Coca-Cola has launched its Olympics ‘My Beat Maker’ app – a funky, fun mobile device that detects the movements of users’ phones and converts them into music thus enabling users to make their own beats.
The music itself is based on the Mark Ronson and Katy B official Coca-Cola London 2012 anthem ‘Anywhere in the World’ (and is part of the brand’s Olympic ‘Move To The Beat’ initiative).
When a unique beat has been created, users can upload to brand’s global music collaboration site The Global Beat and share them with the world.
Furthermore, the IOC global TOP sponsor has a further music-led Olympics app ready for release this summer called London Calling.
This second app has been produced as part of a wider collaboration between the giant behemoth and Spotify and emerged from the US-based Hackden event which pooled leading developers to work on a new application.
The Hackden event, which took place between 14 – 15 April, saw several of the best app developers from round the world tasked with creating the next era of the Coca-Cola music experience.
Indeed, the two brands, Coca-Cola and Spotify, last week announced a new global partnership.
The collaboration, officially called as a sponsorship initiative but is more accurately described as a brand collaboration, will see Spotify will be part of Coke’s music-themed global marketing campaign next year.
While the cola brand will partner on Spotify’s international expansion. The Swedish streaming music service, which launched in the USA in 2010, is currently available in just 13 markets, while Coca-Cola has global reach and the latter’s sponsorship of the 2012 Olympic Games will give Spotify huge exposure.
As of January, Spotify had three million members with with more than 20% paying as monthly subscribers to the service’s premium offerings. Spotify aims to post revenues of around US$900 million for 2012 and its now focusing on expansion on both sides of the Atlantic.
Within this collaboration Spotify technology will be used for Coca-Cola Music’s global activity in return for the drinks giant integrating Spotify into its online and social media presence. While Coke will support Spotify as it launches its music services into new markets around the world next year.
As part of the new deal Spotify will release its new iPad app in tandem with Coca-Cola – thus joining the company as a global sponsor.
Coca-Cola already has close ties to Spotify having collaborated with the fast growing music service last summer to offer free trial subscriptions to its Twitter followers.
Joe Belliotti, director of global entertainment marketing at Coca-Cola, said: “We have long recognised the power of music to connect people around the world. As we step up our activation through Coca-Cola Music, we are excited by the innovative music technology platform created by Spotify and the opportunity to create a truly global music network.”
Comment:
This is another original example of brand collaboration where two companies have matching strategies and strengths which can benefit one another.
Here Coca-Cola is offering its amazing international reach to help Spotify’s global expansion, whilst Spotify’s music technology offers Coke access a wealth of music content possibilities for its marketing.
This is a growing trend in the wider world, as well as in the highly competitive drinks sector. Rival Pepsi has recently tied up with online personal radio station brand Pandora – for example on its recent joint Emmys sponsorship activation campaign.
Whether this is a sponsorship, a partnership or just a deal, we are sure to see more of such mutually beneficial link-ups in the future.
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