Coca-Cola Drips Charisma

One of the reasons Coca-Cola is so successful is that it knows how to play the part of the charismatic brand.

Here’s a look at Coca-Cola spreading some joy and happiness at a college campus. Uh, yeah… this is brilliant.

Is your brand charismatic? No? Then I hate to break it to you, Sparky, but you’re just plain and dull. So here’s what you need to do: start thinking about how you can differentiate yourself AND ooze charisma. Both are important. And if you can get it right, you just might end up surprising and delighting your customers.

Brand Aid for Haiti

I can’t imagine watching helplessly as my own daughter struggled for survival, pinned down by some steel bar, unable to escape the rubble of a major earthquake. I also can’t imagine hearing her cries, knowing I could do little to help. The very thought is unbearable.

I came across this story on CNN. And, sadly, the story ended tragically. Though freed from the wreckage, this poor girl didn’t make it. Doctors couldn’t save her, devastating her family and all those involved in the rescue effort.

So many heart wrenching, tragic stories are coming out of what was already one of the poorest countries in the world.

While devastating and horrific, these are the stories that inspire us to act, to do what we can to help.

Individuals act. Communities pull together. Organizations get into motion.

Businesses and brands also offer support in various forms.

Consider brand aid for Haiti. Here’s a rundown based on what I can find on the Web of how the world’s top brands are responding to the tragedy. This list is limited to the world’s top 10 brands, based on Interbrand’s Best Global Brands ranking of 2009.

1. Coca-Cola: The Coca-Cola Foundation has donated $1 million to the American Red Cross as well as water and other beverages for immediate on-the-ground relief efforts.

2. IBM: I have not come across any public announcement from Big Blue. However, the technology giant does provide support to the U.S. State Department’s Center for International Disaster Information, which plays a major role in disaster relief and recovery efforts.

3. Microsoft: Initial commitment of $1.25 million, including cash and in-kind contributions. The company is matching employee donations. Microsoft is helping to drive awareness and donations for relief efforts through MSN and Bing. In addition, the company is working through NetHope, a group made up of some of the world’s largest humanitarian relief organizations, which focuses on ensuring that these organizations are prepared to react quickly and effectively to work together during an emergency.

4. GE: Has pledged $2.5 million to support relief and recovery efforts and is running a corporate matching contribution program. GE says it’s working with its partners to assess response efforts and determine next steps to help restore infrastructure and services to the impacted areas.

5. Nokia: Unknown.

6. McDonald’s: Contributing $500,000 and matching donations from Arcos Dorados, the company that operates nearly 1,700 McDonald’s restaurants in Latin America. Total estimated contribution: about $1 million. Funds will go through the International Federation of the Red Cross. The team in Latin America is running a grassroots program that’s expected to generate an additional $500,000.

7. Google: $1 million to the relief and recovery efforts. Google also has a link on its homepage to information, resources and ways everyone can help.

8. Toyota: Has pledged $500,000 in donations to be divided equally among the American Red Cross, Save the Children, and Doctors Without Borders. The auto company is matching any employee contributions to those organizations.

9. Intel: The computer chip giant has made no public announcement as far as I know, but Wendy Hawkins, executive director of the Intel Foundation, notes on the company’s corporate social responsibility blog that over 700 employees made donations to relief efforts within the first 24 hours of the catastrophe. The Intel Foundation has committed to match employee donations and contribute an additional $250,000. Intel, like Microsoft, is also supporting relief and recovery efforts through NetHope.

10. Disney: $100,000 in humanitarian aid to earthquake victims through the Red Cross International Fund.

As I gathered this information, I couldn’t help but wonder about the motivations behind brand aid. I began to question whether these brands are acting out of concern for the larger social interest, or out of self-interest.

At the end of the day though, my feeling is that little value lies in casting aspersions on the intentions behind brand aid. Haitians need all the help the rest of the world can offer.

And even if brands are acting partially out of concern for how their response to a major human calamity is perceived by consumers and other stakeholders, isn’t that a good thing? Don’t we want to them to feel that they’re accountable for their response?

I think we want a world in which companies/brands put people truly at the center. We want a world in which companies/brands embrace new imperatives beyond profits.

We understand the need for businesses to make sense economically, but the price of entry includes social and environmental responsibility. The price of entry includes acting in ways that fit and reflect consumers’ values.

