Cokes expedition 206 makes you wonder if this was the best way to engage coke fans globally. Sure the winning team gets a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but how enriching is the brand experience to the billion of global coke drinkers? Or the 3.7 million fans on facebook? What’s in it for them? Why should they care? Is there a better experience to engage more people in Coke’s Happiness campaign?
Yes, as the old axiom says actions speak louder than words. This idea was reinforced about a year ago by the Ford Motor Company, when they did not take federal funds in the bail out. The action changed many consumers’ view of Ford. It was powerful and memorable. Ironically, about five years earlier Ford ran a corporate campaign called “Bold Moves”. It was not a bad campaign, however, it was marketer rhetoric stating what they were going to do. In the end it wasn’t a series of ads that began to change people’s perception, rather, it was a single bold action.
The goal of a no regrets purchase would be to match a buyer with customer with a similar lifestyle profile, interest, and needs. The customer could inform the shopper on functionality and features they found most beneficial. They could talk about features they wished they spent a little more to get. And finally they could reveal features that did not live up to expectations and may not be worth the a higher price. Expectations can vary from delivery, to product performance, to customer support.