As Coca-Cola and Pepsi divest from this year’s Super Bowl ad lineup, top dollar from these two top brands is stirring the social media space into a fizz.
Blake Bowyer (@BlakeBowyer)
Media Program Analyst
The Super Bowl will feel a lot more social this year. And not just because the NFL has failed to put a muzzle on tweeting players or the Saints’ “Who Dat” may be the focus of a trademark lawsuit. No, it’s because the 30-second slices between Sunday’s timeouts and touchdowns will be a lot less caffeinated: Coca-Cola is downsizing its presence during the game and Pepsi is pulling out entirely. Where then will you get Super Bowl-sized updates from the people who brought you delightful parade balloon wars and inspired Dylan/Will.i.am duets? On social networks, of course.
That’s right. If you’re still a new media evolution denier, look no further than your Facebook feed for a jolt and the return of the Cola Wars … 2.0. Remember when a blind taste test was as social as it got in heated rivalry between these tin-can titans? Well, as we’ve seen time and time again, where one may go, the other may follow and this time the path leads away from the Super Bowl and into your digital experience.
It was big news last December when Pepsi let the world know it wouldn’t be taking part in the ad game for XLIV. Even with the Pepsi Throwback campaign in full-swing and ripe for Super Bowl exposure, Pepsi decided its money was better spent elsewhere. For $3.01 million for 30 seconds (plus production costs, etc.), it’s hard to argue – even the announcement has garnered a lot of attention for the brand’s surprising audible. Pepsi spent a whopping $33 million for last year’s face-off and will now commit that money (well, part of it) to an online cause marketing campaign: Pepsi Refresh (which will reportedly cost a mere $20 million). The project will let consumers submit ideas – or in Web 2.0 lingo, “crowdsource” – for where donations go and focus on driving traffic to RefreshEverything.com for voting.
Coca-Cola, meanwhile, is taking a double-pronged approach by teaming up with Facebook to support the Boys and Girls Club of America and augmenting those efforts with two game-time ads. The spots will direct viewers to the company’s Facebook fan page and encourage them to share virtual gifts, each of which will result in a $1 donation to the youth organization. The effort will be tied into Coca-Cola’s current corporate campaign theme “Live positively”. The company’s Chief Marketing Officer offered some insight as to why Coca-Cola is part of this year’s ad parade: “The Super Bowl … brings families and friends together to celebrate and create memories. It’s a perfect time to open a Coke … and giving folks a chance to help others through our ads makes the experience even better.”
So, that’s the new media Cola Wars battleground and, while the brands’ playbooks may seem similar – online, philanthropic, social customer involvement – they’re actually quite different. And, from a strategic social media marketing perspective, only one wins the coin toss: Coca-Cola.
Why? Simply, Coca-Cola is being social. The company is bringing – but not broadcasting – its message to fans, not requiring that they come to it. While one could argue that Pepsi is smart to drive traffic to its site, expose millions to its content, and show off what is admittedly a pretty fantastic online experience, they’re pulling tricks from the same old playbook. Coke is right there every second you’re on Facebook and allowing you to share the easy way you just supported its mission of giving back. Coca-Cola has built a thriving and respectful Facebook fan page, on which most of the content is from fans sharing stories about how Coke is part of their lives. Coke is embracing social media through Facebook and Pepsi is pretending to through a project that is convoluted, inward-facing, and even open to potential abuse and security issues.
This year we don’t have to wait until the ads roll to pick a winner. If 2010 is the year of big brands embracing social media, Coca-Cola sets a golden standard by balancing share of voice, embracing a flattened landscape, and exuding authenticity. Even if opening happiness is a bit abstract, the company’s mission is clear. In fact, it’s on your Facebook wall – pass it around.
