The Perfect Mixture of Balance

An unlikely trio has come together to promote the importance of the balance of food, drinks and physical activities. While Coca Cola, Pepsi and Dr.Pepper usually compete against each other in the soft drink industry they have joined forces in an attempt to revitalize their shrinking market. With a shift in consumer consumption behaviours away from carbonated beverages these companies have ventured out into new markets for growth. However the soft drink business unit has remained as the core centre of their brand.

In an effort to reduce the negative stigmatism towards their carbonated soft drinks they have agreed to part take in the education of how to eat and drink properly. This mixfy initiative offers tips including how to properly count calories, stay physical active and balance your daily activities. In addition they also provide expert info from some of the most knowledgable people in the subject including nutritionists, dieticians, coaches and athletes who are able to answer any kind of question.

This initiative has a large social media presence including a Facebook page with 10,875 likes, a twitter page with 5,183 followers, an Instagram account and a tumblr page. The conversation has been encouraged through the hashtag of #MyMixfy for people to contribute their stories, thoughts and questions.

While these companies are trying to remove the negative stigmatism surrounding carbonated drinks through the proper education of nutrition and health principles technically these products should be cut out of our diet. However because these companies are promoting the initiative I highly doubt they would do so if it resulted in the declining sales of their products. Which leads to the question of whether or not the information they are publishing is bias or skewed in a way that still favours the purchase of their products. So are Coca Cola, Dr.Pepper and Pepsi really concerned about the health of its customers or are they trying to influence a prominent trend into something that looks at their brands and products in a more favourable light?

Check out the full initiative here:   http://mymixify.com

Somersby jumps on the “Apple” bandwagon

In this clever campaign, Somersby Cider rode the wave of Apple’s upcoming technology release to promote its refreshing beverage. Funny enough apples are also the main ingredient of the Somersby drink (fermented of course). Mimicking the Apple experience of entering a “Genius store” and the technological experiences we are all too familiar with our smartphones, Somersby was able to capture the attention of viewers in a funny and memorable way. They are able to descriptively emphasize the key attributes/benefits of their product in a way that keeps the attention of the viewers, and doesn’t get lost in the clutter of informative advertising. Somersby was able to merge two seemingly distinct industries (alcoholic beverages and computer technology) to play off each other and create a synergy that was able to resonate with its target audience who are most likely familiar if not customers of both companies.

When one company realizes massive success through a concept or marketing idea it catches the attention of not only consumers who make it spread like wildfire, it also peaks the interests of other marketers. Often they try to “ride the wave” of success by imitating a concept or in some way making fun of it in order to receive the same attention. However, this leads consumers to question the credibility of a brand and their ability to create a unique concept to capture its audience. This is often concealed in consumer’s ability to find humour in the ad, however this will only be affective once in awhile as it is not sustainable and they will have to create its own original content to keep a viral life.

Somersby has gained incredible popularity recently through the uptrend in the sale of fermented cider. However with this trend comes a flood of new entrants creating fierce competition. One way that Somersby will be able to differentiate itself is through its marketing efforts. It must create a unique position in the market and create its own strong brand image which will be created through the distribution of original creative content that is shareable.