While there are some who have jumped on the idea of “social media campaigns,” running campaigns and advertising around widgets, social networks and the web, I’m not a big fan. And I usually think they’re lame. So when I was informed this morning about CokeTag, I was a little doubtful — mainly because with campaigns like these, the focus on the brand vs. user is usually 80 – 20, so being a user-centric publication, there’s not much to cover.
CokeTag, however, is kind of an exception. The only thing it has common with Coke, the drink brand we know and live, is that the name and the fact that it’s sponsored by them. So, what is it? Basically, it’s an app, currently only for Facebook, which lets users customize and personalize links to a bunch of cool sites they like, and presents them in a rather unique, yet widget-ized way.
A CokeTag can be created only on Facebook. Once you’ve added the app, you’re presented with a creation interface, allowing you to choose or make your category (i.e. gaming, movies, music, fashion) and add your top five links/labels in there. The idea is kind of similar to Facebook Pages where you can fan celebrities and public figures, except they’re presented in a much more interesting way.
As I said, I am not a fan of online PR efforts, but CokeTag struck me as something a little different, and something which could be of actual use. What I loved about it, though, is that Coke has decided to take a very passive approach, and I think that’s what we need more of — don’t just think because you’re a big company, people are going to share around widgetized versions of your lame PR idea, unless of course, it’s useful to THEM.
