Coca-Cola runs “Happiness Baromoter” to spread Open Happiness message
Coca-Cola has conducted a “Happiness Barometer” market research exercise to back its global multi-million pound “Open Happinness” marketing push for 2010.
The global study which covers 16 countries and four continents, sought to identify what happiness means to different nationalities and revealed that, despite the rapid pace of growth in the virtual world, human contact wins when it comes to happiness.
People in all 16 countries agreed real world contact with family and partners is a greater source of joy (77%) than virtual world alternatives.
Supporting this notion that human, rather than virtual interaction is a greater source of pleasure, the biggest highlights of the day include catching up with loved ones in the evening (39%), eating with the family (22%) and chatting to friends or colleagues (17%) in the day.
Modern alternatives such as watching TV (14%), connecting with others online (5%) and receiving the day’s first text message (2%) paled in comparison.
“The results of the Coca-Cola Happiness Barometer show that staying connected with friends and family remains an important source of happiness for people around the world, and that this holds true across all continents and nationalities,” says Cristina Bondolowski, senior global brand director, Coca-Cola, The Coca-Cola Company.
“Despite the online social networking phenomenon, nothing beats quality time with loved ones or simple pleasures such as sharing a Coke with our nearest and dearest to bring happiness in our lives.”
The results also show that, despite the global economic woes, overall global happiness levels are high, with over two thirds of people (67%) declaring that they are satisfied with their lives.
When people do need cheering up, 38% turn to a night out with friends and over one in five (22%) who will give or receive a big, warm hug.
“Coca-Cola provides simple moments of pleasure throughout the day. Through this study we wanted to understand what else our consumers reach for in their quest for happiness.” adds Bondolowski.
“We were especially pleased to see that it’s the great taste of Coke that is still putting a smile on faces around the world, as it has done for nearly 125 years.”
Meanwhile, Coca-Cola Great Britain also launched a new interactive online application to help meet increasing consumer demand for ’eco’ information.
The ’Trace Your Coke’ app enables consumers to trace individual cans or bottles of Coca-Cola Great Britain drinks back to their British factory of origin. It also highlights the importance of the most significant step consumers can take to reduce a drink’s environmental impact – recycling empty packaging.
Liz Lowe, citizenship manager at Coca-Cola Great Britain, says: “’Trace Your Coke’ provides a fun, interactive way for our consumers to find out information that matters to them whilst reinforcing the importance of recycling. We know that without sustainable, healthy communities we won’t have a sustainable business. How we can communicate these messages, while inspiring and motivating our consumers to take action, is key to achieving our aims.”
