Diet Coke targeted women especially those that had developed sensitivity according to their health and nutrition status with a desire to keep their bodies fit. Diet Coke Plus intended to reach out to young male consumers who wanted to keep fit but still wanted a sweetened coke. The Coke Zero targeted to sell to men, mostly the young ones including those that were put off by the feminine stigma in drinking, Diet Coke Plus while they still preferred a sweetened coke that would still be sensitive to their nutrition and health status. Diet Coke, Diet Coke Plus and Coke Zero would be demographically positioned in areas they can reach out to the youth such as universities and colleges. Coca-Cola Blak had the coffee essence with its primary objective being the sophisticated and older users who had no problem with paying more. The product would be geographically position in areas with luxurious lifestyles such as Alpine, New Jersey. Full Throttle Blue Demon, an energy drink, targeted Hispanic men with a desire for think margaritas. Its demographic marketing would target Hispanic residents.
Cannibalizing Effect of Coke Zero
Coke Zero would possibly cannibalize Diet Coke and Diet Coke Plus. To begin with, Diet Coke Plus is an advancement of Diet Coke. Coke Zero then borrows from Diet Coke Plus and the admired unique Coke taste. Therefore, most Diet Coke and Diet Coke Plus would move to the purchase of Coke Zero as it is sensitive to their nutrition and health status, it is Coke sweetened and is well packaged. The target group for the three products also matches. Coke Diet Plus mostly targets young men, the same as Coke Zero.
Effectiveness of Hidden-Camera Videos
The hidden camera videos made the Coke Zero departmental managers express their real perceptions, thoughts and beliefs of the Coke Zero product. The result is that, the target customers developed loyalty especially with the realization spoke honestly about the Coke Zero product. From that, the target customers mostly ended up sharing the viral video thus developing curiosity amongst themselves towards a new product. If the viral marketing campaigners had it used for the Diet Coke Plus, it would not have been as successful. It is because the managers would have continuously referred to it as an advancement to Coke Diet. To the young men who did not fancy Coke Diet, they would have been less interested. It would have interested the young women who would have developed curiosity on the advanced Coke Diet.
Diet Coke Repositioning
Coke Zero was an amazing hit in both Australia and the United States as it rose in the number of sales. The success was associated with the packaging in which, the product stood out in the shelves with black cans and bottles in Australia. US sales had not been as high, but they sprout following the change of can color from white and silver to black and silver. From that move, the product has been doing well in the market. It implies that Diet Coke would have performed better in the market through repositioning the color and the name thus changing the consumer perceptions. The perception with Diet Coke was that the makers had designed and manufactured it for women. That narrowed the consumer base. The men thus perceived the drink as one that only women would drink. If the name and packaging for the brand had been unisex, the customer base would have been extensive.
Works Cited
Donnelly, Brian. '“Coke Is It!”: Placing Coca-Cola In Mccarthy's The Road'. The Explicator 68.1 (2009): 70-73. Web.
Lamb, Charles W, Joseph F Hair, and Carl D McDaniel. Marketing. Cincinnati, Ohio: South-Western College Pub., 1998. Print.
