Congrats to Coke. High-cal drinks and obesity aside, the world’s #1 marketer by spend is putting money behind the right idea: ditching its ‘old’ web site to push the boundaries on what a ‘customer-focused’ site could – and should – really mean.
It isn’t perfect – not by a long-shot. For starters, the new site, Coca-Cola Journey, isn’t easy to find. There could be a lot more video. And interactivity.
But it’s poised to do a lot of things right. And B2B companies need to pay attention: because millions of folks ponying up $1.79 for a Coke at the nearest 7-11 are B2B buyers, too.
- It’s not about the product. It’s about the voice, with a clear point of view. It’s subjective, and not apologizing for it.
- Stories rule. In fact, the editorial team brings together social and digital types, who are creating a digital version of an old-world magazine. a whole slew of communicators, who are planning production just like old-world media still does.
- It’s semi-crowd-sourced. This means freelancers, and people throughout the company. As anyone following Net Promoter customer advocacy knows, brand ambassadors are everywhere.
- It’s willing to pony up to the opposition. Maybe not Pepsi, but maybe yes to New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, if he wants to rail against the company’s beverages.
- Mistakes. They’re expecting to make them.
So what’s this all going to cost? Plenty. This revamp is backed with SEO spend on Google, ads on LinkedIn and outreach to most of the 1.2 million people who visit the site every month.
Budget includes 4 full-time staffers, and millions of dollars over several years. Mistakes will be made. But lessons will be learned. And sometimes, it’s better to be early.
