education partnered to launch the Educating Nigerian Girls in Nigeria Enterprise (ENGINE).

    Speaking on the initiative, which was launched simultaneously in Lagos, Kaduna, Abuja and Kano, the Programme Manager, ENGINE, Ayodele Fajemilola, disclosed that the Lagos initiative would benefit over 6000 girls.

    According to Fajemilola, “a vocational training programme would be implemented in five local government areas, namely Kosofe, Ojo, Bariga, Alimosho and Epe and about 6,357 girls would benefit from the programme, which is aimed at empowering them educationally and economically.”

    She explained that initiative will empower young females with training modules in four important areas to help them succeed. “The girls will be taught four basic courses, namely, business education, life skills, financial education and savings education,” she said.

    On the involvement of Coca-Cola Nigeria, the Communications Manager, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Sam Umukoro said the organisation’s belief that investment in women education and career would spur economic growth, while nurturing sustainable development in Nigeria.

    “At Coca-Cola Nigeria, we support women empowerment and we are committed to assisting marginalised adolescent girls in the society by offering business skills, training courses, financial services and mentors to help them become micro- entrepreneurs.

    This objective derives from Coca-Cola’s conviction that educating females contributes to social and economic growth,” he said.

    He described the partnership as a demonstration of Coca-Cola’s belief that sustainable solutions to most society’s challenges lie in solid partnership among the civil society, private and public sectors.

    The highpoint of the event was the presentation of branded materials such as umbrellas, coolers and log books from Coca-Cola Nigeria to the participants.

     

  • Coca Cola brings new innovation into fruit juice manufacturing

    Coca Cola brings new innovation into fruit juice manufacturing

    Giant beverage company, Coca Cola Ltd, has brought a new innovation into the Nigerian fruit juice market with the entrance of its fruit juice drink, 5Alive pulpy orange drink.

    Though the Nigerian fruit juice market is littered with a plethora of drinks, the brands which have been making the greatest impact are brands from the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) – Five Alive variants – the Chivita juice drinks from Chi Ltd, and the various juice drinks from FUMMAN.

    Other brands are Dansa, Choppee, Formosa, Danico, Ice fruit juice from Scoa, Delite berries fruit drink from UAC, etcetera.

    However, the new drink from the stable of NBC is entirely different from what Nigerian consumers have been exposed to. It’s an orange pulpy juice drink with bits of dietary fibre which you bite into as you have the drink and somehow makes it seem slightly as if one is having a natural orange juice.

    At the launch of 5Alive orange pulpy drink, at the Federal Palace Hotel Lagos, the Director, Stills and New Business, NBC, Mr. Prahlad Gangadharan, said that the content and packaging of the fruit drink was as a result of feedback the company got from consumers.

    “Consumers asked for orange juice that will give them the feeling of eating real orange; that is why we came out with a unique juice drink made from real oranges with real orange pulp with no added preservatives,” stated the Director.

    Explaining the uniqueness of the drink, Gangadharan said that whereas other 5Alive variants are a blend of five fruits, the new 5Alive pulpy is made from only oranges, thereby making it a mono flavour, adding that it is a new way to enjoy the taste of real oranges.

    The visibly excited Gangadharan said the production of the drink is also another way of stimulating the Nigerian agricultural industry as the oranges for the production are sourced from farmers across the nation through the leading fruit processor, Teragro Ltd.

    “It is a new beginning for juice in Nigeria. We are changing the way juice is done in Nigeria,” enthused Gangadharan.

    Adeola Adetunji, the Managing Director of Coca Cola Nig. Ltd, commented on two aspects that highlight the significance of the product. “First, 5Alive pulpy drink, having no added preservatives and coming in a PET pack, represents the leading innovation for which Coca Cola is renowned globally as well as a game changer for the juice business in Nigeria.”

    Secondly, he noted that the drink being made from locally-sourced oranges represents a breakthrough “in our longstanding commitment to develop local supplier capacity for our juice concentrates.”

    Speaking, Senior Brand Manager Stills, Coca Cola Nig. Ltd, Samuel Alugo, said that with the new drink, the company wants to give consumers the smell and taste they get when they eat an orange.

    Emphasising that the oranges used in the production are also sourced from farmers in the country, Mr. Alugo added that this guarantees a steady, qualitative source for production while also helping to develop the local agriculture value chain.

