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Coca-Cola's AI-generated soda tastes like marketing
AI is just about everywhere lately, but nobody expected it to be used as a salvo in the ongoing cola wars. Coca-Cola, however, has other plans, as it just launched a new flavor co-created by artificial intelligence. The company’s calling it the soda “from the future” and it’s available for a limited time in both regular and zero sugar varieties.
Coca-Cola is launching vending machine subscriptions in Japan
Coca-Cola is launching a subscription service in Japan via its Coke on smartphone app that offers a soda per day for a monthly fee.
Coca-Cola and US government use blockchain to curb forced labor
The quest to end forced labor has created some unusual technological allies. Coca-Cola, the US State Department and a trio of crypto organizations (Bitfury Group, Blockchain Trust Accelerator and Emercoin) have launched a pilot project that will use blockchain to enforce worker rights. The initiative would use blockchain's distributed ledger technology to create a secure, decentralized registry for workers and their contracts. They'd not only have the sort of identification that isn't always guaranteed, but a trail of evidence in case employers abuse their power or don't honor their end of a bargain.
The 10 most-tweeted commercials from Super Bowl XLIX
It was a great night for Rob Gronkowski and the New England Patriots, but it wasn't so good for our friend Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks. It also was a great night for brands trying to hold your attention for seconds with ads to get you talking on Twitter. From the usual highbrow suspects selling soda and beer, to toe fungus medication and superglue, here's our take on the most-talked about spots from last night's big game.
Apple's iPhone business is as big as McDonald's and Coke combined
It's no secret that the bulk of Apple's revenue comes from the iPhone. During the company's most recent quarter, for example, 53% of its $37.4 billion in quarterly revenue came from its iconic smartphone. For as much as people like to talk about Apple having peaked, the company has a penchant for printing out boatloads of money quarter after quarter. While companies like Amazon can generate nearly $20 billion in quarterly revenue and still lose money, Apple's margins and overall profits remain extremely healthy. Critics have long demanded Apple lower prices to increase market share, but Apple has stayed the course, realizing that market share for the sake of market share alone is a fool's errand. Although the iPhone doesn't account for the majority of smartphone sales total, it can generate cold hard cash like nothing else. Providing some further context as to just how important and profitable the iPhone is to Apple, Jordan Weissmann of Slate put together this handy chart which compares how the iPhone, as its own business, compares to a number of blue chip companies. Revenue wise, we see that Apple's iPhone business makes as much money as McDonalds and Coca-Cola combined. All the more impressive is that Apple's margins over the last 10 years have remained relatively and incredibly steady. Very stable long-term gross margins. Painful contrast to rest of the industry. pic.twitter.com/XMNu7sM9xI - Benedict Evans (@BenedictEvans) July 22, 2014
WoW Archivist: WoW in China, an uncensored history
WoW Archivist explores the secrets of World of Warcraft's past. What did the game look like years ago? Who is etched into WoW's history? What secrets does the game still hold? A few weeks ago, we learned that ten men had been sentenced to two years' imprisonment in China for hacking WoW accounts and selling the stolen gold. It was not the first time that hackers have been punished by the state in China. The relationship between WoW and China has often been contentious, going back to the early years of the game. While most players there have simply tried to enjoy the game they love, censorship, politics, and illicit activities have all had an impact on their experience. As we wrap up the Mists of Pandaria expansion, let's not forget that so much of the culture, history, and geography of the expansion was inspired by the real legends and landscapes of China. Today, let's look at the history of WoW in China -- a history as rife with conflict as Pandaria's own. Pop stars and cola fuel WoW's launch From the earliest stages, Blizzard had little reason to doubt that WoW would be a hit in China. When the beta signups became available in April 2005, approximately 100,000 people signed up in the first hour. The beta achieved 500,000 concurrent players. For the Chinese version of WoW, Blizzard partnered with Shanghai-based company The9, who could better handle localization, support, and customer service. The9 launched the classic version of the game on June 7, 2005. Coca-Cola partnered with The9 to promote the game. For their ads, Coke brought in pop stars such as Taiwanese band S.H.E. (already covered by WoW Archivist), Super Voice Girl winner Li Yuchun, and Olympic gold medalist Liu Xiang. Although -- or perhaps because -- the TV ads broke China's rules against showing game content on TV, the cross-promotion was a huge success. (As a side note, Pepsi later struck back with a partnership with Guild Wars the following year. Reportedly, Guild Wars' closed beta was delayed a week in China after Coca-Cola complained about The9's deal with their biggest competitor.) Within the first month, The9 reported 1.5 million active WoW players in China. Although many Chinese citizens had already been playing on Western realms, this was still a huge achievement at the time for a Western MMO in China. Unlike the West, most gamers in China play in Internet cafes, and MMO subscriptions are almost always handled on an hourly basis. At launch, WoW authorization keys cost 30 yuan and gametime cards were 0.45 yuan per hour. That converts to about $4 for game access and 6 cents per hour. Like their Western counterparts, China's realms had their share of launch problems. Long queues and lag plagued realms in the East, too. By early 2006, players had grown increasingly dissatisfied with The9 and threatened a boycott. The9 claimed that difficulty with communicating with Blizzard was behind poor realm performance. Soon enough, poor realm performance would be the least of players' concerns.
