Cola-Cola has grown to be one of the goliaths in the industry for its lionized marketing campaigns. Iconic commerce drives have undeniably become second nature to this popular brand, so it’s no longer a surprise that they have stood the test of time in surviving in this highly competitive market that we have.
It’s only natural for a brand to deliver bracing marketing campaigns to make sales. However, unlike many businesses out there, Coca-Cola made this ethos the core of its growth strategy.
Let me tell you one of the secrets of Coca-Cala.
Do you know that even without making gigantic efforts in marketing to make their name known all over the world, Coca-Cola would have been easily successful because of their recipe? This was if doing drugs is okay. Cocaine is in Coca-Cola’s ingredients, well, but not until 1903.
But putting cocaine and the company’s lauded campaign aside, there are a lot of business lessons to learn from them. Adopt these lessons, and you’ll see your business get bigger and bigger over time.
1. Always think of the consumer first
Coca-Cola surely understands how to grasp the heart of the masses, and one of their strategies is putting their shoes into the customers’ shoes.
They make assumptions from the customers’ point of view, making them their first priority. The stakeholders only come second.
Placing the customers at the top of the priority list is essential to every business because success will only follow if customers are satisfied with all the company is offering.
If you want your business to have a solid foundation, refrain from having an “I think” mindset. Rather, always consider what your customers think, no matter how little it makes sense to you.
2. Engage with your audience
Customers can steer the conversation in an online space more than you can, and Coca-Cola makes use of this fact to its advantage. To make people engage in their content, they use provocative messages and discussion that sparks the crowd’s interest.
Through their effective campaigns, they were able to garner the attention of their consumers and made them contribute to the topic at hand. The company responds to their comment to promote active organic engagement, creating a more intimate connection with consumers.
Engaging with customers isn’t just about posting regularly but also about regaling them in your post.
Adapting to various cultures in local markets is also a great venture. Coca-Cola proves this to us by being able to get into where they are now through cultural trends in a particular market.
For instance, in the United States, Coca-Cola made a campaign using Santa Claus’ image during the Christmas season. They have also thought of creating the first-ever coke ritual for Chinese New Year. The brain behind Coca-Cola’s campaign is indeed a polymath.
Connect to your customers on an emotional level by researching your market’s culture and tradition. This way, you’ll attract attention, and this means more revenue!
3. Protect your market shares actively
Cola-Cola could have been contented with its tremendous market shares. Yet, they remain to be in a perpetual quest to make their drink and brand known all over the globe. From Asia to Africa, America, and even to the Poles, you’ll rarely find someone who isn’t familiar with the beverage, but they aren’t appeased with this and still want to reach a larger market.
The company is always on the move, looking for new ways to increase revenue by formulating and obtaining new products to launch. In fact, they have acquired quite a lot of famous brands, including Fanta, Sprite, Powerade, Aquarius, and a lot more. If you would notice, they are behind the crowd’s favorite water, juice, soda, tea, and even energy drinks.
Company shares are very much of what other companies can take away. This is why it is necessary for you to be vigilant to protect your market share and forceful enough to expand even further.
4. Be consistent with your branding
Consistency is the key to forming a lasting impression. You need to engrave your company in the heads of your target market through marketing undertakings through identity elements. Since the day of its inception, Coca-Cola has remained loyal to its logo, which it got way back in 1886.
Also, it’s a good idea to refresh brand representation regularly. Although there’s really no need for Coca-Cola to work on their brand, they still thrive on breathing life in it. If you would come to think of it, they have changed their designs so many times.
5. Build brand internally, excel externally
If you want to achieve long-term success, structuring your business internally is significant. This means having the company understand itself, its target market, and the values they want to share.
Around the Coca-Cola company premises, the team members were able to glimpse their customers on social media and some paraphernalia that has been part of their success. This keeps the company’s workforce motivated and encouraged to have their work done. And not to mention the free drinks!
6. Take care of your biggest customers
Wendy’s, Subway, McDonald’s, Subway, and Sonic are just some of Coca-Cola’s biggest customers. These customers provide the company with an excellent revenue stream, so they are given special services to take care of them and provide people who will cater to all of their needs.
Coca-Cola formed a team exclusively for them! The company deployed service professionals that could immediately respond to the equipment issues with their company’s soda machine.
Moreover, Coke has been making extra efforts to promote franchises that they are affiliated with. They strongly believe that helping their clients make business efficiently will also benefit them. For instance, if a great number of people would eat at McDonald’s, then their product will also be consumed.
7. Invest in creative contents
Even a big company like Coca-Cola is already going digital these days. They have been investing in creative content that catches the attention of the masses.
Content is critical in promoting a certain brand in the online arena. This is quite a challenging task for the company, but Coca-Cola managed to succeed in this by sharing content like Happiness Machine.
8. Test the waters of new ideas
Despite being one of the most recognized brands worldwide and having a whopping success, Coca-Cola still strives for more. This tells us that we shouldn’t relax just yet when we have accomplished a certain goal— we need to create a more ambitious and bigger one.
Coca-Cola has tried adding variations to its beverage over the past years. Some of them were successful, and some were utter failures. No one would have probably expected the launch of a ginger-flavored coke! Continue testing the waters to find what works!
9. Don’t settle for what you have
Not because it’s currently working doesn’t mean it will work forever. Don’t settle for what you have but rather keep on trying new ideas and examine how the market would react.
Not all of your ventures would be successful, but there’s nothing to worry about it. All you have to do is to fine-tune what isn’t working and start over.
10. No matter how big you become, you’re not indispensable
If you noticed, Coca-Cola had to work on their image constantly because someone in the industry could always overtake them. Even a mammoth-sized corporation can fall to the ground if they don’t adapt to the changes of this world. You must have something “new” to offer.
