The consumers of Coca-Cola - Essay Example

?The consumer buying process is mainly influenced by a variety of factors. One of them is an advertising campaign and it is a very effective tool in raising awareness among the consumers so that they can change their buying process. As such, this paper seeks to critically discuss how an advertising campaign influences the buying process of the consumer. This paper will mainly draw from the case of Coke Zero advertising campaign to establish the extent to which it has or can influence the buying process of the targeted consumers. The paper starts by defining key terms as well as outlining the chosen advertising campaign. As a point of departure, it is imperative to begin by explaining the meaning of advertising so as to be in a position to gain a clear understanding of the concept of an advertising campaign. “Advertising is described as any paid form of non-personal presentation of ideas, goods or services by and identified sponsor,” (Kotler & Armstrong, 2010, p. 450). On the other hand, an advertising campaign refers to a series of advertisements. Essentially, the main purpose of an advertising campaign is to influence the consumer buying process through informing and persuading the targeted customers so that they can be attracted to the product after developing a positive attitude towards it. As going to be discussed below, an advertising campaign has different features that are designed to appeal to the interests of the targeted customers. In this case, particular attention is put on Coke Zero’s advertising campaign in order to establish how it is intended to influence the buyer decision process. The New York Daily News (2013) states that “In its continuing efforts to draw a distinctly male consumer base, Coke Zero has launched a new ad campaign that absolves men of their sport addictions and defends their right to “guys-being-guys.” The NYDaily further states that “Coke Zero has launched a series of cheeky 30-second TV ads which position the drink as the “defender and celebrator of guy enjoyment.” The advertising campaign is flighted on all major television channels in America. Coke is a global brand and it always strives to reach a wide range of consumers from diverse parts of the globe. As such, it can be seen that this advertising campaign is also carried to other targeted customers located in different parts of the globe through satellite broadcasting as well as the internet. These forms of communication are fast and instantaneous and they can reach different parts of the globe. The figure below shows the product involved in the mentioned advertising campaign. The consumer buying process is comprised of five stages namely: need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternative, purchase decisions and post purchase decisions (Strydom, 2004). For real, this is a process not an event given that it goes through different stages. In most cases, it can be noted that consumers are always aware of their needs and they often search for information they can use to satisfy their needs. This is when the advertising campaign comes in handy when people are looking for information that can be used to satisfy their needs. In the case of Coke Zero advertising campaign, the target audience is men and this can go a long way in providing the required information about the ideal product that can satisfy their needs. The advertising campaign is designed in such a way that it conveys the information that can influence the targeted group to develop a positive attitude towards Coke Zero. The message in this advertising campaign is: “defender and celebrator of guy enjoyment.” This message is designed in such a way that it captures the attention of the targeted customers such that they can be influenced to try the product. The other important aspect of the buyer decision process is related to evaluation of alternatives. According to Berry & Wilson (2001), marketers should always be aware of the fact that there are various alternatives in the market hence they should design their advertising campaigns in such a unique way that the market offering will be easily distinguished from the other products by the targeted consumers. As shown in the main message of the ad campaign of Coke Zero, the consumers can use this information to evaluate other market offerings and make an informed decision. More often than not, consumers make decisions to purchase particular products on the basis of the information they have about it. This information is obtained from adverts in most cases and it helps the consumers to compare the current market offering with other similar products that already exist in the market. The customers make a purchase decision after ranking the products to establish the best. “Generally, the purchase decision will be to buy the most preferred brand,” (Kotler & Armstrong, 2010, p. 163). This does not just happen since there is need for the customers to experience the product first before they make a final decision to purchase it. An ad campaign is a very effective strategy that can positively influence the customers to purchase the product. In the case of Coke Zero, the ad campaign is unique in that the product is portrayed as the only drink that can satisfy the needs of men. Indeed, there are several other drinks in the market but this product is portrayed as specifically designed to fulfil the needs and interests of the targeted customers. There are likely chances that the targeted customers will positively respond to the ad campaign since it is created in such a way that the targeted customers are likely to identify with the market offering. After making the decision to purchase this product, the targeted customers also pass through the stage known as post purchase behaviour. This mainly depends on whether the customer is satisfied or dissatisfied with the product’s performance. As explained in detail above, it can be seen that an ad campaign is designed to influence the buying behaviour or process of the customers. A carefully designed advertising campaign takes the customers through stage by stage so that they can gradually develop a positive attitude towards a market offering. There are many advantages that can be derived for carrying out an advertising campaign by a company. Indeed, Coca cola is a reputable brand across the whole globe but this does not mean that the company should be complacent in terms of attracting more customers to its products. In order to gain a large market offering, it is imperative for Coca Cola Company to carry out ad campaigns for different products that are specifically focused on a certain targeted audience. As going to be illustrated by the example of Coke Zero ad campaign, it can be seen that there are many advantages that are likely to be derived by the company from this particular campaign. First and foremost, it can be noted that in an ad campaign, the message is tailored in such a way that it will positively impact on the targeted people. McCarthy & Perreault (1990) posit to the effect that the message in an ad campaign reinforces the intention of the marketer to positively appeal to the interests of the targeted customers so that they can purchase the market offering. In the case of Coke Zero’s ad campaign, it can be noted that the message is: “defender and celebrator of guy enjoyment.” A close analysis of the message sums up the intentions of the marketers and it speaks volumes