There’s a couple (actually, 3) stories I’ve seen recently which look at the intersection between FMCG brands and social technology.
Coca-Cola UK recently announced that they are going to put more budget in supporting those spaces where consumers are and less into their own web properties (property says it all, e.g. owned versus social spaces)..
Albeit still supporting and refreshing (excuse the pun) www.coca-cola.co.uk.
And Pepsi turn business angel to get ahead of Coke in a social media space race by announcing that they are looking for the next big social tech platform.
They are working with Mashable, some of their agency partners and Venture Capital firm Highland Partners to discern and then nurture the most promising tech start-ups.
As they say on the site: “PepsiCo10 is a unique opportunity to accelerate your business—to share your ideas and solutions with some of the best brand marketers and media consultants in the business and venture capitalists and angel investors keen to support the next big idea in media, communications and technology.”
They launched the initiative at http://internetweekny.com/
I think Coke’s approach is spot on but this kind of gets Pepsi ahead of the curve with Coke, in that they should be in prime position to highlight and then influence (and earn from?) the next killer service before Coke then start to use it.
In the meantime, Kellogg’s (UK) swim in the opposite direction and say that they don’t (yet) feel social media is the right space for them: http://www.wallblog.co.uk/2010/06/11/fmcg-brands-not-even-sure-they-should-be-in-social-media/
I think though, that that’s a comment on the advice / strategic proposals they have (or haven’t) had to date from their agency’s? I’m not casting any kind of aspersions here by the way – it’s a concern for us all when a big brand says it doesn’t feel agencies are explaining what digital is about or how best to use it.
Re: Kelloggs specifically though – I remember reading (I’ll go and validate this) that Special-K had successful social media activity in the USA?
And Quaker Oats (a PepsiCo brand) used social media for its ‘go human go’ campaign last year.
What I don’t have are any stats to see how successful these were.. memo to me: get stats.
thanks to Ally Manock for the nod on the coca-cola story
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