Can Pepsi pull it off?

I don't like using this platform as a forum for reactionary conversation, but I think there's some big things going on behind the new changes Pepsi has made and what it means for the age-old relationship between Pepsi and Coke.

With the new logo and new campaign "Refresh Yourself" produced by TBWA\Chiat\Day, Pepsi has firmly aligned itself with the themes of the Obama campaign-- hope, optimism, and change. (Whether or not they have any legitimate ties with the Obama campaign I do not know. Care to enlighten me, anyone?) 

My initial reaction was that the campaign would have been just as well suited for Coke as it would for Pepsi--I more associated the ideas of hope and optimism with Coke than with Pepsi in the first place. So I considered more closely what the brands stood for.

Coke has always stood for happiness, togetherness. It meant polar bears sharing Cokes with penguins. It meant singing together on a hill. It's message is timeless; Coke means happiness, now and forever.

On the other hand, Pepsi has always been based in what is timely. Between "Generation Next," Britney Spears and her comrades, and the brand's young, irreverent tone, Pepsi has always been the "cool" alternative. So their new campaign begs the question, is Pepsi taking to this attitude of hope and change because that's what's "in" right now, or are they doing it because its an integral part of the brand?

It does make me wonder if "current" can be considered a strategy. Earl Cox, director of planning at The Martin Agency, told my class at VCU Brandcenter that "Cool is not a strategy," which I wholeheartedly agree with, but there's an important distinction between "current" and "cool." Going with current seems to work for MTV, but one could argue that is because they're better able to both reflect and create what's current, building some of the trends to begin with. 

Similarly, I considered whether or not Coke can break out of their role as a timeless brand. For what events had Coke ever shed its timelessness? Perhaps the Olympics, but to be fair that's a tradition in itself and of course based in bringing people together. The new millennium? Again, the work was still a reflection of the past and introducing Coke as a relevant part of our future, too.

So who's to say this won't work for Pepsi? As for the consumers participating with the campaign, will it translate into increased consumption? Improved brand health? Paul Isakson recently wrote about how sometimes you just have to remind your consumers you're there and give them something to be excited about (though his discussion was more in the context of the weird and wonderful). Aligning themselves with Obama certainly a great way to piggyback on the enthusiasm of the public. I guess we'll have to wait and see. Any predictions??

Related: John Eighmey of the University of Minnesota just posted Coke's newest work, translating "the Coke Side of Life" to "Open Happiness" so as to make the message clearer across global communities. As always, though the translations change, Coke remains steadfast in their images and ideals.

EDIT: I just saw an ad that actually tied it together a lot more for me. It took iconic images of generations through the ages (with, of course, Pepsi in every hand) all the way up to current times, all set to "My Generation." It ended with the super "Every generation refreshes the world. now it's your turn." This ad served as the glue. Still not sure I'm convinced, but if the images through the generations are clips from old Pepsi ads, then it seems pretty solid.

Sponsored Video Streaming: How the Music Industry is Coping

In the last post in this series, I made mention of Napster and the parallel issues the music industry has faced. They've had the benefit (?) of beginning these battles much earlier, with Metallica making noise in 2000, and thus have already gone through many growing pains to reach some degree of maturity. I recall a time when even though I knew it was wrong, there was no way I was going to pay when I could get it for free...and yet here I am, with nearly $100 in  purchased songs and episodes in my iTunes library. 

The industry as a whole has found a number of ways to cope. First, strong partnerships with online music stores like iTunes gave consumers the opportunity to get their music the same way they've become accustomed to while still supporting the artists and labels financially. Second, they focused on the sales opportunities of merchandise and concert tickets instead of relying on disc sales. And third, and definitely most difficult, they changed their mindset. The industry listened to what their consumers wanted and they made it work for both of them, looking for how it could work to their advantage:

Myspace became a place to support artists and get the word out, while informing fans and soon-to-be-fans about upcoming shows and giving them the chance to purchase merchandise instantly. Download sites offered bonus songs for free when consumers signed up. Sites popped up like Daytrotter to let you hear live performances from artists to get hooked, then drive you to buy the full CDs. Pandora streamed free music, purchased from the label, and suggested to consumers who in turn can go buy the tracks. And the industry keeps moving forward, using apps and other new technology to continue giving consumers what they want without compromising sales.

So now the question is, how can the video entertainment industry learn from these lessons? They've already begun with providing episodes for sale on iTunes, investing in video technology on mp3 players, and supporting themselves with ad revenue, but what new revenue streams can they find? 

RELATED UPDATE- I felt like watching some TV this afternoon but there was absolutely nothing worth watching, so when I found that TRL was on, I decided to go with the throwback--I was in middle school when it first came out. I switched over and discovered that today's show is the second to last episode EVER. Besides the fact that TRL has totally changed over the years, do you think being able to find the videos online are part of why the show has lost traction?

UPDATE 2.0: Just found this post by Ed Cotton--great thoughts on some of the same stuff. Love the quote from Techcrunch about the music itself being the marketing.