The alignment will see 21 Communications oversee the brand’s business with mobile operators along with application and content providers, as the soft drinks giant gears up for the 2008 Olympics.
“Every brand is driving towards the Olympics and Coca-Cola is no different,” said David Turchetti, CEO, 21 Communications.
“We’re planning on opening a whole new channel for Coca-Cola, with mobile video, m-coupons and other branded content, especially with 3G on the horizon.”
The move follows Coke’s decision to establish Red Lounge in November last year, a 40-person unit made up of reps from several agencies, including Leo Burnett, McCann Erickson, Starcom, Wwwins and Heartland, although Turchetti would not be drawn on whether 21 Comms would join the unit.
The announcement came as Coca-Cola Hong Kong launched its new Zero brand wtih a campaign by McCann Erickson, upping the ante in its quest to appeal to the more health-conscious male market. Zero, a calorie-free alternative to its stablemate Coke Light, specifically targets men who typically shy away from purchasing products that contain the word ‘light’ or ‘diet’.
Zero has launched in several markets globally. In Asia-Pacific, it is available in Korea, Singapore and Australia, as well as Hong Kong.
McCann creative chief Spencer Wong said: “When men taste it, they will be surprised that it tastes just like real Coke. It has the same taste, the same bubbles, just no sugar. Because it is new, it faces competition from all the major players, and one of the main challenges will be getting men to try it.”
According to Karen So, Hong Kong and Macau region manager, Coca-Cola China, the launch of the new product offers an opportunity to drill-down on a specific segment of the market.
“We are launching the brand to meet the challenge of people’s ever-evolving needs for different drinks, to cope with their changing lifestyles,” she said.
So said Zero, which will sit alongside Coke Light, will eventually expand the market segment for sparkling beverages, while attracting new consumers from rival brands, led predominantly by Pepsi and Pepsi Max.
Zero’s pricing strategy indicates it will, at this stage, remain very much a mass-market brand.
