Coca-Cola's Jonathan Mildenhall
If you’ve ever seen the movie Jerry McGuire, you remember the blue mission statement. This is the moment in the movie when Jerry McGuire (played by Tom Cruise) wakes up in a cold sweat and writes, what he believes, to be the future direction for his sports agency.
Well, Coca-Cola’s marketing mission statement is Content 2020, a content marketing brainchild of Coca-Cola’s Jonathan Mildenhall, VP Global Advertising Strategy and Creative Excellence, who recently stated that:
“All advertisers need a lot more content so that they can keep the engagement with consumers fresh and relevant, because of the 24/7 connectivity. If you’re going to be successful around the world, you have to have fat and fertile ideas at the core.”
I spent the better part of an hour reviewing the two videos below, and I encourage all marketing professionals (both client and agency side) to set aside 20 minutes to review these two short videos (video one is seven minutes, video two is 10 minutes). It’s that important.
Why Is Content 2020 So Important?
Content 2020 feels more like an internal video prepared especially for the Coca-Cola marketing team, laying out their strategic vision for the future. Overall, it’s the strategy that Coca-Cola’s marketing future rest on the ideals of content marketing.
- Coca-Cola needs to move from creative excellence to content excellence,
- They need to develop content that makes a commitment to making the world a better place and to develop value and significance in people’s lives…while at the same time driving business objectives for Coca-Cola, and
- Through the stories they tell, to provoke conversations and earn a disproportionate share of popular culture.
Specifically, check out the 3:30 mark of video two on the 70/20/10 model for content development.
In the beginning, the claim is made that Coca-Cola must create the world’s most compelling content. Toward the end, the comment is made that Coca-Cola can no longer rely on being 30-Second-TV-Centric.
Amen to that.
Enjoy…and I would love to hear your comments on the videos.
Photo courtesy jonathanmildenhall.com.
41 Comments
Thanks for sharing that Joe. It does seem like an important moment for content marketing – in a consumer brand marketing context at least. While the videos are creatively produced and there are some important messages behind, I did rather pale under the typical brand marketing jargon which is only saved by the talented illustrator! Some themes that I took away (i.e. relevant beyond superbrand marketing) – contagious content. I like that as a simple proposition for everything you produce. Distributed creativity was another one. I think we could all be more creative in the content we produce and I like the thinking of creating a melting pot of different creative heads to come up with something entirely new.
Thanks Lucinda…I agree that some of these moments would have been tough to bear without the great illustration. There were a few parts I was like, “huh?”, but overall I agree, there is something to it and it’s a meaningful change by Coca-Cola.
Thanks for sharing!
We need to remember that this is for marketing executives and advertising professionals — what’s jargon and gibberish to us is how they communicate daily. They have their own professional vocabulary as much as engineers or coders do.
This was a slick presentation (maybe a bit too much text, they could have relied more on the voiceover with images alone) but it remains to be seen what the work looks like. And it will be very intriguing to watch and see if Coke’s version of content marketing has anything to teach small business marketers.
Agreed Sonia…the purpose was not for us indeed. Yes, it will be interesting to see how this affects other marketers as we move toward that 2020 mark.
Thanks for stopping by.
“If you’ve ever seen the movie Jerry McGuire, you remember the blue mission statement”…
…because he got fired for it!!
Yep…that’s exactly why I thought of that Paul. It’s a risk, a leap of faith. I like it.
The only difference being that one is the head of Marketing (former bigshot creative agency guy – so knows a lot of content people) and the other being a wage-slave (albeit a good one)
Guessing who holds the long straw is not difficult.
Therefore the leap of faith kinda thing does NOT apply. It’s not a leap of faith when its a top-down direction!
And I doubt that if the content is not centrally produced it will still be as good – working straight with creative people means being able to give good briefings… directly to these creative people. Keeping them ‘on message’ Good luck on that!
The only thing why it doesn’t spell disaster from the start, is that a number of creative people already know what the brand stands for – and therefore have less of a problem creating this content as they know the general direction.
Nevertheless good luck on introductions of new brands… and anything else outside of Coke!
P.s. Don’t get me wrong. I think that if anyone can pull it off, it’ll be mr. Mildenhall. I also think it’s a ballsy move by Coke.
I just don’t think that it’s that big of a deal as many.
I think more companies have made more ballsy moves than this.
They’re just cutting out the middle man – both in the creative process as well as in the media process…. and with a company that big, with such an amount of advertising money to spend, with such a rich history, with such (a) well known brand(s)… it’s more of a question why this did not happen before.
