Carrying on from the last Cola wars post, I’m researching further into different aspects of the marketing strategies used by both companies.
In our introduction to this module we were asked what we determine a ‘brand’ as, with the QI siren being ‘the logo’. To define a brand alot of things have to be taken into consideration – what the company represents, how they interact with our lifestyle and what their vision is, the logo, merchandise and aesthetic qualities is merely a front so we have something visual to associate with the company. All this being said I’m going to delve into looking at the logos of both Pepsi and Coke, as they prove an interesting insight into each brand.
First thing I noticed when looking at the logo history is PepsiCo has transformed a great deal since it was first stemmed and continues to change with each generation it seems all the while staying identifiable and one of the most recognised logos in the world, this makes sense as it matches Pepsi’s brand image of a constantly evolving product, matching the current culture as we can see from the present logo which is very minimalistic, simple and to the point with no added type which seems to be trending at the moment (see Starbucks/Apple). On the other hand Coca Cola has been pretty consistent with its logo from the very beginning, which encompasses their ‘traditional’ trait, and in my opinion shows a certain confidence in their product, putting across the message that the product itself has never changed and it doesn’t need to conform to whatever’s popular at the moment. Looking back at the Gap logo fiasco, and their decision to change it back to the original after negative reactions showed a lack of confidence, although the ‘rebrand’ of their logo was slammed by critics and the public and personally I found it atrocious I still think they should’ve stuck to it if they were willing to make the decision to change it in the first place, Gap is no longer seen as a strong brand after that episode, instead of defending themselves and their brand image they simply let the public sway them to however they wanted. Although Pepsi changes its logo regularly, I don’t believe it’s from desperation like numerous other companies have done, but it’s how they keep their brand fresh and up to date which fits in perfectly with their aim.
Next point of call I wanted to visit was the subject of product placement, we’re exposed to it regularly and there have been some recent developments with this, in February laws on Product placement in Britain was lifted, and so we were informed of the news that Coronation Street is to be the first show on UK primetime television to take part in this. We’ve been exposed to product placement for many years now, it’s believed that the ‘Reeses pieces’ placement in the film E.T was the first major step and it’s since snowballed from then. According to Brandchannel Coca Cola pips Pepsi in terms of how many films it’s featured products in. In my mind one of the smartest moves by Pepsi was to feature its products heavily in the Back to the Future series, which has now become a cult phenomenon but at the time would’ve been a risky move, a virtually unknown actor taking the lead role for what became the most successful film of the year (1985). To put it simply, Back to the Future was cool, therefore by association Pepsi was too and so it cements its place as the ‘pop culture’ drink. This is communicated perfectly in a scene during Wayne’s World (a personal favourite), where Wayne holds a can of Pepsi while saying “It’s the choice of a new generation.”, really playing exactly to the image they want to purvey, they put the subject of product placement across as bluntly as possible and yet it’s still effective.
We’ve almost become desensitized to seeing brand names in film and television unless it’s shoved in our faces as obviously as possible, most products tend to be put in discreetly in the background or worked into the story so it maintains an element of realism, Coke does this with a vending machine featured in the award winning ‘Brokeback Mountain’ set from the year 1963 to ’83, this placement is tactful as works with Cokes ‘longetivity’, the impression that even back then they were drinking it. Looking on the other side of things where there’s been no thought for being discreet, in the 1999 film ‘A Thomas Crown Affair’, Rene Russo dramatically drinks a can of Pepsi and to top it all off finishes with “aaah – there’s nothing like an ice-cold can of Pepsi”. By no means hiding the product placement but I’m sure after viewing the thought of drinking a Pepsi becomes more appealing.
If I continue to explore the subject of ‘Cola Wars’ I believe various research methods could be used to provide a deeper insight into how these products directly affect our lifestyles and how much control they have over consumer habits. I’d perhaps try observation research, a prime location spot being the cinema where ‘There’s still time for a Coke’ plays before the feature length film, how many people leave and return to take advantage of this? Analysing which films feature product placement from either of these companies and directly approaching whether it affects our craving for either Coke, Pepsi or neither. For example this could be completed by setting up a stall directly outside screens before and after a film starts, giving out samples of both Coca Cola and Pepsi and gaining statistics on what is most popular, do these change after a film featuring a Pepsi placement? Something could also be performed similar to the Pepsi challenge in 1975, where consumers tested both products and showed a definite preference for Pepsi over Coke in the blind taste test.
Below is an infographic designed by ‘BusinessInsuranceQuotes‘ which illustrates various statistics that pitch these two giants against one another, thanks to John for making me aware of this.
Resources Used:
Allen, Frederick, 1995. Secret Formula: How Brilliant Marketing and Relentless Salesmanship Made Coca-Cola the Best-Known Product in the World. 1st Ed. HarperBusiness.
Lehu, Jean-Marc, 2007. Product placement and brand strategy in the entertainment business. London: Kogan Page.