    Commenting on its introduction, the Marketing Director, Coca Cola Nig. Ltd, Patricia Jemibewon, said, “We have had an excellent response down our other variants with a reused value to the drink, and with the national launch of 5Alive pulpy orange, we are stepping to extend Coca Cola Nigeria’s market leadership in the fruit flavoured drink segment.”

    The pulpy drink comes in a distinctive shaped 40cl PET bottle with a top stimulating a real orange segment and juice sac. The product which is already in the market is retailed for N150.

    However, some consumers are already complaining that the drink with only 12% orange juice in each bottle is not 100% orange juice and as such should be priced lower, but more consumers are of the view that it is in a higher class than the regular soft drinks and for that reason should not be sold at the same price.

    Mrs. Ifeoma Okoye, a major distributor of soft drinks at Alade Market, Allen Ikeja, said, “This pulpy orange drink has a lot of health benefits. It is rich in vitamin C. I think the price is worth it.”

    “It has some health benefits unlike your regular soft drinks that are made up of only water, sugar and colouring. It should not be sold at the same price as those ones even though it comes in a smaller bottle,” stated Bayo Adetutu of Rain bow PR consultative firm, Surulere.

    However, a nutritionist, Mrs. Emmanuela Umoh, working with a government establishment, said health benefits or not, she would rather not take it as the drink has a sharp taste of saccharine. “Out of curiosity after watching the advertisement, I bought it but was disappointed with the high saccharine taste. I would rather stick to my natural water.” Different strokes for different men, you may say.

    One thing 5Alive pulpy fruit juice drink has going for it is that it is the orange drink that is closest to natural orange, in terms of smell, flavour and taste.

    Another thing which is of great importance is that it is not filled with edible starch or ‘filler’ to increase bulk. Most fruit juice drinks in Nigeria, even some of the ones touted as being 100% fruit juice, have a lot of edible starch in them.

  • Special Olympics, Coca-Cola call for a more Inclusive Society

    Special Olympics, Coca-Cola call for a more Inclusive Society

    Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited and Special Olympics Nigeria have restated their mutual commitment to work with all stakeholders to advance an inclusive society that promotes equal opportunities for every Nigerian, regardless of any form of disability, to reach for their dreams.

    Both organizations stated this in Lagos recently during a welcome reception for the Nigerian Contingent to the Special Olympics 2015 World Summer Games, which took place from July 25 to August 3in Los Angeles, United States of America.

    Speaking at the event, the Managing Director, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Adeola Adetunji stated that Coca-Cola’s long standing sponsorship of the Special Olympics at the global level and in Nigeria is in line with the company’s mission to inspire optimism and make a difference in the communities.

    According to Adetunji, as a founding partner of the Special Olympics since 1968, Coca-Cola is pleased that the movement continues to empower and inspire thousands of persons living with intellectual disabilities to believe in their abilities and to reach for their dreams.

    He said, “As we celebrate these gallant athletes, let us remember that, they are heroes today only because they had the opportunity provided by Special Olympics. Let us also remember that for each one of these heroes, there are more than 1000 others whose talents and potentials may never be realized and celebrated, just because they have no opportunity.  But we, as individuals, as companies, as a society and as a country, must not allow this to be the case.”

    Commending two of Coca-Cola’s employees, George Osadalor and Emmanuel Ekomabasi, who were volunteer members of the Special Olympics Nigeria Unified Soccer Team that won the football gold medal at the games, Adetunji said, “Our excitement at this particular victory is enriched by the fact that, these two Coca-Cola Ambassadors were a great inspiration to the victorious soccer team.”

  • Coca-Cola unveils ‘Billion Reasons to Believe’ campaign

    In line with Coca-Cola’s commitment to inspire and empower the Nigerian youth, the brand has unveiled a new campaign tagged “Billion Reasons to Believe”. The campaign is aimed at inspiring optimism among young people, challenging them to believe in themselves and achieve their dreams.

     The Billion Reasons to Believe campaign seeks to fulfill Coca-Cola’s corporate mission to inspire optimism and happiness and to make a difference in the communities where it operates. It will achieve this by motivating young persons, particularly teenagers, to aspire and reach for their dreams with an ‘I-can-do-spirit’ through learning about the inspiring stories of other Nigerians who achieved success despite the odds.

