It was a PR campaign that gave new meaning to the term "bean
counters."
When Coca-Cola was conducting research prior to the launch of
Vanilla Coke -- the first brand extension since Cherry Coke was
introduced in 1985 -- the company found that the taste of vanilla
was considered an unexpected treat among most consumers. So the PR
team used that knowledge as a hook for the campaign. The idea was
to find an audience that would be honored (and altogether
surprised) to rally around the official launch of Vanilla Coke. But
the soda giant also wanted an unusual location -- and one that
normally doesn't get a lot of exposure.
By searching the Web, Coke found a place that was the perfect
fit: The Vanilla Bean Café in Pomfret, CT, a rural hamlet
with a population of just 3,800 people. The kickoff event in
Pomfret, however, was part of a comprehensive PR campaign launched
in five phases in April/May of 2002:
Phase 1: An official announcement on April 15 that Coke will be
in stores May 15. B-roll footage of Vanilla Coke packaging is
distributed to the media, along with a press release.
Phase 2: To create buzz, more than 1,000 "influencers,"
throughout the political/sports and entertainment worlds, are sent
samples of Vanilla Coke, including Walt Disney CEO Michael Eisner,
NBC's "Today Show" queen Katie Couric and CBS late night denizen
David Lettermen.
Phase 3: Official launch at the Vanilla Bean Café in
Pomfret, CT, and attendant party in New York City.
Phase 4: Securing national broadcast placements on the "Today
Show," "Good Morning America," "The Early Show" and CNN.
Phase 5: Product Sampling. Street teams were deployed across the
country to coincide with the May 15th launch. The launch was timed
to hit around May 8, Coca-Cola's 116th birthday.
On May 8 the very first batch of Vanilla Coke was delivered to
the Vanilla Bean Café; most of the Pomfret community turned
out for the celebration, which included remarks from the mayor and
performances by local high school bands.
But the party didn't end with the Pomfret event. To get the
message out to both younger consumers (and Coca-Cola bottlers)
Coca-Cola chartered a bus that cruised from Pomfret to Pressure, a
popular New York City nightclub, to keep the celebration going. The
nightclub was decorated to recreate the atmosphere of the official
launch in Pomfret, including new Vanilla Coke graphics. "We didn't
want to be to old-fashioned about it," says Mart Martin, director
of public and media relations for the Coca-Cola trademark and
Coca-Cola North America. "We wanted to pay tribute to our heritage
but at the same time provide a little edge."
The series of events are all the more remarkable for a $500,000
budget, a modest figure for Coca-Cola. What's more, in a growing
trend in marketing and communications, PR was initially the sole
driver of the Vanilla Coke campaign, preceding the advertising
component by three months. (See Sidebar.)
David Nobs, general manager of Rogers & Cowan, who helped
engineer the Vanilla Coke launch, says each facet of the campaign
had a laser-like focus on taste, such as sending VIP (Vanilla
Initiated Person) Kits to celebrities or having Yolanda Ball,
Vanilla Coke's brand manager, appearing on the "Today Show" to help
co-hosts sample the soft drink.
Adds Martin: "It was pretty straightforward. Keep the focus on
taste and don't over-hype the product. When Coca-Cola introduces a
product, it's going to be big news so we let taste carry the day."
The results were stellar, both in terms of media exposure and sales
generation. A total of 1,516 individual broadcast placements were
secured, reaching 92 million consumers. According to Beverage
Digest, Vanilla Coke was considered one of the highest selling soft
drinks in the period following the launch, selling more than 1.7
million cases for a 2.7% market share - which can be directly
attributed to PR. The beverage could break into the top 10 in U.S.
beverage sales this year.
In addition to the taste testing on all the national morning
shows, the aforementioned party at Pressure got picked up far and
wide, including items in The New York Post, The New York Times and
The New Yorker, which ran a 'Talk of the Town' piece on the launch.
What's more, both "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart and the "Late
Show With David Letterman" lampooned the launch of Vanilla Coke,
using faux scientists researching the new vanilla flavor to extract
some laughs. "That brought the product into pop culture," says
Martin. And did somebody say sequel? Diet Vanilla Coke hit the
market in October '02.
Contacts: Mart Martin, 404.676.3445, [email protected]; David Nobs,
310.407.6593; [email protected]
Flavored With A PR Twist
The launch of Vanilla Coke is a great example of how public
relations was used to gain consumer acceptance and generate sales,
three months prior to national advertising support. A few steps on
how PR fueled the campaign:
- Creating "Buzz" It's important to understand the role
influential product seeding plays in building "buzz" for a product
with today's trendsetters. By placing the product in the hands of
celebrities, athletes, television personalities, politicians and
other key influencers, Rogers & Cowan were successful in
creating "buzz" and building anticipation for this new flavor. - Building Momentum In launching Vanilla Coke, Rogers & Cowan
worked hand-in-hand with Coca-Cola to build momentum and increase
media coverage and consumer interest from one phase of the program
to next. The firm felt that the "right" press is usually better
than "more" press and that selective, strategic, targeted publicity
can significantly enhance brand image. - Measuring Success It's paramount to define and gain consensus
on what success looks like at the outset of a campaign and ensure
that programs deliver a return on investment.
Source: David Nobs, Rogers & Cowan