Coke's World Cup Song Is a Marketing Winner

From Businessweek:

Music industry executives have been making an unusual pilgrimage to Coca-Cola's Atlanta headquarters, a telling measure of the company's successful World Cup soccer marketing blitz. They want to learn how Coke turned a song called Wavin' Flag by a little-known Somali-Canadian hip-hop artist into a World Cup anthem and No. 1 iTunes hit in 17 countries in less than a year. "They are getting on planes from New York, from U.K., from Los Angeles," says Joe Belliotti, Coke's director of global entertainment. "Word of mouth is a great thing in the music industry."

Initially, Coke had hoped only to create a World Cup song good enough to entice stadiums full of soccer fans to sing along. To get there, it forged an unusual partnership with singer-songwriter K'naan and his label, A&M/Octone Records, that has ended up changing the way Coke works with entertainment companies.

The song was the musical centerpiece of Coca-Cola's largest marketing campaign ever, reaching 160 countries. A smaller effort four years ago at the World Cup in Germany helped boost volume sales of drinks in Coke's largest markets an average of 6 percent, says Emmanuel Seuge, who runs worldwide sports and entertainment marketing. Coke's goal was even higher-volume sales gains during the 2010 World Cup campaign, he says. Coke also expects gains in consumer perception scores.

Being able to tie the campaign to a song that easily crossed borders was critical. Coke had hoped the use of a single global marketing theme (it used 13 different ad campaigns in 2006) would save $45 million in costs. Seuge said Coca-Cola may have nearly doubled those savings, in large part because of the effectiveness of Wavin' Flag across cultures.

...The real coup for Coke, says Seuge, is discovering a new way to tie its brand to things young consumers care about—soccer and pop music—without seeming heavy-handed. He says Coke may now expand the concept to video games and other creative works, and may even take stakes in entertainment companies themselves.

Coke's World Cup Song Is a Marketing Winner - BusinessWeek

Interesting to see in the modern healthy eating age, Cokes still a huge hit with youngsters. Wonder if its global sales dominance has peaked though?

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Perhaps, but don't forget they have a majority stake in Innocent smoothies and own loads of other brands... ...I think their dominance will continue for a wee while yet

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ahhh didn't know that, maybe orginal coke will end up as a cleaning product and put dentists out of business

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I had to youtube the song, but as soon as it started I recognised having heard it during the World Cup so definite earworm credentials there.

Coca-cola songs have always been earwormy though. Like Holidays Are Coming, or the more summery Always Coca Cola.

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