Coca-Cola builds closer relationships, distribution efficiencies via delivery app partnership
In a reflection of how consumer packaged goods marketers are embracing a mix of mcommerce and new distribution methods to get closer to their customers, Coca-Cola has launched Sprite Zero in India exclusively on the Grofers grocery delivery application.
Consumers in Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad are able to purchase Sprite Zero on Grofers, with the app reportedly getting the product directly from Coca-Cola and delivering it to buyers. Between Nov. 21 and Dec. 5, the app will be the only place the beverage will be available as Coca-Cola looks to test market receptiveness to it before a broader roll out.
?Mobile is the device that is making this all happen,? said Lara Mehanna, general manager of U.S. and vice president of sales and business development at Sonata. ?People are not waiting till they get home from work, on their way home from work, or on the weekends to do their grocery shopping or any shopping.
?They need products, and they want them immediately,? she said. ?Mobile plus commerce apps plus new distribution strategies are allowing all this to happen seamlessly and quickly.
?It is more important to have a mobile presence as users are relying on their couple moments of idle time throughout the day to manage their own lives - and the mobile device allows them to do this.?
Mobile behavior
The Grofers app will feature a Sprite Zero Store during the promotion period, according to the app?s official blog.
Shoppers who make a purchase of the beverage during this period will be eligible to win a prize every day. There will be three daily winners per city.
Those purchasing the highest number of cans of Sprite Zero in a given time slot will be one of the daily winners.
The top buyer of Sprite Zero cans on the Grofers app will win an iPad Mini.
?Coca Cola is motivated by ways it can get closer to its customer which was previously owned by the distribution outlets,? Ms. Mehanna said. ?Building that relationship will not only give them direct feedback on their products but also allow them to build more loyalty and retention.
?In the global markets there are many more innovative ways that are being launched in terms of distribution and payments and I believe that Coca-Cola sees the opportunity to further build out the brand in these emerging and growing markets,? she said.
CPGs embrace ecommerce
The Sprite Zero program points to how CPG brands are increasingly embracing ecommerce, often with mobile as a key driver. The goal is to get closer to their customers in order to provide the kind of engaging digital experiences these consumers are looking for while capitalizing on potential efficiencies of distribution.
Last year, Coca-Cola launched Coke Zero on Amazon in India.
Mondelez International has been very vocal about targeting ecommerce as an untapped opportunity for its many snack brands.
Earlier this month, the company launched a mobile-optimized microsite for its Oreo brand, enabling fans to personalize cookie packaging with holiday motifs on a mobile-optimized site, part of a longer-term initiative to drive mcommerce with fun digital experiences (see story).
Recent research from Deloitte Consulting backs up the idea that CPG have an opportunity on platforms such as Grofers.
The research found that 27 percent of consumers are interested in home delivery for recurring purchases ordered through digital platforms, but few are actively exercising these features (see story).
?It?s not surprising to see companies investing in partnerships enabling them to hyperlocally target consumers, whether it?s their own shopping app, a grocery store app or something similar,? said Naghi Prasad, senior vice president of Rakuten Marketing. ?Not only is it an effective way to focus reach and messaging for a target audience, it also provides brands the ability to closely follow the consumer journey.
?In this way, brands can tie the effectiveness of a campaign to specific groups to achieve greater results with hypertargeted data,? he said. ?As the need for a hypertargeted strategy increases, so does the opportunity for partnerships that provide great insight into specific consumer journeys.
?As we look forward to the future of mcommerce, we?ll see more and more strategies and partnerships emerging from the fact that marketers need to reach people where they are, and where they are is increasingly on their mobile devices."
Final Take
Chantal Tode is senior editor on Mobile Marketer, New York