(I still think that going directly with a client brief to creative filmmakers etc. would not result in a Gatorade Replay… but that’s cynical me)
Thanks! This was a great post. I watched the entire presentation and was impressed by Coke’s foresight in harnessing creative content to create a better world. I believe my company, Next2.us may be able to help Coke achieve it’s objectives for 2020. Next2.us is a “geosocial” network that uses SMS to automatically connect people together around place and common topics of interest target to emerging markets. Subscribers can signal what they have, want or would like to talk about by sending a simple text message. Next2.us then exchanges messages between users based on common location and share topic of interest without revealing subscribers mobile phone number. Subscribers can then use the service to communicate with each other to mobilize local solutions to local problems. Next2.us is currently available in Kenya and soon will be released in Nigeria. The service is offered at standard text message rates and we work with leading NGOs to market the service to their core audience. I am wondering if you feel a company such as Next2.us may be just the type of creative technology solution that brands such as Coca-Cola may support to harness creative content for their brand(s).
Hey Joe,
This is truly a ground breaking post for coca-cola and, I agree, absolutely crucial for any brand marketer or agency to watch very closely. There is a wealth of great strategy in here, but two key points I’d like to comment on:
1. Liquid content: Apart from it’s obvious connection to the coca cola brand, I love this term. The idea that content needs to remain liquid and linked and not evaporate into a gas is a great analogy that ensures content stays true to the brand objectives and doesn’t just become fluff that isn’t getting the brand anywhere. It also creates a nice feeling of fluidity and dynamicis for the content versus being solid and set in stone from release day.
2. Research and insights: The time is definitely long overdue to put less investment in traditional link tv quant and completely alter our approach to insights and better leverage this massive pool of consumers that are ready to engage online. The question is, what testing method will come out on top? Will there be a new standard approach and process? We (meaning big business) are process driven beings and need to find a solution that is flexible yet also has some degree of process associated with it so it can be replicated.
I look forward to watching coke closely through there’s changes and think that other big CPGs would do well to map out a similar strategic approach to content.
Jeff
Thank you, Joe for this. It’s impressive, although as you’ve already mentioned in parts I was like, what? I especially liked this statement: “We need to behave like a ruthless editor.”
I have to say, this was extremely well produced and fun to watch. If this had been another powerpoint or SlideShare presentation, I probably wouldn’t have watched it. It’s a great case for using imagery and animation to emphasize and elaborate on text or audio-only content. There were a few times my b.s. meter went off, but that may only be because I’m a little weary of business speak and just didn’t understand some of the terms they were using.
Any use of social media, blogs, and more often websites, should be provoking this conversation that he mentions in the first video. If business owners and marketers could keep that at the front of all their strategies I believe they would find more success.
Just imagine the war room sessions that went into conceiving and producing this. Really impressive. Should be exciting to see what kind of actual content strategy and execution Coke brings to us in the coming year.
What an incredible statement of strategy and the work needed to achieve it. I agree that the execution of this presentation is world-class, but the quality of the thinking behind it is even more impressive.
Other commenters have identified wonderful new terminology (liquid ideas!) invented here, but I really like “data whisperer”. It tells me that the best creative ideas are grounded in insights . . . and that the organization needs to charge someone with the “whispering” function to keep those insights top of mind throughout the content creation process.
Thanks for sharing this great post Joe!
This is a copy of this video – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
and there’s an awful lot of jargon and obvious comments here in the cause of selling sugary water, which is nutritionally evil and takes a lot of resources to manufacture and transport around, so if you want a better planet, stop making coke.
Great post and videos. Thanks for sharing.
This is an absolutely fascinating read. I’ve only managed to watch one video, but will watch the other at lunch. I wonder if it’s possible for other companies to adjust themselves so that they can be as socially active as coca cola and reap just as many rewards. I’m working with a company that has a large presence, but no social media. Where to start?
It could be a seminal moment, Joe – we’ll see. I worries me that a simple idea (content marketing) is not explained in simple terms. This is a rambling, jargon-filled mess of a corporate presentation. He needs some of the “ruthless editing” he talked about in the first chapter of his “War & Peace”.
Thanks for sharing…
Craig…ha…yes, I agree. Especially on the definitions…but also agree that it’s big that a brand like Coke is getting behind this in such a way. Thx for commenting.
Great post Joe!
I’m liking the theory of liquid content linking, and yeah, emotional connection through powerful storytelling and the power of WE is key in SM marketing. Engage, connect – all us ‘small,’ entrepreneurial brands have been implementing this strategy for years. Nice to see a giant is blending their traditional strategy with the new.
I agree with you, Joe – w/o the illustrations, my eyes would have been glazing over. COKE has a powerful agenda re: doubling sales. All this strategic planning is great – let’s see how they do with actually implementing their liquid content.
Adele – I’m so on the same page with you re: data becoming the soil and whispering data via a Messiah is key in sharing the message. Provided Coke can connect and emotionally engage/empower Messiah’s to spread the message.
Thanks for the mental gym workout this morning – loved it!
Cheers!
@AndeLyons
It’s fascinating that a company the size of Coke would put so much focus on creating content. It really shows the focus away from television and print ads into more collaborative, social media, type ways of engaging with customers.
