soulsight®

In today's marketplace, new products come in and old products are switched out every day. How does one survive throughout the years? It is no small feat determining the right strategy for executing the evolution of a brand over time and ultimately leading to brand endurance.

On Sunday, May 8, The Coca-Cola Company turns 125-years-old. As it celebrates another year, one is reminded of Darwin's take on evolution:

"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change."

There is a strong connection between Darwin's idea and the sustained success of The Coca-Cola Company—Coke is a wonderful example of brand evolution done right. Coke has allowed the tone and manner of its brand message to ebb and flow over the years, adapting to the times, but the basic brand promise has remained consistent. It is the promise of refreshment and happiness that has stood as the constant pillars of the brand's effervescent contract with its consumers.

We've all seen the recent depictions celebrating the Coca-Cola brandmark evolution, but they don't tell the whole story. Much more than just its logo, a brand is about personality and promise of experience. For Coca-Cola, this is the "Happiness" message. The happiness that a drink of Coke provides. Happiness is timeless; it always resonates. What happiness is, means, or looks like may change, but the emotion remains relevant.

This is the essence of why Coke has succeeded for so long. Brand evolution, when done in a strategic and thoughtful way, can take the consumer from point A to B without alienating loyalists. It does not have to mean (and doesn't mean) wholesale changes either, but adaptations. It's about adapting to the times to stay contemporary and relevant to a broad consumer base while still staying true to the core brand promise, keeping the essence of what brought the brand success. This isn't an easy thing to accomplish, especially for an iconic, global brand, but Coke has done an exemplary job over the years.

The images below show the evolution of Coca-Cola's "Happiness" message from its earliest marketing campaigns to today:

1904 - Delicious and Refreshing A cold, fizzy Coca-Cola. The delicious, refreshing taste brings a smile. At the heart of it, the physical pleasure brings the emotion of happiness.

1929 - The Pause That Refreshes This is the start of the campaign shift from not only recognizing the physical enjoyment of drinking a Coke ("The Pause That Refreshes"), but also to translating it into the emotional benefit it brings ("Off...To a Fresh Start"). It also offers the message of taking the time to pause and enjoy life with a Coca-Cola.

1952 - What You Want is a Coke Coca-Cola implies the idea that, when you're already feeling happy, a Coke is the one thing you need that will make things even better.

1971 - I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke (It's the Real Thing) In a time of civil rights movements and social revolution, happiness is about uniting in peace and togetherness. Coca-Cola sends the message of coming together and sharing a Coke.

2010 - The Happiness Machine: Where Will Happiness Strike Next? Using The Happiness Machine and Truck, Coca-Cola continues to deliver a refreshing break to college students and towns around the world...and in the process, laughter and new friends.

So happy birthday old girl. Lookin' good!

Read more about Coca-Cola's history