Coca-Cola Dives into New Social Media Campaign During Earth Month
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Coca-Cola North
America wants everyone to join ?fins? in a new Facebook
campaign to raise awareness of Earth Month and help support Ocean
Conservancy, the nation?s oldest and largest marine conservation
organization. Through a new Facebook application,
users can ?oceanize?
themselves into a playful underwater photo. For every person who
dives
into this new app, Coca-Cola will donate $1, up to a total of
$200,000,
to support Ocean Conservancy?s marine debris program identifying
policies and solutions to preventing trash from reaching our ocean
and
waterways. Also, through the Company?s MyCokeRewards points
program and
a direct donation-matching program through LivePositively.com,
Coca-Cola
will contribute up to an additional $50,000.
?It?s time to close the loop ? from product
design to disposal, we all
have a role to play in keeping our oceans, lakes and rivers free
from
the dangers of marine debris,? said Vikki Spruill, President and
CEO of
Ocean Conservancy. ?For the past 15 years, Coca-Cola has been an
instrumental part of our work, engaging people from all around the
world
to do their part for the health and resiliency of our oceans and
waterways. Through this social media effort, we can further
increase
awareness of the urgent need to clean up the environment, raise
funds to
support our efforts and urge everyone to give back to the ocean
that
gives us so much.?
Facebook users will be able to use this new
application by visiting www.livepositively.com/joinfins
to create fun underwater images, share and embed them within their
own
profile pages, and also share them via the site?s status update
newsfeed. The ?oceanized? images can be saved to a ?Let?s All Join
Fins?
photo album, which ultimately can be shared with Facebook friends.
The
Company also will launch a print and online advertising campaign to
complement the Facebook
program. The campaign reminds people that ?71%
of the Earth?s surface is ocean. Shouldn?t 100% of it be clean??
The new
advertisements invite consumers to support the cause by donating
their
time, money or MyCokeRewards points to Ocean Conservancy and lets
them
know that Coca-Cola will honor their commitment with a
contribution.
Since 1995, The Coca-Cola Company has supported Ocean
Conservancy?s
International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), the world?s largest one-day
volunteer event on behalf of clean oceans and waterways. In 2008,
Coca-Cola launched a multi-year partnership with Ocean Conservancy
through a $1 million pledge to support the ICC. That same year,
nearly
50,000 Coca-Cola system associates, their friends and families in
35
markets around the world participated in the ICC, and in the
United
States, system employees contributed nearly 25,000 hours of
volunteer
time in the Cleanup.
?Using this entertaining, unique social
media campaign to partner with
Facebook
fans, creating a full interactive communication program to
support Ocean Conservancy, is just one of the many ways we are
engaging
people to lessen their climate footprint -- not just during Earth
Month,
but all year long,? said Celeste Bottorff, Vice President, Living
Well,
Coca-Cola North America. ?At The Coca-Cola Company, we believe we
can
make a positive difference on the planet through our employees,
our
consumers, our partners ? and our innovative product packaging.?
Brands
Go Green
In addition to the Facebook initiative,
several of the Company?s brands
will support earth-friendly programs during the month of April:
-
DASANI® has commissioned the sales of
limited-edition stylish green hats created from everyday
household
materials by designer Erica Domesek to benefit Ocean
Conservancy.
-
On dasani.com, people can find ways to shrink their carbon
footprint
through daily eco-friendly tips that can be shared through Facebook,
Twitter or email. DASANI® will make a
one
dollar donation, up to a total of $25,000, every time tips or
recycling trivia are shared from the site. Visit www.dasani.com/30ways
for more information.
-
DASANI® also will continue to promote
the
launch of its 100 percent recyclable PlantBottle? plastic bottle
packaging, made from up to 30 percent plant-based, renewable
materials.
-
Sprite® launched Sprite Tabs for Habitat program, which asks
people to
donate unique green tabs from 12-ounce single cans to generate
up to
$500,000 for Habitat for Humanity. A percentage of the total
funds
raised will be allocated to help retrofit homes with water
conserving
appliances. Visit http://www.spritetabsforhabitat.com
for more information.
These Earth Month initiatives, along with the Company?s many
environmental programs, are part of its Live Positively
philosophy, which strives to make a positive difference in the
lives of
its consumers and the communities where it operates. ?We?ve staked
a
clear leadership path to achieve our environmental goals,
including
water conservation, recycling and innovative packaging,? said
Bottorff.
To learn more about Coca-Cola?s environmental
commitments and how to
contribute to Ocean Conservancy, visit www.livepositively.com/ocean.
About
Ocean Conservancy and International Coastal Cleanup
Ocean
Conservancy is the world?s foremost advocate for the oceans.
Through science-based advocacy, research and public education, we
inform, inspire and empower people to speak and act for the
oceans.
Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup is the
world's largest
volunteer event of its kind. Each year, hundreds of thousands of
volunteers around the world remove trash and debris from our
ocean,
rivers and lakes and record everything they find. Ocean
Conservancy
compiles and analyzes this information to develop the world?s only
global snapshot of the problem of trash in our ocean. The 25th
annual International Coastal Cleanup is scheduled for September 25th.
To learn more, visit: www.oceanconservancy.org.
About
The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO - News) is the world?s
largest beverage
company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and
still
brands. Along with Coca-Cola, recognized as the world?s most
valuable
brand, the Company?s portfolio includes 12 other billion dollar
brands,
including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero,
vitaminwater,
Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply and Georgia Coffee. Globally, we are
the
No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and
ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world?s largest
beverage
distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy
the
Company?s beverages at a rate of 1.6 billion servings a day. With
an
enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our
Company is
focused on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve
resources
and enhance the economic development of the communities where we
operate. For more information about our Company, please visit our
website at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.
This
press release has an accompanying Smart Marketing Page. You can
access the Smart Marketing Page via the following link: http://www.businesswire.com/smp/Coca-Cola_EarthMonth/.
Photos/Multimedia
Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6245908〈=en
MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6245908