about the product quality. The target group is men and the message shows that the “guys” will derive the much needed enjoyment from Coke Zero. The other advantage of the ad campaign is that the message is repeated so that the customers subconsciously listen to the campaign and the end result is that they are likely to change their behaviour and buy the market offering. Through repetition of the message, the customers learn a lot of things about the product and this will greatly influence them to develop a positive attitude towards the product. The consumer buying process is mainly influenced by the information they have about the product and it can be observed that the ad campaign for Coke Zero conveys the details about the product to the targeted group. The other example of the ad campaign for Coke Zero is shown below. Source: kraimbo.wordpress. com The other advantage of an ad campaign is that the customers are constantly reminded about the market offering. For instant, the 30 second ad campaign of Coke Zero is flighted on different television channels in the US particularly prime time viewing when most people are relaxing and watching television. This is when the campaign will capture the attention of many people. Some people may have knowledge about the product but they are reluctant to buy the product. However, they will be compelled to buy it in the long run as a result of the fact that they are constantly reminded about it. There are likely chances that people will respond in a positive manner if they are constantly exposed to the same message over a period of time. An ad campaign is designed to run for a specific period and this is meant to ensure that the message reaches all the targeted groups (Kotler & Armstrong, 2004). Even those people with little interest about the product will gradually change their behaviour in they are constantly reminded about the existence of the market offering through the strong message of the campaign. According to Strydom (2004), the other advantage of an ad campaign is that it raises awareness about the product among the targeted people. People learn about a product from the information they consume from different sources about it. There are different brands of Coca Cola but Coke Zero is presented in such a way that the consumers will view it from a different angle. After raising awareness about a product among the targeted people, they are likely to respond in a positive way given that the aim of the communication campaign is to change their behaviour. People’s attitudes towards a certain product are learned and they are subject to change depending on the quality of information they have about the market offering. With time, it can be seen that there are likely chances that the consumers will develop a positive attitude since they are provided the necessary information that can help them to make informed decisions with regards to purchasing of the product. Loyalty among the customers is likely to be created if they have the correct information about a certain market offering. The other notable advantage of an ad campaign is that the product is presented as unique. This is commonly referred to as differentiation. According to Porter (1985), differentiation is a marketing strategy that is designed to present a market offering as unique compared to other similar products. This helps the company to gain a competitive advantage since it would be offering a unique product that is held with great esteem by the targeted consumers. In the case of Coke Zero, it can be noted that the product is presented as unique and the ad campaign indicates that there is no any other product that can match it. For real, the customers would be overwhelmed by this message and they are likely to taste the product. Once they have discovered the uniqueness of the market offering, they are likely to influence other people to try it. This helps the company to attract more customers thereby increasing its sales and ultimately profitability. This strategy gives the company a competitive advantage since it is able to increase its market share. The company will also be able to build a strong customer base. The survival and viability of the organization is mainly influenced by the number of customers it has. As such, a successful ad campaign is likely to give Coca Cola a competitive advantage since it is in a better position to attract many customers. It can also be seen that an ad campaign is meant to retain the customers already existing. It is imperative for the marketers to provide information to the customers about the product as well as to remind them about the benefits they can derive from consuming the product offered. The strategy of persuasion is also very important since it can appeal to the interests of many people. When customers have been attracted to the company, it becomes the duty of the marketers to make sure that they put in place strategies that are designed to retain these people. In the long run, loyalty among the buyers is likely to be created which also help the company to gain a competitive advantage over the other players in the same industry. Customer value is mainly created by the way they perceive a certain market offering. Any positive attitude towards the product is a score for the company. The Coke Zero ad campaign is carefully designed such that it is likely to appeal to the interests of many people. Over and above, it can be concluded that consumer buying process is mainly influenced by a variety of factors such as advertising campaigns. This refers to a series of advertisements that are intended to positively change the behaviour of the targeted buyers. Carefully designed advertisement campaigns are likely to remind the customers about the existence of a certain market offering. These campaigns also raise awareness among the consumers about the product. However, as discussed above, the success of an advertising campaign mainly depends on the quality of the message presented by the marketers to the customers. As illustrated by the case of Coke Zero, the message is: “defender and celebrator of guy enjoyment.” This message is tailored in such a way that it appeals to the interests of the targeted male consumers. The way the message is presented in the campaign also has a bearing on the likely response of the customers. The case of Coke Zero shows that the product is presented as unique and different from other similar products found in the market. This is very effective since the strategy helps the company to gain a competitive advantage in its operations. This helps it to operate viably and effectively since it would be able to attract a lot of customers. References Berry, T & Wilson, D 2001, On Target: The Book of Marketing plans. How to Develop and Implement a Successful Marketing Plan. Palo Alto Software Inc, NY. Kotler, P & Armstrong, G 2010, Principles of Marketing, Pearson: CT. Kotler, P & Armstrong G 2004, Principles of Marketing, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River: NJ. McCarthy JE & Perreault, WD 1990, Basic Marketing, International student Edition, 10th Edition, Irwin, Boston. NYDailyNews 21 March 2013. “New Coke Zero ads target men in 'It's not your fault' campaign.” Viewed 29 November 2013, from: . Porter, ME 1985, Competitive Advantage; Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance, The Free Press: New York. Strydom, J 2004, Marketing, 3rd Edition, Juta & Co Ltd, CT. Read More