Consider what McDonald’s CEO Jim Skinner had to say when announcing support for Haiti: “While we don’t have McDonald’s restaurants in Haiti, our contribution reflects our commitment to people all over the world.”

Well said.

No Shock and Awe in Interbrand’s Top 100

I had hoped to go out with a preview of Interbrand’s top global brands ranking for 2009, but didn’t make it in time. That’s too bad as I would have been right on the money in many of my predictions and you would have bowed before me in true Wayne and Garth fashion: “We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!”

But then again, maybe not. After all, who wouldn’t have been able to predict what we see in this year’s list? I didn’t see much in the way of surprises.

Coca-Cola Holds No. 1 Crown
Coca-Cola is still the king of the brand mountain. That’s ten years running for the behemoth brand. This isn’t by chance. Coca-Cola doesn’t rest on its laurels. In 2008, the company launched some 700 new products and continued to aggressively market and assert its relevance in the world.

Financials, Yawn, Fall
No mouths dropped to the floor with the tumbling taken by financial sector brands. As expected American International Group (AIG) dropped to… well… oblivion! That’s a big fall from No. 54 in last year’s list. Merrill Lynch, formerly No. 34, and ING, formerly No. 86, also dropped off the board.

Google in Next Year’s Top 5?
Google continued its upward trajectory. I felt Google would crack the top 10, which it did. The question in my mind is whether Google will be a top 5 brand in 2010. Chances are good. This is a company that’s in full growth mode with the innovation pedal pushed to the floor.

No Rot in Apple
You won’t find any rot in Apple, which jumped to No. 20 from No. 24. Though Mac sales have fallen, the brand asserted its relevance in record iPod sales and all-time high market share for Mac OS software. This is a brand with iconic status in its category and I expect to see Apple’s brand worth rise even higher, especially with the legendary Steve Jobs back full-time at the helm.

Sony: Free Fallin’?
Sony, by contrast, may be poised for a free fall in the years ahead. Though still ranked in the top 30 at No. 29, Sony is starting to lag behind its competitors in all of the categories where it once dominated. That kind of erosion is significant. Sony was once a speck on the horizon for wannabe competitors. Now, competitors actually have Sony in their rear view mirror. Sony needs to step it up on the innovation front to retake a commanding lead.

Bounce Back for Harley?
Another brand on the decline is Harley-Davidson, which dropped to No. 73 from No. 50. The economy isn’t on the company’s side and poor sales in the U.S. have hurt badly. However, we’re still talking about an iconic brand here… and I believe we’ll see the hog bounce back when turbulent economic waters calm.

$55.5 Billion: Poof, Gone Just like That!
We saw the overall value of Interbrand’s top 100 global brands fall for the first time, by $55.5 billion. That’s a four percent drop. With the world’s economic engine sputtering, that’s no shocker. I don’t know if we’ll see this value recaptured by 2010, do you? I hope so though!

Be sure to stop by Interbrand’s best global brands page where you can download the full report and see the rankings and analysis for yourself.

I’d appreciate hearing your take on Interbrand’s top brands list. Did any of the rankings surprise you? What trends are we seeing? What lessons can we learn from any of the brands increasing or decreasing in value?

The New Coke Creatures: Cute (Brand Champ) or Creepy (Brand Chump)?

Over the last two weeks in Brand Champ or Chump, we’ve considered environmental spots from Honda and Toyota. Each was crowned as a Brand Champ.

This week, we’re changing it up and featuring the new Coke Creatures campaign.

In this spot, we see a mysterious man push a large box up to the top of a hill. He opens the box, which turns out to be an organ with little creatures inside.

The man then begins playing the keyboard. With each hit of a key, a drop of Coke falls into the creature’s mouths. They begin to sing “Yeah Yeah Yeah” and “La La La” (a track written and produced by electro superstar Calvin Harris). The fun tune soon attracts a crowd of young people. All of the dancing sprouts Coke bottles from the grass.

I’m not sure what to make of this spot, which is part of Coke’s new Open Happiness platform.

I have to admit: the track grew on me after listening to it several times. In fact, it’s in my head right now. It’s annoyingly happy and upbeat.

The creatures aren’t particularly cute to me. I’m reminded of a strange combination between Ewoks and Gremlins. One of them reminds me of the legendary Wookiee Chewbacca from Star Wars.

