Incito MentisA blog by Syed Abdul Karim

Coca Cola, the iconic brand that sits at the top of the 100 most valuable brands list according to Interbrand, is making a big push into the musical array in 2011. For a sugary drink that is not really good for anyone holding the top spot really goes to show the power and position of the brand in the minds of the consumer. If you come to think about it all the strategic moves by Coca Cola are aimed at creating a blue ocean of uncontested market space. Of course not everything they have done has been successful – case in point, Coca Cola Blak – the coffee flavored cola beverage. But by and large Coke was a beverage like no other at the time of it’s creation. In fact it was the only beverage in the world which had about 60mg of cocaine in every serving up until 1903. Rumor or True? No one knows. But time and time again they have done some wonderful things, like sponsoring one of the world’s most iconic TV shows – American Idol, thereby further entrenching their equity and association with music. Even the decision to work with Weiden + Kennedy was a great strategic move. To go for the hottest and not just the biggest. They have done some great brand building work for Coca Cola. Owning something broad and general like happiness was never going to be easy for anyone, but Coke certainly comes out on top in this space. From Happiness Factory to Open Happiness, W+K and Coke have produced some great creative across media.

And here we are in 2011 with another hot new initiative by Coca Cola – branded music. It seems that this is part of a larger strategic push that should unfold through the year. For now they have created a song supported by TV spots which is ruling the radio waves and conventional TV all the same. It evokes that moment when one gets carried away enjoying their music, singing along and feeling like a star. But first check out the video to “Can you feel it tonight” by One Night Only. Then see the TV spot adaptation below. Good stuff!

Remember the game, “Passing the Pillow” an object that holds a very near and dear utility becomes an object of fun and play. That is what’s happening to the world of advertising. From something that conveys a message (mostly unsolicited I dare say!) to something that is all about play, participation and like the game “Passing the Pillow”.

As Chuck Brymer, our global CEO puts it, we are now entering the post-consumer world. A world which is changing and transforming at a pace unlike anything we have experienced before. Advertising as we know it is DEAD. Perhaps not so in the cradle of civilization where I happen to be at the moment, but it is only a matter of time!

So what’s the big deal? Nothing much, besides the fact that Facebook has set it’s sight on 1 billion users, Apple is selling one iPad every 26 seconds and the world is going crazy on Twitter with a new tweet per second record of 3085 during the NBA Finals, and this should change as the FIFA 2010 World Cup enters the Round of 16. Oh did somebody say people don’t watch ads any more, they don’t! But Nike hijacked the World Cup with a 3-minute video “Write the Future“ which by the way never aired but broke the record for the biggest audience in the first week of a campaign with 7.8 million views. Are you sure people don’t watch ads any more? Thanks to Nike’s Facebook fans who happen to have participated, played and passed it on to millions of their friends. The era of messages is long gone. It is all about content where everyone is connected to everyone else within six degrees, which means you, my dear reader, are connected to me in no more than six steps!

What’s my point! Our business has been redefined. I would be getting a little carried away if I were to say that we are now in the movie business. But we are definitely a lot closer to that now. Why? If we are to mean anything to the digitally connected swarms then we have to create “ShareValue”, which means the content has to be worthy of generating word of mouse, not just word of mouth!

How do we go about doing so? Well we have to move from traditional definitions of creativity to what is known as “Social Creativity” (as we say at DDB).  If  the work that we do is not something that our audience would like to play with, participate in and pass on to their friends then we have failed at Social Creativity.

There is a lot to more this. A brief explanation does not do justice to the concept. For now I guess a simple illustration shall suffice. One brand which seems to get it and repeatedly so is Toyota. From the way they managed the crisis by participating in a continuous dialogue with their customers using all forms of social media to the way they are creating entertaining content with definite “ShareValue”. I believe they are doing a splendid job. Check this video out and you will see what I mean! Feel free to play and pass on

I have always believed brand building is about creating experiences. It can be anything from an immersive on-ground event, an engaging website to a holistic 360° experience. But lately I have realized that content and entertainment have also become a vital aspect of the experience mix. The business of building brands is now more than ever like the business of making movies. Seriously!

Before seeing this awesome DC Shoes infomercial (yeah right!) I had no idea what the brand was all about. The shoe bit was obvious, but that was about it! For me when it comes to sports footwear my universe begins and ends with Nike, Adidas and Reebok! This video changed everything! Besides its sheer entertainment value the video has truly contributed to building the DC Shoes brand. Why do I say that?

To qualify as a piece of branded entertainment the content has to be entertaining, that bit is obvious! But how does that same piece of entertainment build a brand! This is the crucial bit which is not always easy to crack! This is where DC Shoes really shines with this piece of marvel. For one, if I am trying to communicate “performance” then this is as good as it gets. Considering the fact that this is a space all sports footwear brands need to associate with, DC Shoes has done it in a way that is uniquely their own.

The other reason why this video builds the DC Shoes brand is the targeting. They have chosen to focus on extreme sports. It comes through no doubt. Not that I am going to be doing any of those things in the video but upon further exploration I realized that the web experience, the online store and most importantly, the shoe designs consistently delivered on the promise made in the video – performance, extreme sports and coolness!

So despite the fact that DC Shoes makes performance footwear for people who are into extreme sports, you know what I would be looking out for the next time I need sports footwear. Now that’s brand building!

Find out why by watching the video below!