Why you're not really buying a Coke

In January I gave up soda and last month I cut out caffiene. It was a self imposed intervention from my addiction to vanilla Coke Zeros from Sonic and large unsweet teas from Chick-Fil-A. And dammit, I am sticking to it.

So why can't I keep from handing over my dollar bills to the Coca Cola Company - scratch that - specifically the COKE brand after I have sworn off that alluring chemical sweetness?

Here is why. . . 'Stephanie Friends Hannah'

Did Coke know what  I had top of mind this morning?  That I had just hung up the phone with my good friend Hannah who was offering support during a stressful morning and that we were headed to the beach for a long weekend of friend bonding later that day?  . . . Maybe? But probably not.

What Coke PROBABLY knows is that we all crave connectedness. Me, you, everyone.  Whether that connection is with each a fellow human, a "thing", animals, or places. And hellooooooo let's not forget our obsession connecting via Facebook and social media; we don't love to be alone in this world. And if we are alone, well, then we just connect to others with our #selfies.

So what have those sneaky marketing executives at Coke done now? They've slapped our dang names on a bottle of Coke! The 'Share a Coke' campaign that was tested in Austraila in 2011, launched in the US this Summer and is in your face at every retailer, and Coke point of sale near you. Using a database of popular names and phrases, like 'gamer', 'friends', 'family', Coke has printed connective words on its bottles to lure you in. And it is so so so smart.

Oh...is that Coke is mine? It belongs with me! It has my name on it! And it seems it isn't so easy to find. I MUST have it. I must instagram it, tweet it, Facebook it and tag it. I must buy it for my friend!

I. Am. Guilty.

Coke is no longer just Coke this summer. With the iconic logo replaced with a name of you or someone you know, Coke is now ME and it's my friend. It is giving me a reason to connect....with friends, with Hannah, and with the brand itself. And if that wasn't enough, by creating your own content with these branded bottles (a picture, a post, a text) you are sharing and connecting yourself AND this brand to the world around you. Coke gets the award for thinking smarter not harder.

Genius.

You're welcome for that $3.20 I just spent.

shareacoke.com