Coke’s gone out of its way to breathe life into these creatures. You can find them on Facebook, Flickr, and of course they have their very own site: www.cokecreatures.com.

When young people start running up the hill to join in on the fun, I was reminded of Coke’s much-loved “Hilltop” commercial, which most of you will remember for the song I’d like to Buy the World a Coke.

The goal is the same: make people happy. But while the classic piece is gloriously inspirational, the new Coke Creatures bit is just plain silly. Or is it gloriously silly?

Do you think this piece can help Coke build positive feelings around the brand?

Watch it for yourself and let me know what you think we have here:

1. A brand champ?
2. A brand chump?
3. Somewhere in between?

Is Innocent Guilty?

Originally uploaded by Emerald2810

I just came across a fascinating development in the story of Innocent, a 10-year old company that has grown into Europe’s favorite smoothie maker.

The company sold only 24 smoothies on its first day. Now, 10 years later, they sell about 2 million a week. That’s about 100 million a year.

The company was founded on a simple idea: make it easy for people to do themselves some good with natural healthy drinks and make them taste good too. Founded by three idealistic entrepreneurs, the company touted itself from the start as a socially conscious brand with an emphasis on doing business in a way that makes the world a better place.

Consumers fell in love with Innocent’s healthy drinks and ethics.

And then Innocent entered into an agreement with a corporate behemoth – Coca-Cola – and the backlash has been immediate.

I can’t possibly tell this story better than the original sources, so please see the following:

• Not So Innocent from The Times Online.

• Can we tell you about our new minority investor? – A letter from Innocent’s founders.

Bottom line, brand fans are in an uproar. To them, Innocent is guilty. They’ve sold out, to the devil no less. “Hey, Coca-Cola is not a socially conscious capitalist like our Innocent.”

Now, we don’t yet know whether the founders’ decision to give Coca-Cola a stake in their business will backfire. All we know is that the move has stirred some passionate brand fans.

Will they remain disillusioned? I don’t know.

But I know this: brand association is powerful and should not be neglected or underestimated.

Brand associations may be positive or negative. Some may enhance your brand; others may erode it.

Innocent seems to have been prepared for a reaction, but I’m not sure if they anticipated just how strong the uproar would be.

If I was Innocent’s brand manager, I’d have mixed feelings.

But at the end of the day, I’m at least happy to see a strong reaction. I don’t want to alienate my core fan base, but I’m glad to see I truly have one. What if nobody reacted? Would that be preferable? I think not. Indifference does not a brand make!

I also would know that I have time and opportunity on my side. If Coca-Cola stands by its word to be a hands-off investor and I have all the freedom to act as I had before, then I have the chance to say and do all of the things that my brand fans have known me for. I have time to prove that I am who I say I am with or without Coca-Cola. Brands are built through consistency over time, after all.

One might suggest that Innocent’s move is nothing short of bold.

Nobody said managing brands was for the meek. One must have courage and fortitude in the business world. Your brand is living and breathing, and it’s not perfect. No brand is. You’re not always going to make the right moves in the eyes of your fan base. Some of your fans will walk away. Some will switch allegiances. You won’t always be able to stop it.

What you must do is keep moving.

Brand leadership, after all, is very much about innovation, whether it’s new product development or whole new ways of doing business. Few brands have taken or maintained a leadership position by standing still.

Innocent started with a vision… to make money, for sure, but also to help make the world a better place.

Some say they’ve sold out by entering a deal with Coca-Cola. But perhaps, just perhaps, they’re dared to take a bold step on their journey.

The founders say this step will give them more power to make a difference. They also believe the relationship may enable them to influence Coca-Cola’s practices.

Of course, our instinct is not to believe, to be cynical. “It’s a tiny thing trying to influence an enormous thing,” as an editor has noted.

But, call me idealistic, I think Innocent’s move just might actually provide them with an opportunity, a position if you will, to continue on their good way.

If we are to make the world a better place, we must take risks, cooperate, trust, seek to influence, share our perspectives, exchange ideas, etc. We need individuals to do those things. We need businesses to do those things.

Innocent’s brand ideas and values are honorable. But ideas are only ideas. Values are only values. They change nothing. It’s only when ideas and values are enacted, lived and enabled that real change is realized.

I hope the next few chapters in Innocent’s story turn the cynics into believers.