At the end of the 1990s the Argentines came from a decade of being fascinated because the world would enter us, see us, value us and were here. All international brands built logics based on this concept: I come to you.
For 1998 all dysfunction began to glimpse. People who had left the privatized companies, which had been expelled from the State and the national companies that had closed for international competition.
2001: We were in a very strong time change, with traits probably similar to those we are going through now. What was worth, which was globalization, no longer worked. People wanted, slowly, but continue to have close brands that understood them and not that they accessed those brands that came from the world.
The promise of accessibility. Coca-Cola, in the 1990s, embodied that premise of the world comes to you and gives you. In Argentina given the tremendous crisis that was lived together with the access of second brands, “B brand” brands and the soders who distributed soda in their route, the difficulty in operating was not less. It was a level of perception competence, of closeness, but also of enormous value and accessibility that was lived.
In this context, key executives of The Coca-Cola Companyincluding James Quincey, Luis Gérardin, and Javier Meza, ask him Esteban Socorro (Director of Knowledge & Insights South Latin America Coca-Cola at that time) A “consumer’s” Brode. The oldest we know who it is Miguel Ángel Brodaa very relevant consultant at those times that helped transform the economy into business decisions.
Esteban summons me to invent an instrument that would allow, as I existed to understand economy, but to understand people, society.
And this says: “We had to invent a tool to understand the emotional state of society. With a lot of thought and work we developed an analysis instrument that combined:
-Tertiary Data of Economics and Macroeconomics.
–Anthropological reading and semiological of culture (films, TV series, media agenda, relevant events).
–Political and sociological analysis deep.
–In -depth interviews, motivational groups
A solid quantitative base of continuous surveys to consumers, which allowed us to quantify the evolution of the MOOD in time, as well as quantify hypotheses and plans.
Consumer Mood recognized the factors that mobilized consumers and also identified how they were linked to brands. In addition, it revealed the tone and theme that most questioned them, allowing Coca-Cola to address these concerns in a way consistent with their trajectory, credibility and empathy.
One of the greatest achievements was to reinforce the perception of Coca-Cola as a brand close to the Argentines positioning itself as a brand that understood and accompanied people.
Tool uses. Communication, innovation, expansion and development of new categories interact. Thanks to generated insights and joint work with the McCann market agency, Coca-Cola developed a series of campaigns that became advertising icons such as “For all”, “Returnable: what matters is the inside” and “World defeat 2002”.
The advertising strategy took visual and narrative elements of iconic series of the time such as gasoliers, kupas, the simulators, incorporating a daily and realistic aesthetic. This approach enabled the brand to be perceived as part of the daily life of Argentines in a moment of uncertainty.
As of 2003, Coca-Cola used Consumer Mood to redefine its product and categories strategy, achieving the expansion of packaging with segmented prices for different types of consumers (1.25l, 1.5l, 1.75l, 2l, 2.25L). The implementation of the returnables facilitated access to the product during the crisis.
Also a process of proof and error in new categories with releases such as Native, La Vuelta and Hugo, allowed to learn and then successfully introduce POwerade, Cepita and Aquarius.
What we developed helped Coca-Cola navigate in the crisis and laid the foundations for sustained growth of twelve consecutive years, with an annual compound increase, which consolidated its leadership and proximity to Argentine consumers.
Esteban Socorro, of an unmatched talent, helped us build this system that was updated. We start working on the team first with Paula Magariños, then many years with Carolina Porcari and, in the last time, potently led by Magdalena Iocco and Lorena Cura.
Consumer Mood managed to point out the key points of a society and helped build a world brand such as Coca-Cola in a brand in each country and in the region. The tool was created in Argentina in 2002. With her, the commercial “for all” was born. An advertising designed in Argentina, with our values, which became a worldwide phenomenon. There was an inverse effect of what prevailed as logic and a country of descent had the ability to represent everyone. Along the same lines, in the year 24 and 25 coca launches the campaign “Together in all”.
Today, this system continues to be used, studying in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil and Bolivia. We build a data bank in time to compare through the years what things are going and what does not work.
Consumer Mood, In short, it allows us to stop discussing what is happening, to act on what happens, in a strategic sense.
*Fernando Moiguer is CEO of Moiguer strategy consultant.
By Fernando Moiguer
