Business Play Action Analysis

Coca-Cola has been running a high-fit Screen this February, in celebration of American Heart Month.

Throughout the month, the Diet Coke Red Dress Program has received plenty of attention due to the program’s surrogates which include The Heart Truth Campaign as a Partner, and supermodel Heidi Klum as a Proxy.

The Heart Truth campaign is a national awareness campaign about women and heart disease, sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health. Klum played a key role in the Diet Coke Red Dress Program by wearing a red dress, the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness, to the Academy Awards presentation on February 24, 2008. That same red couture dress, designed by John Galliano, will be auctioned off to raise money for the National Institutes of Health.

This is a high-fit Screen due to the Coca-Cola’s several touch points: events, sympathies, and interests. The two primary events are American Heart Month and the Academy Awards, both of which occur during February. The main sympathies are heart disease and women’s health. In the United States, heart disease is the number one killer of women.

Women’s health is an especially critical issue for Diet Coke, since women comprise a large portion of its consumers. The last touch point is fashion—an interest among many women. Millions of Americans watch the red carpet Oscar pre-shows specifically to scrutinize the celebrities in their designer gowns. Heidi Klum, a fashion-forward role model herself, is a wonderful Proxy that many women can relate to as a mother, and on television through the Bravo TV hit series, Project Runway.

"Klum''s participation helps make the Red Dress program even bigger and gives consumers a great way to become involved and learn more about a crucial women''s health issue," said Caren Pasquale Seckler, group director, Low Calorie Colas, Coca-Cola North America.

This play by Coca-Cola is a clear example of a Screen, where the competitor “frames” its position in the marketplace. The Diet Coke Red Dress program helps elicit an emotional connection to the company’s brand or position that many consumers may have not identified before. In effect, this Screen will strengthen the impression that Coca-Cola’s agenda has a broader meaning or impact.

To reinforce its play, Diet Coke will also expand awareness of the heart health message through national television, print and online advertising support. As part of the partnership, Diet Coke is also funding independent research to assess the impact and awareness of the Diet Coke Red Dress.

Post by Sean O’Loughlin, MA candidate