Interbrand: Apple now most valuable brand, worth estimated at $98.3 billion
Coca-Cola's 13-year tenure as "Best Global Brand" is over, however the new leader shouldn't really surprise you. Apple knocked Penelope Cruz's favorite soft drink from the number one spot on Interbrands' annual valuation report, but after posting massive revenues time and again -- including a company-record $54.5 billion in January -- this isn't too startling. Cook and friends started their ascent at the eighth spot in 2011, and climbed to second place in 2012 before stealing the top prize in the latest list. Interbrand pegs Cupertino's brand valuation at $98.3 billion, which isn't exactly pocket change. Don't cry for the Sprite-maker though, it's still on the podium according to The New York Times, but behind another tech-powerhouse: Google.
Coke-branded PlayStation All-Stars advergame hits iOS, Android
Sony recently announced a partnership with Coca-Cola to bring a Coke Zero-branded game to iOS and Android by the name of PlayStation All-Stars Island. The game features four characters: Sackboy from the LittleBigPlanet series, Nathan Drake from the Uncharted series, Cole MacGrath from the InFamous series and Kat from Gravity Rush. Those four characters tackle four mini-games in which players collect Coke Zero "orbs," which are then used to unlock "Make it Possible" moves. PlayStation All-Stars Island is available now for free through the iOS App Store and Google Play store. %Gallery-195705%
Interbrand: Apple, Amazon, Samsung fast becoming brand darlings, ousting crusty traditional labels
Interbrand likes to give the world's top companies a brand value, or a mix of their on-the-ground fiscal performance with an estimate of the premium they can ask through name alone. While there are a lot of traditional names in the consulting company's 2012 list, the surprise this year is just how aggressively technology has invaded the top of the charts. It's a good year to be a part of the mobile ecosystem: a very profitable Apple was by far the fastest grower and clinched second place in the list behind only Coca-Cola, while Kindle Fire creator Amazon (20th place) and Apple's frequent rival Samsung (ninth) also shot past brands as big as Disney and Toyota. A special nod goes out to 69th-place Facebook, whose IPO this year and its recognition put it past companies like Porsche almost overnight. Not everyone in technology came out a winner -- Microsoft, Nokia and RIM were among those that took a bruising -- but Interbrand's rankings hint that it's better to be making tablets than designer handbags.
Coca-Cola's A011 vending machine keeps drinks cool without using (much) power
So maybe that self-chilling soda didn't pan out, but Coca-Cola is working on another method for keeping its beverages cool without using power. In partnership with Fuji Electric Retail Systems, the company has developed the A011 vending machine, which is capable of keeping drinks frosty for up to 16 hours a day without using energy. The A011 works by shifting the cooling process from mid-day, when energy use is higher, to nighttime, when there is a higher power capacity. Even after the machine stops powering the chilling, the unit's temperature only rises slightly, thanks to vacuum insulation and an airtight design. Great in theory, right? Well Coca-Cola Japan will put the product to the test this summer with a two-month pilot program in two of Japan's toastiest areas, Tajimi City in Gifu Prefecture and Kumagaya City in Saitama Prefecture. If things go well, the company will tweak the A011 to extend the amount of time it can go without power. Room-temperature soda is the worst, so here's hoping it works.
