Coke's New Anti-Obesity Ad Campaign (by Paige)

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Let?s be honest. Health and fitness are not the first things that come to mind when most of us think about Coca-Cola.

However, The Coca-Cola Company is hoping a new ad campaign will change all that. As revealed in a recent press release, ?The Coca-Cola Company is reinforcing its efforts to work together with American communities, business and government leaders to find meaningful solutions to the complex challenge of obesity.?

In other words, Coca-Cola wants to be seen as a partner in combating obesity, which the CDC now calls a national epidemic and a major contributor to some of the leading causes of death in the US, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some types of cancer.

Of course, in the past, Coca-Cola ?along with other sugar-sweetened beverage producers ?has been widely seen as just the opposite. In fact, studies like this one in The New England Journal of Medicine have contributed to a growing body of evidence showing a direct correlation between consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and obesity.

All of which begs the question:

Can a company that may be contributing to a ?national epidemic? successfully re-brand itself as a company that?s helping to find ?meaningful solutions? to that same epidemic?

I suppose only time will tell. But over the past few weeks, criticism of Coca-Cola has been swift . . . and harsh.

The centerpiece of the campaign is a two-minute video, ?Coming Together,? which debuted in mid-January. Again, from the Coca-Cola Company?s press release:

?The video encourages everyone to be mindful that all calories count in managing your weight, including those in Coca-Cola products and in all foods and beverages. Its purpose is to highlight some of the specifics behind the Company?s ongoing commitment to deliver more beverage choices, including low- and no-calorie options, and to clearly communicate the calorie content of all its products.?

Others see it quite differently.

For Prof. Marion Nestle of NYU, ?The ad is an astonishing act of chutzpah, explainable only as an act of desperation to do something about the company?s declining sales in the U.S. and elsewhere.?

AdWeek called it ?a surprisingly ham-fisted answer to the latest attacks on the soda industry from public health crusaders like New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg . . .?

And from The Center for Science in the Public Interest: ?This new advertising campaign is just a damage control exercise, and not a meaningful contribution toward addressing obesity.?

As I?ve pointed out before, the key to effective cause marketing lies in matching the right company with the right program or charity, and most importantly, tapping in to what customers (or potential customers) care about. Is the ?healthy lifestyle? movement the right fit for Coca-Cola and its customers?

At this point, I have to admit, I have my doubts. Perhaps they can take some guidance from the unique partnership between the Beef Board and the American Heart Association.? Because as someone who cares about health and fitness, I?d love nothing more than to be proven wrong.

Source: http://blog.aprimo.com/cokes-new-anti-obesity-ad-campaign

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