Radio Ink - Radio's Premier Management & Marketing Magazine

ORLANDO -- March 18, 2009: RAB President/CEO Jeff Haley moderated the "Coca-Cola Unbottled" session at RAB2009 in Orlando Wednesday, beginning by asking Coca-Cola North America VP/Media & Interactive Annis Lyles about the company's "couch-to-shelf" approach to branding and marketing.

Lyles first noted that there are over 1.6 billion servings of Coca-Cola products served each day, and it's one of the most recognized trademarks in the world. She said, "I would share with you, first of all, that we look at a blend of what we call brand love and brand value. That we have to build a connection with our consumers every day, in a very relevant way."

Lyles' department has, she said, about 50 people working on the "couch-to-shelf" strategy, with a relationship-oriented approach -- adding, "Your stations are all about relationships."

Haley asked how the decisions on local media mixes are made locally, and BBU Regional Brands Sr. Brand Manager Sabrina Tandon, who is working on the relatively new Vault citrus product, said that brand is very tied in with both country music and a "Support the troops" message. The rollout has been focused on the central U.S. and Southeast, and on 30 key markets within those areas. Tandon said, "Radio has a huge role with our brand for that reason -- because we can be very targeted to those market areas and to both the product message that we're communication as well as the brand equity message."

Haley then asked about Coke's "inspirational and operational" approach, and Lyles responded again that it goes back to "brand value and brand love." She said, "The power of radio, to me, is all about storytelling. You do it better than anyone else. So how can you build that story, and how can you connect our brands to that story?"

Coca-Cola Global Account Director Heidi Fleischer added, "We don't talk about our customers as customers. It really is about partnership."