Bobby Kotick joins Coca-Cola board, will advise on digital media
Shortly after appearing in a cameo for Moneyball, Activision Blizzard CEO has picked up another choice role: He's joined The Coca Cola Company's board of directors. Kotick will help oversee the classic sugar water giant, and advise the company on its entries into digital media. Kotick also serves on a few educational institution boards, the board of directors at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and as the founder of the Call of Duty Endowment, Activision's nonprofit arm, built to support US armed forces veterans and their families. Kotick also served on Yahoo!'s board of directors previously.In completely unrelated news, Coca Cola also announced an "online pass" for its sodas going forward: You'll get all the water and carbonation of your soda with the initial purchase, but the actual syrup flavoring will require an extra charge. Ice will require a complete subscription.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: solar tulip, new discovered molecule and a colossal statue of Coca Cola crates
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. The big news that had the world of green transportation buzzing this week was Tesla's unveil of its brand new Model X luxury car and we also saw the blazing fast Lightning GT EV hit the track for the first time. We also shined light on the futuristic solar-powered SPV car while Mitsubishi's i-MIEV electric car stole the greenest vehicle title from the Honda Civic and the Boulder EV became the first electric truck capable of hitting 70 mph. We were also excited to announce that San Francisco is set to launch its electric bike sharing program, French cyclists won the controversial right to run red traffic lights, and Volkswagen unveiled its Think Blue Beetle, which is made from 2,805 pieces of recycled trash.Energy news sent shock waves around the world this week as Inhabitat reported that the US approved its first nuclear power plants in 30 years and the temperature of Japan's damaged Fukushima nuclear plant suddenly soared up to 45 degrees celsius. We also saw an energy-generating "Solar Tulip" power tower spring up in Spain, and a 10-year-old girl discovered a new molecule that stands to improve energy storage. Meanwhile, we brought you the scoop on the world's next tallest skyscraper in Azerbaijan and industrial giant AAB announced plans for a worldwide electric vehicle charging network.In recycled design news, we saw a colossal statue made from 4,200 Coca Cola crates rise up over Cape Town and we shared a set of larger than life beasts made from recycled motorcycle parts. We also brought you a brilliant line of lamps made from recycled e-waste and a set of LEGO-like Earth Blocks made from coffee beans and tea chaff. Last but not least, we showcased an electronic suit that treats nerve disorders, and since Valentine's day is on the way we took a look at BIG's interactive LED heart sculpture in NYC, 6 adorable DIY cards, and 6 simple DIY V-Day gifts.
Coca-Cola's green billboard consumes carbon dioxide like so much sugary soda
Sure, we've seen plenty of cool billboard features over the years, from facial recognition to interactive Pong games, but few have managed the dual feat of promoting a popular soft drink and making the world a slightly greener place. All of that fuzzy area you see surrounding the silhouette of the Coke bottle in the above 60 by 60 foot billboard is made up of a number of Fukien tea plants, each of which can soak up around 13 pounds of carbon dioxide per year, for a combined total of 46,800 pounds. The plants are housed in pots made from recycled Coke bottles and are watered via a drip irrigation system. The billboard is the product of a partnership between Coca-Cola Philippines and the World Wildlife Fund. No word on when it might be greening up more skylines around the world. Press release below.
BrandFinance declares Google the most valuable brand in the world
Well, it looks Eric Schmidt wasn't far off when he said recently that Microsoft is bigger competition than Facebook for Google -- at least when it comes to overall brand value, that is. According to BrandFinance's latest annual ranking, Google has just barely edged out Microsoft for the title of most valuable brand in the world, with the pair of them pushing Walmart out from the number one spot last year. As for Facebook, it just entered the top 500 for the first time at number 285, while Apple jumped twelve spots to make its first appearance in the top ten at number eight -- a shift that partly comes at the expense of usual suspect Coca Cola, which has dropped out of the top ten for the first time. The biggest loser? Nokia. It dropped all the way from number 21 last year to number 94 this year. Hit up the source link below for the complete list.
