Javier Delgado, director de Mercadeo Multicultural de Coca-Cola
Javier Delgado, Multicultural Marketing Director at Coca-Cola, talked to PRODU about diversity in communications during the ANA Multicultural Marketing & Diversity Conference. Delgado said that communications for the No. 1 soft-drink brand have been devoted to speaking directly to the U.S. multicultural market since 1982. Despite all the expertise gained, however, the company boasts no secret formula that guarantees success in this segmented market, and that is because the conversation has changed. “As the market evolves and media change, so does our approach to the market. The question is how to become more relevant to the Hispanic consumer and to the multicultural consumer in general” he said. He noted that since social networks came on the scene, the consumer’s voice is being listened to and feedback comes instantly. “Communications must become more personal. Our messages have to be more relevant than ever because people can just turn us off any time they want.” Regarding the relative importance brands give to traditional and digital campaigns, Delgado said that Coca-Cola doesn’t differentiate between them. “We don’t distinguish one from another – we’re concerned about finding successful marketing techniques in a digital era, with consumers using media in a totally different way” he said. To conclude he added that as a global company, Coca-Cola learns from the experiences of other key markets about how to repeat their successes and not make their mistakes. “What’s important is to share the knowledge and experiences of each brand. That’s why conferences like this exist – they allow us to learn from other industries, companies and agencies in order to discover what works and what doesn’t, because nobody has the secret formula.”
