Blog Like the Big Brands is Brandsplat’s newest weekly series wherein we look at how top global companies use blog writing and blog marketing to leverage their brands. This week, we crack open a cold one with Coca-Cola to learn how the world’s No. 1 brand uses blogging to stay on top.
Year after year, on every list, one company consistently ranks as the world’s most successful and recognizable brand — Coca-Cola. Coke has long been a leader on the digital and online marketing forefront. They tweet. They Facebook. They have a billion popular YouTube videos from around the world. And Coca-Cola blogs. So what’s Coca-Cola’s blogging strategy, and can normal blogging-for-business schmoes like you and me copy some of their moves?
Coke’s apparent strategy for blogging is of the “blog everywhere” variety. Launched in 2008, Coca-Cola Conversations is the company’s corporate blog, which focuses on Coke’s history and the value of its collectibles. Conversations is exactly that; Coke employees talking about the brand they love while giving readers a glimpse into the past. It’s surprisingly homey and old timey but with enough videos and mentions of social media to remind you that yes, it is still 2012.
Now, when a company chooses the “blog everywhere” path, it must fully commit to blogging on every popular platform, and Coke has done just that. Not only is Coke on Twitter but so are all of its other brands. Coke didn’t miss a beat when Tumblr’s popularity exploded; the company launched its own blog on the platform over the winter. “Happiness is drinking a Coke” is the Tumblr’s main message, so all of the blog posts are focused on great smile-inducing images and messages with Coke’s products and campaigns sprinkled throughout. It’s very Tumblr and very Coke all at the same time. The company didn’t need to twist itself to fit Tumblr or vice versa.
Naturally, you have to be a brand of Coke’s magnitude to dominate so many digital platforms, but there a few blogging ideas anybody can swipe from the soda giant. First, campaign-specific blogging is for everybody. Coke is great about launching blogs or social media accounts just for a certain promotional push, and that’s something every business can try. The great thing about blog campaigns is that they are low-cost and low-risk. Next, having multiple blogs can help you reach different audiences. The visual-based consumer that window shops on platforms like Tumblr or Pinterest is different from a blog visitor who likes to read a lot of text, so if you have the time, why not be like Coke and talk to all of them? Finally, be everywhere but know your limitations. Coke didn’t climb to the top without its share of trial and error. Coke has backed out of plenty of online campaigns over the years because they didn’t work. So remember that it’s okay if a blogging effort or social media marketing idea doesn’t pan out. Just don’t waste your time on things that don’t make an impression; focus on the efforts that make your audience happy.
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