You haven’t sold your product in sixty years. What to do?

Coca-Cola Truck in Myanmar. Photo: The Coca-Cola Company.
That’s the challenge the Coca-Cola team faced in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) after sanctions were eased last year, enabling the iconic beverage’s return. A bottling facility opened this month.
There are many layers to this story (Geo-politics, capitalism, global business, etc.), but it’s the marketing story that really jumped out to me.
So, here are my 3 Refreshing Insights gleaned from Coca-Cola’s head of marketing in the region, Mr. Shakir Moin. They’re easy to apply.
1. Don’t Dismiss Back to the Future
There’s a wonderful saying that goes something like this: “If you don’t know where you’ve been, you won’t know where you’re going.” Too many marketers ignore the brand-building, revenue-generating success of their predecessors. Don’t! You might learn something important.
Mr. Moin did. He went to the Coca-Cola archives.
“He was looking at how the company marketed its product before the internet, before TV, even before radio. Eventually he found his perfect model for Myanmar, [a] place where nobody knew anything about Coke — Atlanta, 1886.” (Source: How To Sell Coke To People Who Have Never Had A Sip)
Make time to find and peruse some of your company/brand history, preferably at the beginning of your assignment. You’ll be better informed and better prepared to tackle your challenges. Continue reading