When it comes to Coca-Cola, many people immediately think of explosive Advertising campaigns and brilliant Brand images. However, few people know that this beverage giant is quietly creating a marketing revolution by using Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The highlight of Coca-Cola’s AI strategy lies in its diversity and smart application. AI not only supports Content Creation but also penetrates every aspect, from product development and media platform construction to optimizing user experience.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) – The Foundation of Coca-Cola’s Development Strategy
Coca-Cola is leading the way in applying AI to the field FMCG Their AI strategy is not just a supporting tool but has become a core part of their business operations. According to James Quincey, CEO of Coca-Cola, “The combination of people and technology always delivers superior results than using each element individually.”
Over the past two years, Coca-Cola has billion dollar investment into AI projects. Starting with a partnership with OpenAI in early 2023, Coca-Cola entered the field of generative AI, exploring the limitless potential in content creation and communication. Following this success, in early 2024, they signed a cooperation agreement with Microsoft, committing to invest 1.1 billion USD to apply modern technologies such as Cloud and Generative AI to their business operations. Their goal is to apply AI to every aspect, from product development, marketing to optimizing operational processes..
Bright Spot in Coca-Cola’s AI strategy is diversity and creativity in the application. AI not only helps Coca-Cola create eye-catching and engaging advertising content, but also helps them understand the market, predict trends, and make informed decisions in developing new products.
4 Strategies for Applying AI in Coca-Cola’s Marketing
Applying AI in Product Innovation and Development
In addition to its explosive marketing campaigns and brilliant brand image, Coca-Cola also makes a strong impression with its new and unique flavor creations, meeting the tastes of young people. The secret behind these “future” flavors is the smart and bold application of AI.
Campaign “Creations” bringing unique Coca-Cola flavors is a testament to the constant creativity of this beverage giant. One of the outstanding products is Y3000 described as a taste of the future in the year 3000.
Interestingly, to create Y3000, Coca-Cola cleverly used AI as a “time explorer”, collecting and analyzing data on consumer predictions for future flavors. AI then acted as a “master mixologist”, combining these predictions into a unique flavor profile, helping Coca-Cola’s Creative team bring the product to life.
With the help of AI, Coca-Cola has brought a “futuristic” look to the Y3000, with the main colors being purple, red, and blue, combined with a personality-filled silver background. Modern network wave effects further increase the mystery and attraction of the product.
Not stopping there, Coca-Cola is also clever AR technology application (augmented reality) to create a unique interactive experience for users. When scanning the QR code on the product packaging, users will be “transported” to the world 977 years in the future through an AI filter called AI CAM. This is a creative way for Coca-Cola to connect people with the future, spark imagination and create excitement for consumers.
Empowering AI to Give Users the Freedom to Create
One of the reasons Coca-Cola has received so much positive public feedback about its AI strategy is that “democratizing” AI empowering users to freely create and explore the potential of this technology.
Pratik Thakar, Global Head of Generative AI at Coca-Cola, shares: “Our goal is to connect people during the Christmas season in a new and special way, by making the most advanced AI tools accessible and usable for everyone.”
According to Thakar, “AI is empowering everyone to be an artist” and Coca-Cola wants to make that happen. They partner with artists, providing them with AI “superpowers,” giving them access to tools they previously couldn’t use, and creating opportunities for unique creations.
Coca-Cola’s 2023 Christmas campaign is a clear demonstration of this strategy.. The “Create Real Magic” platform is built on AI tools such as DALL-E and ChatGPT, allowing users from all over the world to freely create their own personalized Christmas greeting cards.
The results were impressive: More than 120,000 works of art were created, providing Coca-Cola with a wealth of data and advertising resources. Some of the best works were displayed in famous locations such as Times Square in New York and Piccadilly Circus in London.
Design Platforms & Communication Tools to Attract Customers
In the era of KPOP explosion, Coca-Cola has shown creativity in applying AI to communication campaigns, bringing users unique, vivid and emotional experiences.
One typical example is the promotional campaign for Coca-Cola K-WAVE Zero Sugar – a product that is considered a “symphony of flavors” of KPOP. Coca-Cola collaborated with 3 famous groups: Stray Kids, ITZY and NMIXX to release the song “Like Magic”.
The unique feature of this campaign lies in the interactive AI platform integrated into the product packaging. By scanning the QR code, users will be “immersed” in a vibrant music world, where they can enjoy the song “Like Magic”, embed their voice, name and face in the MV, and share the moment of “singing with their idols” with friends on social networks. This not only creates an interesting experience but also stimulates interaction and spreads Coca-Cola’s positive message to the KPOP fan community.
Create Advertising Content: Music, Videos,…
In the era of technology 4.0, Coca-Cola has constantly innovated and applied advanced technologies, especially AI, to create completely new experiences for users. Instead of focusing on traditional advertising content, Coca-Cola is aiming to create humorous, lively and authentic content, creating special connections and attraction for viewers.
Take the “Masterpiece” campaign, launched in 2023. Using Stable Diffusion AI technology and advanced filmmaking techniques, the campaign brought classic works of art to life. Paintings by Vermeer, Van Gogh, Turner, and Munch suddenly appeared and moved like real people, passing around bottles of Coca-Cola in the museum.
The campaign’s unique and emotional creativity has attracted the attention of a large audience, affirming Coca-Cola’s superior ability to exploit and use AI.
Following that success, Coca-Cola continues to create a “fever” with the “Best Coke Ever” campaign. Using AI to develop a music product called Coke Soundz – a Coca-Cola bottle-shaped speaker, capable of creating familiar sounds such as the sound of bubbles, the sound of “Ahh” every time you drink Coca. In which, AI plays a role in analyzing the waveform of the sounds and turning them into a unique musical instrument for the user.
Epilogue
Coca-Cola is proving to be a pioneer in applying AI to every aspect of the business, from ideation to user experience and product development. They see AI not just as a tool, but as a way to create harmony between people and technology, thereby creating intelligent, creative and emotional campaigns.
Coca-Cola’s AI strategy has been a huge success, with groundbreaking products and impressive marketing campaigns. More importantly, they have changed the way consumers perceive AI advertising, creating a strong connection and trust in the brand.
Coca-Cola is a typical example of effective AI application in the FMCG industry, opening up new trends for marketing in the digital age. Their journey to conquer AI promises to continue with more innovative breakthroughs, bringing memorable experiences to customers and strengthening the brand’s leading position in the future.
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