Why is this work relevant for Media?

The Coca-Cola Company needed to recruit Aussies to trial the new and improved Coca-Cola No Sugar. Awareness of a re-formulation would never deliver on the urgency to hit trial targets, so we needed to influence not only attitudes, but behaviour. Public debates are powerful in creating real behaviour change. So, to spark a debate that would drive trial for Coca-Cola No Sugar, we provoked the nation with the question ‘Best Coke Ever?’. We launched a cultural conversation across Australia through a radio integration, national TV broadcast, social media and path-to-purchase OOH and settled the debate, 'Best Coke Ever!'.

Background

The Coca-Cola Company’s purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference – providing the brands and choice of drinks that people love. In doing so they are committed to giving people the best tasting no sugar Coca-Cola. Marketing Challenge: Recruit Aussies to try the new and improved Coca-Cola No Sugar (CCNS) Objectives: Launch a brand new and improved Coke No Sugar to further accelerate Coca-Cola's share growth of Colas. • Grow Diet/No Sugar Cola category • Increase Coke TM share of Diet Colas and grow CCTM

Describe the creative idea / insights (30% of vote)

Brand Insight: Coca-Cola has continued to innovate and improve the CCNS recipe further to deliver a new and improved taste that they believe will be popular with the existing fan base, as well as with Coca-Cola Classic drinkers who are seeking a zero-sugar option. Taste is the largest driver of choice and permissibility. Consumer Insight: Public debates are powerful in creating real behaviour change. We've all seen it. Climate change, same sex marriage and the COVID-19 vaccination, all widely debated. Debate draws people in. Debate allows us to form and share opinions. Debate creates attention. And through media anyone can weigh in with their POV. Coca-Cola will always have fans, and there will always be detractors. But when launching a new recipe - there is nothing worse than people having no opinion. The key element to this campaign is inviting Aussies to try it so they can join the debate.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

Awareness of a new CCNS recipe would never deliver the urgency to hit our trial targets. We needed a strategy that influenced not attitude alone, but behaviour. Communications Strategy: Spark a debate that drives trial. What better way to spark debate than by provoking opinion with a single question: Best Coke Ever? And to participate in the debate: You have to try it first. Spark: We used scarcity to drive demand by providing early access to the reformulated CCNS to partners, influencers and PR. Allowing them to decide for themselves, ‘Best Coke Ever?’ Debate: We provoked dialogue across Australia as product hit shelves through broad reaching communications that asked all Aussies, ‘Best Coke Ever?’ …but to join the debate you need to try it first! Trial: We used commerce to settle the debate by reminding Australians to try it first and decide for themselves, 'Best Coke Ever?'

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

To spark a debate that drives trial, we needed a partner with the power to launch a cultural conversation. Enter Kyle Sandilands, Australia’s no.1 and most provocative radio host. Spark: The first taste of the new Coca-Cola No Sugar was tasted LIVE on air, with Kyle declaring that this WAS the ‘Best Coke Ever’. Kyle crashed every show across radio, podcasts and social media to share his exclusive stash and ask the question on everyone’s lips. ‘Best Coke Ever?’ Debate: We provoked the nation by launching our TV campaign during the AFL grand final; the highest rating program of the year. Extending over 16 weeks, complete with product placements and integration segments to give the debate public scale. Trial: You can’t debate unless you try it first! We built behavioural triggers to remind audiences that “you have to try it first” through proximity OOH on path-to-purchase and shopper executions in-store.

List the results (30% of vote)

We provoked a HUGE debate. To spark: • Kyle shared his stash with 86 difference celebrity guests and Australian identities • Amassed over 235 live segments • Across 23 different radio shows and podcasts • Reaching 5.6 Million people Australia wide. The Debate: • Launched to 4.11 million people during the AFL grand final. And drove trial in the 4 weeks since launch: • +17% Vs LY CCNS sales • +3%pts share of total cola category Blowing our targets out of the water and proving the power of opinion and collective discussion. The results are in, and Australia has settled the debate once and for all. The new Coca-Cola No Sugar. Best. Coke. Ever.