The Hindu Business Line : Coca-Cola foraying into retail lounge format

Boosting sales
The lounge will offer the entire range of beverages from the company's portfolio.
Will be a one-stop-destination where the youth can spend time and consume Coke products.

New Delhi April 6 Coca-Cola India, the Indian subsidiary of the US-based Coca-Cola Company, is all set to mark its foray into the retail lounge format with the launch of its first outlet, Red Lounge.

The Red Lounge is touted as a one-stop-destination where the youth can spend time and consume Coke products. The first Red Lounge pilot outlet is to come up in Pune very soon and, based on the feedback, more outlets would be rolled out in other cities, said a market expert closely watching the sector.

While the lounge will sport red colour, keeping with the theme of the Coca-Cola logo, it will have a giant LCD television, video games and Net surfing facilities.

"Coca-Cola is basically trying to make a place where the young can sit, chat, relax and do the things it likes the best," said the expert. The lounge will offer entire range of beverages from the company's portfolio. Coca-Cola already has such lounges functioning across the US and Singapore.

Summer sales

Meanwhile, the company has also unleashed a barrage of strategic marketing campaigns and packaging innovations for all drinks to boost its summer sales, which account for 55 per cent of its total sales.

"We have always been interested in intricate communication across all the brands. We have a very robust system of tracking consumer requirements. With time we have been changing our marketing strategies and have been innovating new bottle and packaging designs in an effort to reach out to people in a language they understand," said Mr Debabrata Mukherjee, Director-Marketing, Flavours and Media, Coca-Cola India.

Marketing Initiatives

Besides creating fresh and edgier television campaigns for its products such as Maaza, Thums Up, Coca-Cola, Limca and Sprite, on-the-ground marketing initiatives such as road shows and contests are under way across all key markets. On packaging innovations, the company has introduced a new curvy Limca splash bottle in the 600 ml size, to carry forward the new youthful look of the brand.

The company is also using Internet to extend its reach into the public domain through the Web site myenjoyzone.com that offers facilities such as movies, music, cricket and games.

"The company has also created a special online "Sprite-itude" zone which provides consumers opportunities for online gaming and expressing their creativity keeping with the no-nonsense attitude of the drink," said Mr Mukherjee.

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