Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Monday, May 29, 2006
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Monday, May 29, 2006 |
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Beverages Marketing - Online Marketing Cola wars extend to cyberspace Dharini Nagarajan
Web wars Pepsi launches Globe Smart Client, powered by Yahoo! India, a downloadable service on mobile handsets as "Pepsi Globe'', which provides access to the company's online portal. Coca Cola launches `Sprite-itude' experience zone, an interactive Web zone focused around the `attitude of Sprite drinkers', where consumers can make their own `Sprite-itude mobile movie' and play games online.
New Delhi , May 28 Cyberspace seems to be the new battleground for cola majors. Soft drink brands such as Sprite, Pepsi and Mountain Dew are extending the battle zone from television to the virtual world with the launch of numerous Web casts or Web zones for their brands. While the television advertisement campaigns have kick-started with the `Pepsi TV' and `Thande Ka Tadka' ads already battling it out, soft drink majors are now eyeing the Internet to increase `touch-points' and interaction with the consumer. Mr Vipul Prakash, Executive Vice-President, Marketing of PepsiCo India, said: "With the Pepsi Web zone we hope to convert a monologue with the consumer into a dialogue which is not possible with televisuals." For instance, Pepsi launched its Globe Smart Client, powered by Yahoo! India, which is a downloadable service on mobile handsets as "Pepsi Globe'' and which will provide access to Pepsi Zone, the company's online portal. With this, mobile phone users can get content on cricket, Bollywood, music, television and also purchase wireless content without actually having to log on to the Internet. Close on the heels, Coca-Cola too launched a Web-based service for Sprite to increase interactivity with consumers. The cola major launched an online `Sprite-itude' experience zone. The interactive Web zone is focused around the `attitude of Sprite drinkers'. Consumers can make their own `Sprite-itude mobile movie' and play games online. Mountain Dew on its part has designed an adventure Web cast to strengthen its marketing initiative. Consumers can log on to the Web site to watch and download videos from the adventure reality show hosted by the brand. Mr Pratik Pota, Executive Vice-President - Flavours, Pepsi Foods Pvt Ltd, said: "The interactive Web cast is yet another unique platform and is a part of Mountain Dew's efforts to reach out to the youth."
Innovative strategies
Marketing analysts point out that in the highly competitive soft drinks market, companies need to constantly work out innovative marketing strategies in order to maintain top-of-mind recall among the consumers. According to Mr Vikas Gupta, Vice-President - Marketing, Coca-Cola India, "Sprite as a brand is all about puncturing pretensions, having a cut-through attitude and stating facts as they are. The challenge was to capture and bring alive the same essence in the online world. That's how the whole idea of launching Sprite-itude was conceptualised. The online destination provides consumers with the freedom and the power to do their own thing." While most marketers are resorting to the Internet and online portals as a measure to further strengthen their on-the-ground promotional activities, the power of television commercials cannot be replaced.
Related Stories: More Stories on : Beverages | Online Marketing | Internet
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