Kamikaze Technique, a strategic dance on the edge of audacity

In the dynamic realm of marketing, we encounter a spectrum of strategies, ranging from the classics to the wonderfully whimsical. Ever since I was a kid, the marketing tactics and ads have always fascinated me. Every ad, to me, is a curated masterpiece, and I derive genuine pleasure from observing each one. They are so brilliantly absurd that they manage to plaster a smile on my face. Remember the famous Oreo tweet during the 2013 Super Bowl blackout? A simple cookie became a beacon of innovation, seizing the moment with a witty "You can still dunk in the dark" message. Right now, as I'm typing away, the jingles are playing on a loop in my head and I am singing "Washing powder Nirma...." ?? let's be honest, who can resist a catchy tune that's stuck in your head like a friendly ghost? ?? This is one story of popular brand which did bad marketing intentionally...

The term "Kamikaze" originates from Japanese culture, specifically referring to the WWII suicide bombing pilots. Now, before you raise an eyebrow, bear with me – the essence lies not in the destructiveness, but in the unwavering commitment. Kamikaze Marketing emerges as a strategic approach that fearlessly tackles challenges head-on. Kamikaze technique doesn't shy away from pushing boundaries, embracing creativity and unpredictability.

Suicide Bombing by brands!!! "Crystal Pepsi Vs Tab Clear from Coca-Cola", a case study

As a product owner, the idea of creating a product meant to fail is puzzling – it just doesn't make sense and leaves me scratching my head. ?? One such product that was designed to fail was "TAB Clear" from Coca-Cola.

In 1992, there was trend and people were obsessed with everything transparent- "Clear Craze". Apple dropped the iMac G3 with its cool translucent cover, while even cars and Gameboys got in on the clear action. It was like a transparency party, with everyone equating transparency with purity and trust, a clear bias on appearance.

An increasing popularity lures Pepsi to launch a clear cola drink, Crystal Pepsi. Not a bad idea, right? But here's the kicker – they rushed it out within just nine months. Why the rush? Well, they wanted to leverage the increased sales that comes with the ads in the Super Bowl game that was just 9 months away. The idea was revolutionary: a caffeine-free, preservative-free, clear version of Pepsi.

Back in the day, from idea conceptualization to product hitting the shelves, it usually took a good three years. They had to create the recipe, test it out, and get feedback from customers before going full throttle. But Pepsi? Oh boy, they were on a tight schedule. With sheer determination, they managed to squeeze through that market window. And guess what? In just one year, they made a profit of US$474 million????

The threat to Coca-Cola

Post World War II, Coca-Cola was king of the cola world, with a big 60% share of the market. But in 1983, that share had shrunk to less than 24%. Why the drop? Well, Pepsi and changing tastes played a big part. Market analysts noted a shift in consumer preferences towards diet drinks and non-cola beverages, particularly among baby boomers who were becoming more health and weight conscious. This change in consumer behavior was eroding Coca-Cola's market share. Then, in a surprising turn of events, folks in blind taste tests started picking Pepsi over Coca-Cola. This got Coca-Cola thinking: "What's going on here?" ????

Devising Kamikaze technique, a suicide bomb

Coca-Cola faced a tough choice: either ignore Pepsi or jump on the Crystal Cola , basically becoming a Pepsi copycat. But neither plan seemed like a winner. So, what did they do? They went all-in with a "suicide bombing" strategy ????.

Crystal Pepsi had a drawback with the packaging, due to transparent bottles,– turns out, exposing it to sunlight messed with the taste, leaving a not-so-pleasant aftertaste. Coco-Cola devised an audacious plan to leverage this drawback. It created a product called as "TAB Clear", intentionally giving it the same funky aftertaste. It was a kamikaze mission to take down the competition!

Imagine this: TAB Clear and Crystal Pepsi side by side on the shelves, like two rivals in a standoff. The customers were biased on which to pick. They strategically placed the products next to each other, dividing the market. Coco-Cola intentionally marketed their product badly to harm Crystal Pepsi's image with product association. To top it off, TAB clear creates provoking ads to trigger conversations on the product. There was lots of awareness created about how bad both the products were and both the products were dead in just a few months.

Coca-Cola pulled off a smart move by linking TAB Clear to its less popular cousin, TAB, keeping their main brand's reputation clean. Pepsi took the hit as the product name had the brand name associated with it - "Crystal Pepsi" unlike "TAB clear" where the Coca-Cola name was not directly associated with the product name.

Crystal Pepsi was destined for failure due to its unpleasant aftertaste. It had a glaring flaw – people prefer refreshing drinks on hot summer days when the sun is out. Still, Coca-Cola made a bold move to capitalize on this weakness and speed up Crystal Pepsi's downfall before Coca-Cola lost even more market share. They damaged the product and ensured that there is no scope in the future to correct the bad after taste or even re-package into non-transparent bottles.

Celebrating the 30 years anniversary of the iconic failure

In 2022, Pepsi celebrates its iconic failure, a 30 year anniversary of Crystal Pepsi!!! Another marketing strategy??!!! Its common for brands to celebrate and cherish their past glory, but Pepsi makes a bold move to celebrate its failure!!!

Kamikaze defense strategy

Kamikaze defense has so much more to offer than this one particular use case. There are 3 popular kamikaze defense strategy:

• The sale-of-the-crown-jewels strategy,
• The fat-man strategy, and
• The scorched-earth strategy.

If you are interested to know more, you can read them here .

After all, in the dance of marketing, audacity isn't just a choice; it's the very heartbeat of success.

As the wise say, "Fortune favors the bold." Kamikaze Marketing is not a reckless plunge into chaos; it's a strategic dance on the edge of audacity. In this dance, those who dare to step boldly are the ones who steal the show. In the dynamic world of marketing, boldness isn't just a virtue; it's the dance partner you need to make a lasting impression.

References:

• Clear Craze
• Crystal Pepsi

Share your comments and let me know what you feel about this dance of audacity.

#Learning #Marketing #Audacity