Beyond the jargon (and the entertaining scribbles), the most amazing takeaway is the fact that Coca Cola is investing so much in content marketing strategy…and with a goal of doubling sales! That speaks to the power of content marketing without a doubt!
That’s what I took away from it too. The fact that Coca Cola is trusting content marketing strategy to double their sales is very exciting. Hopefully, they’ll have a fantastic follow-up video on how it worked for them.
Great videos. I wish I could get a giant copy of all of it in a poster.
Sorry, but this was 99% Dilbert. Big fat fertile space? We need to encourage bravery and embrace clarity in our thinking? Well duh. What was going on before, encouraging cowardice? Muddled thinking? Collaborative, adaptive, continuous, blah, blah, blah. The cartoons were awesome though.
great video its really really great. thanks for sharing
The idea of Coca Cola creating content that makes the world a better place could be an interesting thing to see in action.
If I could have ‘liked’ that last comment I would have…
Although I totally agree with the illustration to be absolutely great, it distracted my concentration away from narration.
Thanks Lucinda…I agree that some of these moments would have been tough to bear without the great illustration. There were a few parts I was like, “huh?”, but overall I agree, there is something to it and it’s a meaningful change by Coca-Cola.
Great! This page must be also read by other people. It contains a lot of useful ideas where everybody will benefit. Two thumbs for this post.
Joe, this stretches my B2B mind. Adele Revella pointed out the “”Iterate, iterate, iterate. Don’t just replicate your content.” in Part 2 http://ow.ly/8wgs7, which is one bite-sized piece I can take to our clients. Also like the idea of exporting a company’s *culture* (i.e. Coke: make the world a better place; add value and substance to a person’s day) as we begin to embed product marketing into the wider content marketing, engagement field. Thanks!
…and it’s in service of Coke doubling sales!
Great post and links, Joe. The live artwork approach made the videos fun to watch.
Commenting on Coke’s strategy, it is apparent is they are trying to embrace integrated social engagement across their entire marketing spectrum. Many companies approach social networking as the red-headed stepchild of their marketing strategy, while maintaining traditional marketing elsewhere. It’s not truly integrated, and they don’t really understand how to integrate it. Coke wants to learn how. For a global company like theirs, it’s relatively unchartered waters considering the global reach of their brand,social networking, and the many cultures involved.
Coke not only wants to entwine social marketing throughout their advertising, they also want to leverage the social community into their campaigns, bringing them into an ever-changing storyline. If the video is correct, it would be a two-way street, where Coke not only listens, but they respond, helping to shape and drive the social participation.
Static pre-approved marketing campaigns may soon be replaced with perpetual evolving campaigns that take on a life of their own based on community participation and feedback. The idea of integrating comsumers via stortytelling is excellent, as that method resonates with almost everyone..
Given the viral nature of social marketing, it remains to be seen if Coke will be able to control the evolving message as much as they’d like to, especially if they integrate a lot of automated social input mechanisms. The liquid content analogy is a great description, because sometimes liquids can be readily controlled, and sometimes they can’t. It will certainly be an interesting experiment to watch!
I appreciated the line, “and data whisperers will become the new messiahs.” Whoa!
This is a great example of “do as I say, not as I do.” (Love the animation and the English voice)
Seriously if they want to get serious about content marketing and have content that is truly “liquid” they’ve got to start with themselves. The corporate jargon in parts of this video make me shudder.
Surely they could of worked on their tone of voice and style of language before they put this out on the web.
I’m very intrigued to see the implementation of his vision. It brought to mind Zappos and their marketing and business model – Delivering Happiness. They’ve done a fantastic job of engaging their customers on a social level.
This is amazing! Coca-cola is indeed very powerful. I have nothing against to this as I love this brand!
Thanks for posting this, Joe. This is a terrific work and thought leadership by Coke. Even if the move sounds too bold for a company like Coke to do, it is right in the middle of what Publishing Companies are or ought to be doing.
Building a strategy around Liquid and Linked Content is the future of Publishing. Building a system that manages the dynamic storytelling process in the 5 ways (and perhaps more!) is how publishing companies can find a purpose in their future.
The thought leadership demonstrated by Jonathan Mildenhall and Coke is fascinating. I will certainly be sharing this with a number of my contacts in the Publishing Industry.
Thanks so much for sharing this. Joe, I particularly appreciate the time you took to really decipher the “content” of the videos to pull out the key messages. As I was watching them, I really did think that the videos were meant for Coke’s internal marketing people. This can’t possibly have been meant for the general public, or even for the larger Coke corporate community. The language was pure jargon. I kept having to translate it in my head while I was listening, which distracted from the actual message. Of course, the illustration was pure genius. I would love to see a simplified version of it that gives the big picture of the strategy.
That said, I think the core of their strategy is actually quite logical, given the direction the consumer world has been moving in. I applaud them for being one of the companies to blaze the trail for other large corporations. And the term “liquid content” is priceless – with it’s own branding subtleties, bubbles and all.
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