<strong>BRAND EXPERIENCE</strong> | brand ex•pe•ri•ence | (noun) the sum of all visual, verbal and experiential points of contact, or touchpoints, with a brand

Featuring huggable vending machines and human ladders, Coca-Cola’s advertisements have repeatedly conveyed the message of “sharing happiness.” This May, Coca-Cola unleashed a <a href="http://www.coca-cola.co.uk/share-a-coke/share-a-coke.html" target="_blank">“Share a Coke” campaign</a> in the UK, which displays 150 of the most popular names on bottle and can labels, following the words “Share a Coke with…” The packaging serves as an invitation to share the happiness of a Coke with someone you know or want to know. You can find the names of your friends and family, give someone a bottle with your name, etc. In essence, consumers actively participate in Coca-Cola’s social <em>brand experience</em>, further transmitting Coca-Cola’s personable <em>brand message</em>.
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2814 aligncenter" src="http://www.brandiron.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/coke-207x300.png" alt="" width="207" height="300" />Now, here’s another out-of-the-box, and very literal, version of sharing a Coke. In this scenario, a Coke can is designed to twist into two halves. Perfect scheme for making a first move with your crush? Or maybe you just moved to another city and want to make new friends? Obviously, you need a Coke to help secure these bonds.</p>
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Unfortunately, this ad by Ogilvy &amp; Mather is most likely a product of <em>viral marketing</em> (Erica discussed this in an earlier <a href="http://www.brandiron.net/blogging/what-does-viral-marketing-mean/" target="_blank">blog post</a>), not an actual product. Nonetheless, Coca-Cola demonstrates how product packaging is an important touchpoint in the cumulative <em>brand experience</em>. Product packaging is more than just exterior protection or logo exposure. Rather, it as an opportunity to create a tangible, yet emotional, interaction with each consumer that is memorable. You may not be able to personally engage with every single customer, but with a little creativity, you can train your products to do it for you.