Coca-Cola BlacK in America - Assignment Example

 Coca-Cola BlācK in America 1. Identify the target consumer for Coca-Cola BlācK in America and provide a rationale for this decision. Coca-Cola BlāK was one of many designs and developments that Coca-Cola made to recover its declining sales in 2005. Coca-Cola BlāK was appealed to male demographics with coffee essence ingredients targeted mainly for older, more sophisticated and over-30 customers who are willing to spend more (Lamb, Hair and McDaniel, 2008, p. 258). Coca-Cola BlāK was not just a flavor extension, but rather, it was a stimulating blend of distinct coke refreshment with genuine essence of coffee, being lightly carbonated which was targeted to appeal to adult consumers (singleservecoffee.com, 2006).

This product came with an agave azul flavor, designed mainly to appeal to Hispanic men (Lamb, Hair and McDaniel, 2008, p. 258). Coca-Cola company has been investing in heavy researches during 2002 about who are the users of coke products and when and why. The 2002 research conducted by Coca-Cola found an uncovered market segment, which was energy booster for those adults who are between 30 and 50 age. This brought the attention of Coca-Cola executives to the significance of introducing a unique product merging ordinary Coke with either an energy drink or coffee essences (Wilbert, 2006).

The underlying marketing concept behind its launching of Coca-Cola BlāK was identifying a hidden market segment with its specific requirements and designing and developing the product accordingly. 2. Discuss the kinds of advertising messages that would appeal to the target consumer to cause an attitude change toward Coca-Cola BlāK. In 2005, Coca-Cola selected a an advertising agency to create a campaign for Coca-Cola BlāK , targeting consumers of ‘savvy and sophisticated achievers’ (Wilbert, 2006).

Coca-Cola, as its tradition, has long been relying on various advertising campaigns like print advertisement, campaign in support of sports/ football spectacular, television advertising etc. Many large companies have recently adopted the strategic approach of integrated marketing communication (IMC) for its advertising campaign. IMC would be an effective way to appeal the target customers for Coca-Cola BlāK , because, Coca Cola advertisement keeps reinforcing its customers to a unique appeal of ‘what a great drink it is’ (USC Marshall, 2010) rather than providing any new information.

Integrated marketing communication is a marketing process of planning, designing and developing brand communication strategy to its customers, employees and associates with a view to build short term financial benefits and long term brand value (Schultz and Schultz, 2004, P. 3). Integrated marketing communication will be exceptionally effective when the company has to communicate similar or almost same messages to its target customers. Moreover, as the Coca-Cola has to pass same message- great drink- to its customers, IMC would be able to add values to each and every products that it has to market.

The company, therefore, can combine all promotional strategies through traditional advertising, sales promotion, event marketing, sponsorship advertising, public relation etc in order to advertise its Coca-Cola BlāK . 3. Compared to ordinary Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola BlāK is expensive ($1.99). How should Coca-Cola BlāK be positioned? As compared to the ordinary Coca-Cola bottle price ( $1 to $1.25), the Coca-Cola BlāK price ($1.99) is obviously expensive, despite the fact that Coca-Cola BlāK comes with stimulating blend of coke refreshment with true essence of coffee and is mainly targeted to the ‘sophisticated and savvy 30-above people who are willing to spend more.

Coca-Cola BlāK , as it is targeted to the savvy and sophisticated people, is more likely to be positioned among the adults and Hispanic customers ‘as a great drink, with exceptionally stimulating coffee essence’. Coca-Cola has added coffee essence and more flavor to its BlaK product and therefore this will be more likely to be positioned as ‘quality product for premium price’. Price is a significant indicator of the positioning strategy. The outcome of the brand positioning is the thought triggered to the customers’ mind when they think of, hear or see the product or its name.

the brand Coca-Cola presents a unique personality, values and experiences that people normally associate with the company or product (Hiebing, Hiebing and Cooper, 2004, p. 145). Coca-Cola BlāK will probably associate these specific characters to the added value of ‘premium flavored product with coffee essence for high price’. 4. Discuss how Coca-Cola can use its brand name to attract customers to Coca-Cola BlāK. Coca-Cola is, no doubt, one of the leading and well-known international brands that have long been influencing personality, life styles, cultures and economies worldwide.

It’s a brand that millions of people find their way to meet their ‘thirst and refresh’ needs and thus this brand has been better positioned among its customers. The Coca-Cola has been grown to be a company that its customers apply images, perceptions and associations to its various products based on certain values and beliefs. To be more specific, it has gained considerable ‘position’ in customers’ mind. As Coca-Cola is a strong brand, it can play significant roles with every aspects of its relationship with its customers and that would certainly do in the marketing and communicating of Coca-Cola BlāK as well.

Coca-Cola BlāK is a product from the favorite brand Coca-Cola. Communicating its customers about its brand and its development of new product is thus critical to the success. Communication simply cannot bring it, unless it has strategically been formulated and the information has effectively been reached to its customers. Many companies find success with effective communication whereas many others fail with ineffectual communication. Coca-Cola possesses a very strong brand name and it can attract its customers to Coca-Cola BlāK, if there is effective and strategically developed communication, to say, integrated marketing communication strategy.

References Hiebing, R.G, Hiebing, R and Cooper, S.W, 2004, The one-day marketing plan: organizing and completing a plan that works, Third edition, McGraw-Hill Professional Lamb, C.W, Hair, J. F and McDaniel, C, 2008, Marketing, tenth edition, Cengage Learning Singleservecoffee.com, 2006, Coca Cola BlaK: Single Serve Coffee Meets Single Serve Coke, Single Serve Coffee, Retrieved 03/11/2010 from http://www.singleservecoffee.com/archives/005471.php Schultz D.E and Schultz H.F (2004), IMC, the next generation: five steps for delivering value and measuring returns using marketing communication, illustrated edition, McGraw Hill Professional USC Marshall, 2010, Promotion: Integrated Marketing Communication, USC Marshall, Retrieved from http://www.

consumerpsychologist.com/intro_Promotion.html Wilbert, C, 2006, Coca-Cola BlāK hits stores this week, The Oxford press, Retrieved 03/11/2010 from http://www.oxfordpress.com/e/content/shared/money/stories/coxnews/COKE_BLAK_0404_COX.html