Just like any period of history, debates have always been a relevant and suitable activity to perform in case the mood during group gatherings turns a tad boring. Why? Because it is always fun to force your opinion on some innocent soul who happens to be standing in the corner quietly with an almost black colored soft drink in her hands. Once you learn that she’s been drinking Pepsi during the whole little party taking place, that’s when you freak out. Because “How can you drink that? co*ke is hundred times better that Pepsi.”
This is the exact and epic moment when every breathing human in the room starts to freak out and screams the phrases of why their preferred brand is better, although most of the time nobody gives you rational reasons as they are too busy judging you based on your favorite soda.
Alongside with all the screaming chaos and throat slicing threats, an individual, who just graduated college with a marketing degree, stands up and suggests one of the theories on why some people become loyal to a specific brand, while others feel connected with another brand — mostly competing ones (never forget the infinite war between Apple and Samsung).
Majority of companies strive to build a brand which would not only go global but also make people all over the world excited, connected and even obsessed. This is where Coca Cola’s marketing strategy kicks the door open and launches campaigns that involve attachment of company’s values to practical emotions shown by the customers. Coca Cola implements its emotional branding campaigns in a way that would trigger emotional touch in the minds and hearts of the consumer, with a sense of belonging and loyalty. As simple as it may sound, the company aims to create a smile, even a subtle one, as an individual watches their ads.
Most popular campaigns of the brand include and are not limited to “Share a co*ke — Share a feeling”, “Open Happiness”, “Taste the Feeling”, “Hug me”, etc.. Coca Cola designs its advertising messages in a way that would make the content go viral, targeting wider demographics of adults, young adults and children. The idea of friendship, love and kindness have become key targets that the brand hits, simply promoting the audience to drink co*ke and just have fun.
To put it simply, the means of building a loyal and long-lasting relationship, Coca Cola focuses on connecting with the customers on a more intimate and personal level; promote emotional attachment; personalize products in order to be closer to the consumers; and use motivational call to action tactics.
And then, there’s Pepsi, which, in my very humble opinion, has better taste than Coca Cola, however, when it comes to emotional marketing, the brand stands no chance next to its main competitor. While Coca Cola restrains itself to include celebrities or any kind of socially popular individual in its advertising videos, Pepsi is all about displaying influencers. Pepsi has rich history in celebrity endorsem*nt that includes professional athletes and pop stars, now growing to be impacting bigger audiences through collaborating with social media influencers.
The list of Pepsi celebrity endorsers comprises Michael Jackson, Madonna, Ray Charles, Beyonce, Britney Spears, Kendall Jenner, etc.
Although Pepsi spends almost as much as Coca Cola, I personally find it difficult to build an emotional attachment with the brand, but I do admit openly that my taste buds prefer Pepsi over Coca Cola.
