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Home / Venture  / Lottery tickets, the real Coke, Burger Fuel refits and custom pizzas

Lottery tickets, the real Coke, Burger Fuel refits and custom pizzas

Two branding/marketing/business wins and two potential fails.

Homeless Man Lottery Winner

“I want to share it my friend.” On hearing those words there was barely a dry eye in the office.

Many of us associate branding with a product or service, but below the waterline of a brand lies values and behaviours. As individuals we all have a brand but we don’t really refer to it that often. Watching this short video we see the lives of two strangers intersect where their values and behaviours merge with beautiful poignancy.

‘You’re On’ Diet Coke

Is Coca Cola’s latest campaign ‘You’re On’ deliberately trying to associate the brand with cocaine?

Perhaps in a left field approach to arrest slumping sales of carbonated beverages, Coke is looking to stir up some controversy by tapping into part of its brand heritage; up until 1903 Coca Cola had actual cocaine in it to give customers that extra pep!

This campaign “celebrates ambitious young achievers from all walks of life and reminds them that Diet Coke is there to support them in the moments when they are at their best.”

'Your on' Diet Coke campaign imagery

Purchase intent for the drink has increased by 15.3 percent, while an average of 14.5 percent of people are talking about the brand and want to buy it based on online chatter.

Who’s next with the risqué product brand approach? Calling Toohey’s Pils, where are you?

Customer Satisfaction Winners

And the big winner in this years Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards is? You are! And as a result so too are these companies.

Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards

I’ve highlighted Burger Fuel, but not because I’m unhappy about it winning, quite the contrary – every Burger Fuel store I’ve been in to has given brilliant service, backed up by exceptional food.

In fact, I’m worried that the Burger Fuel experience which I know and love is being eroded and I get a feeling it may continue down this path over the next couple of years.

US firm Franchise Brands LLC purchased 10 percent of Burger Fuel and could increase its stake up to 50 percent in the next eight years. No doubt about it, Franchise Brands is a sharp operator however its link to Subway restaurants is of concern.

Recently Burger Fuel rolled out a restaurant interior refit. Gone were the on-brand pieces of furniture and in their place cheap tables, chairs and sofas.

New private ownership, cheap restaurant fit-out, the mysterious nationwide kumara fries shortage … call me paranoid but don’t be surprised if one day soon when you order a Bacon Backfire they ask if you’d like that as a six-inch or foot-long.

Pizza Hut’s Interactive Table

From the world of ridiculous client/agency ideas comes this pearler from Pizza Hut.

The interactive table lets customers visualise their pizza orders and customise them on the spot!

Is Pizza Hut seriously considering putting these tables in its restaurants? Increasing footfall by overcomplicating the buying process while increasing the cost per pizza? This sounds as ridiculous as budget airline Jetstar’s decision to introduce (for a cost) iPads on their flights.

It’s been a while since I stepped into a Pizza Hut, in fact the last time was the one opposite Marble Arch Tube Station in London. If it wasn’t the dark late 80’s style dinning experience then it was the sad looking smorgasborg salad bar that reinforced why I shouldn’t dine in ever again.

As a customer all I want from a brand is a consistent product and simple experience. Maybe Pizza Hut should learn from Burritobox and build a vending machine that spits out pizzas in 60 seconds.

Kaleb Francis is digital brand strategist at Marque – Brand Partners

Review overview