Definition 6 and Coca-Cola are Sharing the Happiness
Atlanta-based Definition 6 was established 14 years ago as an integrated interactive marketing agency looking to bring a new communication platform to the table. Years ago, traditional marketing agencies weren’t nimble enough to capitalize on a new community of consumers who were seeking a more digital means of reaching out to customers. Definition 6 created a brand experience to drive proven business results.
Michael Kogon, CEO of Definition 6, saw an interest in this new targeted audience and when consulting firms couldn’t adopt this form of media or take the digital age seriously, he branched off onto his own and created his six-step plan to make marketing digitalized.
Definition 6 joins forces with clients to help them craft inventive and measurable customer experiences across all media channels, by implementing their verified strategies and creativity, along with originality and imagination. From e-Commerce maintenance and website design, to rich media and interactive marketing applications, Definition 6 bridges the gap between marketing and technology.
While American businesses were finally embracing the idea of digital channels, Definition 6 worked with clients with web hosting, web coding, site design and other forms of digital creative production. “Markets got to the point where the effect and use of IT departments became commoditized,” says Paul McClay, Director of Media and Strategy for Definition 6. Today, Definition 6 creates original content centered on video and strategic communications and the use of public relations for social strategies.
THE HAPPINESS MACHINE
While Mitsubishi, Verifone, Nickelodeon and HBO, the most notable – and industry-award-winning – campaign belonged to the Coca Cola company and its work on “The Happiness Machine.” With more than 2.7 million views on Youtube, The Happiness Machine, which went viral this January, is used as a digital means for product visibility and spreading happiness with something as simple as a soft drink.
“We worked with Coca-Cola Global to use the drink as a mechanism to give happiness through social interaction,” McClay says. “Happiness was the overarching campaign concept and we used organic distribution to convey a global message of sharing happiness.”
“We had about two weeks to come up with a pitch to Coca-Cola and after meeting with our small team within the agency for about an hour-and-half, we came up with this idea to use a vending machine as an inanimate object, which Coca-Cola has all over the world,” he says. “Coca-Cola plays an important part of the story and is the main component when others are sharing happiness with each other.”
The video was shot at St. John’s University in New York in the winter of 2009. “The location of the shoot didn’t have to be a university or tied to a specific age group,” he says. “It was winter and although it would have been smart to travel to a warmer destination, we knew our shoot had to be indoors with people around who were enthusiastic and wanted to have fun with our vending machine.”
Definition 6 continues to maintain its relationship with Coca-Cola Global and have worked on promoting their “American Idol experience” and annual Toys for Tots program. Additionally, the “Where will Happiness Strike Next” experience continues to grow with other videos taking place in Cairo and the UK to keep customers engaged with the brand.
SPREADING THE HAPPINESS
McClay believes that there will be a more interesting sort of dynamic when it comes to the distribution strategy for future viral video campaigns and ways to get consumers to watch. “We’re learning to understand how to leverage earned media placement and for the benefit and traditional mechanism of paid media,” he says. “For the release of the Happiness Machine, we had to find synergy with all of the other things going on to find space for the video to get the limelight for awhile. Along all of the sporting events earlier this year, we had to coordinate within our reach and get people to watch and share the video in a condensed period of time.”
It took Definition 6 and Coca-Cola about two weeks to reach a million views, while also making news on the homepage of Yahoo! and a feature in Sports Illustrated.
“Brands are partial about the distribution mechanism of their content,” McClay says. “In a digital space, people always have the choice to see concepts and share with their friends and family. We’re furthering our expertise on how to create content that adds value to the consumer and makes him or her want to interact with and absorb the brand.”
For more information, visit www.definition6.com and click here to watch the Happiness Machine video.
