BUSINESS: 333 PRACTICES
Coca-Cola Hellas is a subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company responsible for Greece, Cyprus and Malta, providing strategic consulting services for marketing, promotion, market research, advertising and brand reputation.
Read more: www.coca-cola.gr
Through a strategic partnership with CCA, The Coca-Cola Company established the Consumer Interaction Center (CIC), a pioneering social networking hub based in Athens. The CIC team assists the Central and Southeastern Europe (CSE) Business Unit of The Coca-Cola Company in the formulation of its social media strategy and was created with the aim to strengthen relationships between consumers and the brand, as well as between every citizen and the Company, through discussions and experiences shared on social media.
Through social listening, with the CIC The Coca-Cola Company interacts with citizens and replies to their questions, while at the same time it monitors topics of interest and trends and drives social media innovation. The goal is to increase brand love through conversations, content and experiences, powered by data and seeking to establish long-term and close relationships with consumers.
The target audience is none other than consumers, who are online, up-to-date, seek information and ask questions about issues of concern to them.
The CIC Hub in Athens was launched in 2014 and its dynamic evolution is continuing to this day.
Launched in 2014, the CIC section today is operating like a startup, yet in full alignment with the Company’s philosophy. It employs a total of 25 people, of which 8 in Athens, where the social media strategy for 26 countries is designed. Having built its own routines and procedures, the CIC hub uses state of art technology in order to connect virtually with the Company’s other similar international teams and to share ideas and knowledge through weekly brainstorming sessions, as well as to pilot new platforms and concepts and be always ahead of developments.
All team members are fully up-to-date and trained about the Coca-Cola products and their ingredients, as well as about the Company itself, so as to be able to provide detailed replies. Besides, in order to drastically reduce response times to consumer questions, global guidance is available and used as a source of up-to-date information and new programs. In cases where the members of the team do not know the answer to a question, there is direct cooperation with the Company departments concerned, so that the best possible reply is given. The section has established an internal procedure which allows it to obtain approvals within short times and to bring together all competent persons, when needed. In this way, decisions are made quickly and responses are immediate. This is demonstrated by the fact that in 70% of the cases the section’s replies to consumers are given in less than 4 hours.
Monitoring developments and a strong focus on innovation are the priorities for the CIC section: this is proven by the fact that in December 2015 The Coca-Cola Company in Greece was one of the very first companies to open an account on Snapchat, one of the new platforms for young audiences offering content available for a short period of time and intended for promotion by the recipient. Besides, adaptability is at the core of the CIC’s operation, as the section embraces new trends in social media and applies them in the context of the Company’s planned or other actions (e.g. Facebook live streaming Coca-Cola Cup).
In the two last years during which it has been in operation, the CIC has managed to build strong ties with consumers, building relationships of mutual trust with them. Through their real-time contacts with the CIC and, by extension, with the brand, consumers receive immediate responses to their queries and questions. The creation of real-time content keeps them always up-to-date about Company news and activities as well as about the new trends in social media.
The CIC Hub in Athens serves as the headquarters for the activities of the Central and Southeastern Europe (CSE) Business Unit of The Coca-Cola Company, one of the Company’s most individual such units worldwide, characterized by a strong element of cultural diversity.
There are no collaborations with other entities.
The CIC Hub employs a total of 25 talented young people, with exceptional knowledge and grasp of the social media, of which 8 are located at the CIC central offices in Athens, which are the headquarters where the social media strategy for the 26 Central and Southeastern European countries is developed. The team members are characterized by their good communication and analytical skills, bringing in a renewed momentum through their innovative approach to consumers and society in general. Although they come from a variety of academic and professional backgrounds in terms of their experience, they all have in common their passion about the brand and social media. The team also includes people from other countries, for whom coming to work in Greece was a wonderful adventure.
The field of marketing is constantly evolving and social media provide companies with the opportunity to build close relationships with consumers and to communicate with them in an open, direct and personal away. All brands benefit significantly when they understand the needs, concerns and questions of their consumers. The CIC section is adapting, evolving and making full use of social media capabilities, and has thus managed to create a strong and loyal audience of followers, which interacts with the content, expresses itself and welcomes or comments on all activities, providing the Company with valuable feedback.
No Connection with Global Goals found