The Campaign

Determined to hold onto a hard-fought market leadership position in Thailand, Coca-Cola challenged the agency to create a campaign that went beyond enhancing consumption and brand image, and actually re-invent the consumer’s relationship with the product by placing Coke at the center of their lives. Recognizing that campaigns from other markets, while successful, were inappropriate to Thai consumers, the agency turned their biggest obstacle into an asset with a breakthrough insight: If people in Thailand, a nation of introverts with conservative rules of social expression, wouldn’t participate in a western-style “Share a Coke” campaign, then why not use Coke products to help Thais break those rules and become more expressive? The launch of Thailand’s “Share a Real Feeling” not only invited Thais to find and share their names, but equipped them to say much, much more. By printing not just names, but also common, versatile words of flirtation, compliment, and location on Coke “Cans of Expression”, the brand catapulted from refreshment items to a new and revolutionary vocabulary of social interaction and moment-creation. Through a strategically staged launch of key influencers, buzz creation, and media rollout, the “Share a Real Feeling” campaign engaged the consumer public at a grassroots level, encouraging consumer creativity and creating massive user-generated content in social media that went viral. The unique, liberating mechanic gave consumers immediate ownership of the campaign, resulting in a deeper and more lasting brand relationship. Coke became more than something to share. It became something to say.

The Brief

Yet despite these obstacles, the objective remained: how could Thai consumers find a place for Coke in their lives that went beyond consumption, and operated on a higher leven of social engagement? As market leader and one of the nation’s most recognized and familiar brands, Coke was a ubiquitous and trusted part of people’s daily lives. A Thai always had a Coke nearby, and often one in hand. The product was fully engaged with the public, setting the stage for the brand to take a leap into their social lives. All that was missing was the tool.

Results

The ubiquitous red Coke cans and bottles became the symbols of a nationwide phenomenon and new vocabulary of social interaction, integrating the Coke brand, product, and consumption into the social lives of Thais in a positive context. 10,775 user-generated topics from consumers recording their own “Share a Real Feeling” moments through social media, including marriage proposals and other bold messages that Thais finally had the means to express. • Coke widened its leadership gap and owned a full 50% of the market in Thailand for the first time. • Significantly, share increase 9.5% over the previous year in Bangkok, the biggest Thai market by far and the place where Pepsi’s previous lead was the strongest. • Coke also achieved its highest Brand Preference score since 2009 at 41%, which was 9.5% higher than the year before. • Coca Cola Thailand Facebook became a number one Facebook fan in its category for the first time.

Execution

Leading with online executions of key influencers using the Cans of Expression to say innovative messages their friends, lovers, and each other, the campaign seeded the concept among the target demographic. Influential young people were suddenly posting images of messages created from Coke products on social media networks. The buzz went viral quickly, creating anticipation and demand. By the time the mass media campaign kicked in, the opinion leaders were already far into their leadership of the campaign. Facebook Coca-Cola then provided its own content and a platform for showcasing the best user-generated content. The demand for the cans was so great that retail locations that stocked the worded cans were mobbed and sold out, as social media buzzed with rumors on where to buy the cans at any moment. “Share a Real Feeling” was now more than a campaign, it was a new media unto itself.

The Situation

Coke’s new market leadership in Thailand demanded a major move to shore up the brand relationship with the public. Media advertising had achieved its limit and a PR-type engagement was needed to extend Coke’s relationship with average Thais. But Thai culture was prohibitive against the kind of freewheeling, randomly bold behavior that had been the centerpiece of successful PR campaigns in western markets. Simply put, Thais wouldn’t necessarily even share one with people they knew. The social aspect of Coke consumption existed among Thais, especially young ones, but they were socially un-equipped to take the next step.

The Strategy

Thais’ reluctance to express themselves publically was the trait that made global campaigns useless; it also identified a key need in their lives. In an age of new media, social media, and 24-hour connected engagement, Thais were communicating more than ever. Coke products were already in their hands – why not make Cokes the new media for real expression? By printing common Thai names and pronouns, as well as vesatile words such as “like” “pretty” “lover” “friend” “meet” and other terms of social interaction on Coke cans and bottles, Thais suddenly had the tools for expressing themselves face to face. To make the campaign lasting and effective, it had to be owned by the public. The rollout was therefore staged to hold off on mass media until key viral media seedings had spread the word underground that Coke was a cool new tool for saying things you’d always wanted to say.