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CRITICAL MARKETING REVIEW The first ad that we will examine is the Coca-Cola border promotional ad, located at the following link: http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=k-STkFCCrus&feature=relmfu I chose this promotion because of the underlying message that the advertiser has included within the context of the ad. From the customer’s viewpoint, they are confronted with a sense of tension between the two guards from two different countries, each pacing along their respective sides of the border. While one enjoys a bottle of Coca-Cola, the other eyes him with apparent thirst in his throat.
As the spot progresses, we see how an ice-cold Coke on a scorching summer day brings two enemy country’s border vanguards close enough for a moment of refreshment. The bottle of Coke symbolizes peace between two surly border guards in the middle of the desert. The tension is emphasized by the dramatic music, which continues as the actors enjoy the product. It’s only then that the tension is relieved and turned to happiness through the expressions and body language of the actors not the music.
The audience (“Target Market”) for this ad was the social media market (Facebook, Twitter, etc. ) as well as main stream soda drinkers. This advertisement was featured as a 2011 Super Bowl commercial. The Market Strategy was to involve the users of social media. There was a social media component to the Coke ad. Fans were urged to log into a website, www. cokecheers. com, and upload a photo of themselves with a can or bottle of Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero or Sprite. In so doing, they would trigger a $1 donation — up to $250,000 — to support Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
The following statistics point to Coca-Cola having a Competitive Advantage in the marketplace. Coke vs. Pepsi shows Coke having 17% of the Market Share where as Pepsi only had 9. 5% . Coke shows having almost twice that of Pepsi. Coca-Cola Co. in 2010 once again topped PepsiCo Inc. as the possessor of the most U. S. market share. To make matters worse for Pepsi, Diet Coke took second place from Pepsi, pushing them to third place, as confirmed by data released by Beverage Digest, a publication covering the non-alcoholic beverage industry.
However, both companies had four brands in the top 10. Last year, Coke sold 1. 59 billion cases for 17% of market share. Diet Coke sold 926. 9 million cases for 9. 9% of market share, edging out Pepsi, which only sold 891. 5 million cases for 9. 5% of market share, Following Coke, Diet Coke and Pepsi on the top 10 list were: Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper, part of Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. , Sprite, Diet Pepsi, Diet Mountain Dew, Diet Dr. Pepper and Fanta. In addition to top brands, the top beverage company position went to Coca-Cola, followed by PepsiCo.