Coca-Cola Cos New Global Marketing Approach Unites Cola Brands

ATLANTA -- For a long time, Coca-Cola Co. has been successful at marketing its main brands -- think Coke, Diet Coke and Coke Zero -- as different products. Now, as consumers look to cut back on sugary drinks, the beverage giant is unveiling a global campaign that for the first time unites its flagship cola with lower-calorie versions.

Dubbed "Taste the Feeling," the new one brand campaign was announced on Jan. 19 by Coca-Cola chief marketing officer Marcos de Quinto during an event in Paris. The company will unite all Coke varieties under the Coca-Cola brand using the "Taste the Feeling" tagline. The program replaces the company's "Open Happiness" campaign, introduced in 2009.

De Quinto said "Taste the Feeling" will roll out at various times across all global markets in 2016. The company plans to air 10 "Taste the Feeling" television commercials, and has created a new visual identity system and other imagery, anthem, audio signature and interactive experiences.

The new strategy is meant to convey that all Coke variations are a single brand, rather than competing products with different personalities, De Quinto said. The U.S. and other individual markets will determine how to adapt the strategy locally.

In related news in Chile, Russia and Spain, Coca-Cola is reportedly testing its unified Coke lineup with cans that look more alike. The top portions of cans for Coke, Diet Coke and Coke Zero are all red, while the bottom halves designate the variant.

In its 2015 third-quarter report, the company said its Coca-Cola brand grew 1%, same as the previous quarter. Coke Zero climbed 8%, while Fanta and Sprite grew in a low single-digit range. Diet Coke, however, declined 8%.