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Coca-Cola: The Role Model for Innocent Brands
When talking about internationally known brands, it’s impossible not to mention Coca-Cola. Since 1886, this all-American soft drink brand has created not just the most popular soft drink of all time, but a universally recognized icon and arguably one of the largest, most-recognized brands in history.
Based on Interbrand’s “best global brand” study of 2015, Coca-Cola was the world’s third most valuable brand after Apple and Google. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings each day. Coca-Cola ranked No. 87 in the 2018 Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by total revenue.
By the numbers, yes, Coca-Cola is a powerhouse in the beverage market. It’s inarguable that they lead the pack in terms of brand reach, market share, and their vast number of subsidiaries (such as Minute Maid, Odwalla, Honest Tea, and many more). Yet even with their corporation’s titan hold on the beverage industry, their advertising never feels large, impersonal, or authoritarian. And even in the face of public opinion over the health implications of soft drinks, Coca-Cola maintains an overall positive reputation across demographics. As a true Innocent archetype, Coca-Cola has mastered the role of a purely happy, simple brand. When you think Coke, you may instantly recall images of polar bears clutching glass bottles in the snow, Santa Claus kicking his feet up after a long Christmas Eve, or images of people from all walks of life coming together with something as simple as a cold, refreshing beverage. And those simple, joyful images are exactly how Coke wants to be known.
So how has Coca-Cola’s branding helped it grow to icon status while maintaining a personal, beloved brand? First and foremost, Coca-Cola has worked to make its brand synonymous with happiness. With every ad campaign, packaging design, and sponsorship, Coca-Cola ensures that its brand is positioned to provide a small moment of joy; that’s what makes them a true Innocent.
Let’s take a closer look at how their innocent archetype is reflected in their well-known brand:
What about Coca-Cola’s logo displays “Innocent” values?
- It’s old, because to Coca-Cola, brand reputation is everything. If you make things perfect the first time, and there’s no need to continually update.
- Coke has a way of using its old-fashioned look while refreshing messaging and images around it to make it never appear out-of-style or lost with the times.
- Its logo harks back to simpler times, and creates a nostalgic feel, something on which many Innocent brands like to capitalize.
- Its red logo is said to have come about during its earliest days in business, when barrels of Coca-Cola were painted red to mark them separate from barrels of beer. The red has endured for generations and the bright, fiery hue has a way of drawing attention. It stands apart from competitors as the classic drink alternative on the shelves.
Advertising
Coca-Cola focuses on the small happy moments in life. They focus on how reaching for a Coca-Cola is familiar, safe, and gives you a small moment all to yourself during the day. The message is very simple, but that’s the hallmark of Innocent brands: simple messaging.
Because Coke is internationally known and loved, its advertising focuses heavily on its wide audience range. As an Innocent brand, it’s important to be inclusive of all types of your audience base.
Coke has had many memorable ads throughout the years. One such ad is the first computer-generated ad it produced in 1993, utilizing a (then) new animation technique. Polar bears watch the Northern Lights and together enjoy a bottle of Coke. The simple story requires no words and very little sound. The message is clear: Coke is for everyone, everywhere (to the farthest corners of the world).
Another ad that helped define Coca-Cola was the famous “Hilltop” ad from 1971. Originally beginning as a radio jingle, the song was later featured in a commercial. In it, people representing nations across the world, stand together and sing “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke.” At the end, the ad’s message is that Coke is the “real thing,” the thing that can help bridge gaps between different people and bring others together like not much else can. It is a hopeful message that simplifies international harmony into sharing a soft drink.
In 2014, Coke launched one of the most memorable campaigns in recent history. The “Share a Coke” campaign featured 250 of the most common millennial names printed onto Coca-Cola bottles and cans, under the line “Share a Coke with…”. The campaign was focused on how drinking a Coke can be a way to connect with others and socialize. This idea not only helped draw a younger, more health-conscious millennial audience to Coca-Cola, it allowed them to share the campaign organically via social media, leading to increased interest and a surge in online searches for Coca-Cola. It sparked a newfound interest in a 130-year-old product.
Voice
Coca-Cola has cycled through numerous slogans over the years, including:
“It’s the Real Thing”, “Life Tastes Good”, “Open Happiness”, and “Taste the Feeling”. While they all sound slightly different, the messaging remains the same: it’s cheerful, hopeful, and focused on how Coca-Cola brings joy into your life. Simple language is used to convey easily remembered ideas that can be recalled instantly at the sight of the red logo.
Public Perception
Coca-Cola’s frequent Christmas-time advertising has helped to cement its place as a memorable Christmas tradition, with Santa Claus and polar bears becoming seasonal spokespeople for the brand.
Coca-Cola shies away from political or controversial topics. It maintains its brand reputation as a joy-bringer by avoiding issues that bring discomfort, disagreement, or negativity. As an Innocent brand, you can learn a lesson from Coke’s competitor Pepsi, to not foray into the world of political activism; it was a bad move for Pepsi in 2017, and it would be a bad idea for your Innocent brand today.
Top 3 lessons that other Innocent brands can learn from Coca-Cola?
- Keep it simple. Straightforward language and images work best to convey the idea of joy, peace, or happiness in daily life.
- When the products or services are good, there’s no need to always reinvent. Coca-Cola’s logo has endured the test of time because it has power behind it. People like the tradition of Coke.
- Focus messaging and advertising efforts on finding small, daily moments of joy through the product or service. Stay away from anything “edgy” or “controversial.”
Think your brand is an “Innocent” brand like Coke?
Take Ardent’s Brand Personality Quiz to find out which of the 12 brand archetypes you represent.