Shocker! Apple product placements dominate Hollywood
Something you already knew to be true has just been confirmed by Omnicom's Interbrand brand consultancy division: Apple reigns supreme in Hollywood films. Interbrand's Brandchannel website dug deep into the fetid bowels of product placement to reveal Hollywood's preferences (paid or personal) in the 33 films that hit the US box office number one slot in 2010. Brandchannel identified 591 total brand or product appearances for an average of 17.9 placements per film, with Apple appearing in ten of the top films for a 30 percent share -- Nike, Chevrolet, and Ford each appeared in eight. Incidentally, Iron Man 2 won the dubious distinction of being cluttered with the most identifiable brands (64) in 2010. Apple is actually off from its peak of 50 percent of number one films in 2008 and 44 percent in 2009 as demonstrated in the chart after the break. But it's not for a lack of trying. Brandchannel contends that the competition for brand placement has simply intensified resulting in fewer appearances of Janoff's U+F8FF.
Bloom 'Box' Energy Server hands-on (literally) with video!
So here it is, the now-famous (that was fast) Bloom "Box" Energy Servers -- all five of 'em -- working their magic at eBay's north campus. Not much to look at, but we're happy to say it retains a low temperature -- the only heat we really found was due to direct exposure to the light -- and remains quiet while running. There are vents just underneath the sides where cool air was being pumped out. Of course, its raison d'etre is its ability to more efficiently deliver power, which is not something we can really test ourselves. Bloom Energy showcased a number of customers today -- FedEx, Walmart, Staples, Google, Coca-Cola, Bank of America, Cox, and of course, eBay -- and if the numbers meet their mark, you can color us mighty impressed. You know the drill: gallery below, quick video after the break! %Gallery-86437% %Gallery-86409%
Sugar-powered phone concept robs us of perfectly good Coke
This wouldn't be the first time we've seen a sugar fuel cell, but gosh darnit, it just might be the sexiest. Chinese designer Daizi Zheng has conjured up a vision for a soft drink-powered cylindrical Nokia of the future that pounds Coca-Colas to stay juiced: just screw off the top, pop the can, and pour. Daizi estimates that a single can of the stuff could outlast a traditional lithium ion battery by three to four times -- never mind the obvious ecological benefits -- but don't you dare steal our caffeine the next time you need a charge, alright? [Thanks, Rob]
Sega creating a Fanta-sy Star Portable promotion
When was the last time you picked up a can of Fanta? We can't remember either. Coca-Cola isn't giving up on the fruity beverage, though. They're partnering up with Sega to create virtual Fanta items in the upcoming Phantasy Star Portable 2. We can only assume the reasoning behind this campaign is to let bloggers take advantage of a ridiculously easy pun for use in a headline. Thanks, Coca-Cola for making our jobs a little bit easier.Fanta will be present at Tokyo Game Show next week, handing out various goodies for trying out the PSP2 demo at the show floor. It would be really smart for them to give away free drinks -- being trapped in a convention center filled with sweaty otaku is bound to make many dehydrated.
Coca-Cola comes Home in Japan
PlayStation Home denizens: ready to look at some exciting new advertising content? In Japan, Coca-Cola has announced its intent to place Coke vending machines inside the virtual world, which will distribute avatar items and presents, no doubt all emblazoned with Coke logos -- so you can become the ad. The machines will also dispense digital coupons that can be used at real-life vending machines.Coca-Cola is also opening a "Georgia Break Station" (named for its Georgia brand of canned coffee), where players will be able to ... uh, sit, or stand around, or whatever happens in Home, but in a different-looking environment.
Virtual marketing failures: Apathy or hubris?
Marketing in virtual worlds, particularly the collaborative virtual environments like Second Life, have been widely considered to have been failures among marketers -- particularly among those marketers who actually attempted it. Meanwhile, on the education side of things, Ignatius Onomatopoeia has done exactly those things that seem to have escaped almost every Second Life marketing strategy we've seen. Faced with a lack of direction and engagement in his students in the virtual environment, he tested, trialled, adapted and used what actually worked. Right now, you're probably thinking "Well, thanks a lot, Captain Obvious," and you'd be right. Because it is really, really obvious. It is also something that not many of these marketers actually tried. In fact, they all had a few things in common in their virtual marketing efforts.
