How Soda Giants Are Mixing It Up To Remain Relevant in Business

There has been an assault on soda companies like Pepsi and Coca-Cola over the past several years. Many are deeply concerned over the impact carbonated beverages have on the health of our children. Government institutions have even gone so far as to tax large drinks and some schools have removed soda machines from cafeterias.

So, what are these companies to do? Mix it up! Enter Mixify — an effort by Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, and Coke to help people balance their food, activity, and drinks. Reading the writing on the wall, these targets of criticism and scrutiny decided to create a message that seeks to change their image. I believe there is a lesson for small business in this tactic.

Remain Relevant in Business

Regardless of what we sell and how it is viewed, we must continue to position the value to our prospects in a way they will hear it. Pepsi, Coke, and Dr. Pepper aren’t saying their product is more or less valuable. They are adding value to it by creating a program to help their users maintain balance and health. They are implying that within that balancing act there is a place for their product. They are telling their audience that they care for them above the transaction. It’s a form of conscious marketing.

Oddly, this tactic actually gives people permission to buy their product. It goes from something that is seen in a somewhat negative light and reframes it. Chances are your product or service is not experiencing this kind of scrutiny or criticism. So, it’s not about finding a way to respond to negative press. It’s about how we create added value for our audience and then message it to remain relevant in business.

Added value is always about what matters to the client. It isn’t what we think is valuable but rather what our prospect or client thinks is valuable. We should take intentional focused time to consider who our target is and what they need or want. The next step is to determine how our product or service helps them achieve that want or solve that need.

Once we know the answers to those questions, it’s a matter of communicating that value effectively. We want to be sure our audience knows we are working FOR them. It has to be clear that our goal is to provide them with value. That’s why it’s important that the value statement make sense. It has to relate to what we sell. In other words, we can’t just grab something that seems like the latest trend and incorporate it into our offering. It has to connect.

If you want to stand out from the competition, remain relevant in business, and create a solid relationship with your prospects and clients, take a look at your product or service from an expanded view. Determine how you can increase the value of your product for your clients and then tell them. You’ll build the kind of loyalty and longevity you are looking for.

Image: MyMixify.com

6 Comments ▼

---