Coca-Cola has pivoted towards content marketing to tell better brand stories in Asia. The brand believes engaging articles and videos can tap into the wants and needs of an audience in a more immediate way than traditional marketing.
Coca Cola’s head of communications for India & South West Asia, Arpan Basu, revealed this week that the soft drink giant has been forced to update its marketing strategy due to the emergence of digital platforms, which have democratised content and changed the communication environment.
While Basu claims it is never a question of trading traditional and digital media off against each other, he believes content is an excellent resource for delivering “all-inclusive 360 degree” stories and experiences to end users.
“If you are able to make the content interesting and easily digestible, you are able to deliver your messages much better than what you would in the traditional media, and the digital media cuts across age groups and consumer segments.”
Basu also says content is key for selling the brand without making everything about Coca-Cola, which is crucial in 2018 as readers and viewers are more eager to consume content that is authentic and speaks to them personally, rather than being a hard sell or pure ad.
Coca-Cola has also been working with non-profit organisations to appeal to wider audiences. Basu explained that these partnerships allowed beneficiaries of their work with NGOs to speak out about their experiences in their own words. The credible and compelling narratives that arise from this organic process make for storytelling that captures ‘the human side of the company’.
