THE

OPPORTUNITY

In 2020, the possibility of a safe and normal college football season was intercepted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Fans watched their favorite players test positive, their favorite teams pull out and anticipated games get cancelled indefinitely. Many had to say goodbye to their game-day favorites, namely rowdy crowds and over-the-top tailgates.

Like the rest of us, Coca-Cola did not anticipate a pandemic, much less one that would leave an impact for years to come. Coke's internal marketing agency, KO:OP, had planned various in-person activations inside college football stadiums for the 2020 season and beyond. These needed to be adjusted. Given in-person restrictions and emerging health concerns, Coke's team was on a mission to find the best ways to nuance its means of refreshing football fanatics in 2021.

THE

SOLUTION

To better understand fan sentiment, our team created and disseminated a survey.

In just 48 hours, we had 115 responses from students and alumni at nine football-oriented universities across the United States. From these surveys, we discovered what fans missed most about their favorite game days. Respondents discussed rival-relations, apparel, atmosphere, sunburns, hoarseness-you name it.

After cleaning and coding the data, we used our insights to refine and adjust Coke's current creative concepts. KO:OP planned a broad range of tactics for all three flagship brands-Diet Coke, Coke Red and Coke Zero. Our Gen Z perspective allowed us to develop ideas that resonated with college students during an unprecedented time in their academic careers.

Using traditional and digital methods, we were able to adapt Coke's strategy to fit the needs of the present moment.

We suggested entirely new directions, some traditional and some digital, through our Gen Z lens.