     Speaking at the launch of the campaign, Patricia Jemibewon, Marketing Director, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, spoke about Coca-Cola’s belief in the potential and creative ingenuity of teenagers, noting that all that teens needed to blossom is the courage to believe in themselves and the knowledge that the limitations they perceive had been the stepping stones to success for some other persons. She said that the campaign would serve as a stimulus for young people through its message of optimism and by showcasing true stories of remarkable Nigerians who have leveraged limitations or challenges to leapfrog to success.

    According to Jemibewon, teenagers represent about 43 percent of the population in Nigeria; and the society needs to help them to build self-confidence and to see the world in colours through the right lens, so they can take ownership for creating the future of their dreams.

    “This campaign is about the everyday Nigerian and they feature prominently in all our adverts on traditional and digital media. We have inspiring stories of people like Aisha Tunmisa who is a fashion entrepreneur while still in medical school as well as IK Ogbonna, a fast rising actor, despite speech difficulty and other challenges,” Jemibewon said.

    Teens and other Coca-Cola fans can follow the ‘Billion Reasons to Believe’ stories on the campaign website http://ng.iamareason.com/and via the hashtag #iamareason. Teens also have the opportunity to tell their own stories of perseverance and breakthrough on those platforms, to inspire others.

     The Billion Reasons to Believe campaign is the latest among several initiatives, such as Coke Studio and Copa Coca-Cola, that represent proof points of the beverage giant’s commitment to inspiring and enabling Nigerian teenagers to pursue their passions. Other initiatives like 5by20, The Coca-Cola Company’s global commitment to enable the economic empowerment of 5 million women entrepreneurs across the company’s value chain by 2020, is a veritable platform to promote entrepreneurship among women and also facilitate their access to business skills training, affordable financing and peer networking and mentoring, instilling in them the confidence that comes with building a successful business These initiatives also represent Coca-Cola’s contributions to the sustainable development of communities across the country.

  • Nigeria, others to benefit from $4.5 million Coca-Cola Africa initiative

    Nigeria and five other African countries have been penciled down to benefit from The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation (TCCAF) $4.5 million youth empowerment initiative that will provide life skills training, business skills training and access to employment and mentoring for 25,000 young Africans.

    This disclosure was made at the weekend at the World Economic Forum on Africa 2015, in Cape Town South Africa.

    The Youth Empowered for Success (YES!) program will empower marginalized youth in six African countries and will leverage technology and strategic partnerships to accelerate and scale the initiative to provide opportunities to many more youth across the continent.

    The YES! initiative will be introduced in Kenya, Tunisia and South Africa in phase one before being implemented in Liberia, Nigeria and Uganda through TCCAF and implementing partners Mercy Corps, Microsoft, Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator and Kuza Biashara.

    The programme is expected to address critical development and life skills for 18-35 year old unemployed and underemployed young Africans, and provide access to sustainable economic opportunities created through employment or entrepreneurship.

    During the first three years TCCAF aims to provide proof of concept for a scalable and replicable model with the ambition to reach 500,000 youth by 2020 by establishing strong partnerships with private sector, NGO, government and civil society organisations.

    Nathan Kalumbu, Chairman, The Coca?Cola Africa Foundation, said “the potential to connect young people with the right opportunities to build better lives while strengthening their communities is incredibly compelling but harnessing the incredible energy and ambition of a young and growing population will be critical to Africa’s future economic advancement.”

    He added that “over 10-12 million young Africans are entering the workforce each year yet less than half this number of employment opportunities are currently available. The YES! initiative underscores our commitment to identifying a sustainable long-term solution for youth economic empowerment and creating opportunities that will help overcome this employment gap.”

    “Today 40 million African youth are out of work, and young Africans continue to enter the workforce at a faster rate than jobs are created,” said Neal Keny-Guyer, Chief Executive Officer of Mercy Corps.

    By partnering with The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation, Mercy Corps he said will be “looking forward to helping even more young people in Africa find employment and build long-term financial stability for themselves and for their families.”

    Louis Otieno, Director, Legal & Corporate Affairs, of Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative on his part said their “aim through this partnership is to promote employment opportunities, career guidance and enterprise development for young people.”