How Coke Studio Keeps Coca-Cola at the Heart of Youth Culture

Last Sept. 5, The SM Mall of Asia arena was ablaze in fiery red as artists and fans came together to experience the magic of music. From exciting collaborations between established and rising talents to fan engagement activities and exclusive merchandise, Coke Studio provides a space for music enthusiasts to connect, support, and celebrate music across all genres.

The Coke Studio: The Ultimate Fandom Concert was a testament to the power of music and how it has ignited creativity among artists and positive energy among their fans who we believe are the #RealMagic in the industry. Coke Studio has brought together artists year after year and has created a series of music collaborations that brought forth new sound and new experiences for their fans.

The Coke Studio platform has been around in the Philippines for over eight years and was one of the first markets to pick it up from when it was first launched in Pakistan in 2008. As one of the pioneers of the platform, the Philippines have pushed the boundaries of music production, experimenting not just with sound but also in the channels wherein they are released from.

From a simple television program that aired on TV5 in 2017, Coke Studio has evolved into a full-on music festival that covers tracks for streaming, music videos, and concert events. The eighth season puts fans front and center, giving them the best space to engage with their favorite artists and experience an event that only “Coke can do.”

The Beat Asia sat down with Teejae Sonza, Senior Marketing Director of Coca-Cola Trademark Category, Coca-Cola ASEAN & South Pacific, and Mark Dee, Senior Director of Frontline Marketing – East Cluster, Coca-Cola ASEAN & South Pacific to learn what Coke Studio is all about, its main pillars that have become an integral part of the company’s marketing strategy, and how the music platform has turned into a global force that connected artists and fans like never before.

Coca Cola x Music: Perfect Combination

Coke Studio at its heart is a platform that celebrates the connection between Coca-Cola, the music artists, and their fans. Coca-Cola has always been in the business of uplifting people and creating connections through their offerings, which if you think about it, is the same with music.

“The goal of Coca-Cola is to ‘refresh the world and make a difference.’ And within refreshing the world is creating many shared moments of happiness. That’s where Coke studios and music come in.” Teejae further explained how Coke Studio comes into play in terms of the company’s goals.

“By letting artists collaborate with each other and form connections with their fans, and also get fans to experience new music collaborations and connect with both the artists and other fans, we aspire to create more moments of happiness and at the same time to show our support for pop and music culture in the countries where we have Coke Studio, and the world as well.”

Music was central to Coca Cola’s strategy even before most of us were born. If that iconic 1971 “Hilltop” ad — which has been recognized as one of the most beloved commercials in television history — has anything to say, it’s that Coke and music has always worked hand in hand.

This is most likely why Coke Studio was such a hit. It elevated Coke’s musical reach, evolving from just a catchy commercial jingle to an actual music platform that provides opportunities for rising artists to experiment with their music, collaborate with other artists, and capture a wider audience reach.

When asked how Coke Studio impacted the company from a business standpoint, Teejae answered, “What Coke Studio did for us is that it helped cement our place in youth culture or pop culture. So, it also helped us drive brand relevancy and brand loyalty and made sure we’re at the forefront of what is current in the markets where we operate.”

“Coke Studio drives the business forward through multiple pillars,” Mark supplied. “First, brand equity with the younger population. Second, we provide a platform for fans to actually have an engagement with the artist, which is actually the theme for this year. It’s all about the fandoms. And the third is making sure that we have ‘only Coke can do’ experiences such as this concert.”

Coke Studio PH on Supporting Filipino Artists

Coke Studio Philippines continues to enthrall fans with unexpected collaborations featuring some of the most popular and up-and-coming artists in the local music scene. Since its launch in 2017, it has paved the way for its counterparts in the region, cementing itself as a solid foundation for Coke Studio music not just regionally, but also worldwide.

Mark told us more about Coke Studio Philippines' evolution and what makes it unique from others in the region, “Each season we bring something new. We’ve started with mainstream music, and as the seasons progressed, we started experimenting with different mediums, so that we are able to offer different genres. This year, for example, is a celebration. It’s all about the fans. It’s really an homage to them. That’s what sets us apart.”

Throughout the seasons, we’ve seen iconic artists partner with fellow artists from different genres. Take season 8 artists Kyle Echarri and rapper Illest Morena, who collaborated on the song “Believe” which they performed for the first time at the concert.

When we caught up with the musicians and asked if Coke Studio was something they’ve always wanted to be part of, they replied with much delight.

“Of course! It’s a very good platform for different artists to show their music and meet different artists. Sobrang (It’s really) a blessing to be a part of this and to say that we’re performing it in MOA pa? Our first-ever performance of ‘Believe’ is going to be in MOA?! It’s so exciting!” Kyle said.

“I had fun making this. Being in Coke Studio season 8, I was able to collaborate with an artist that’s a little far from my genre, so it’s parang (like) challenging but at the same time it was fun because I got to make music that I don’t usually do.”

And the best part about the collaboration? “Best part is that we need to make more music after this,” Kyle immediately answered, proving that Coke Studio supports artists’ growth by encouraging them to experiment with their music and push the boundaries of their genres.

Most importantly, it provides a platform where they can share it with their fans and the rest of the world in the best way possible whether through live music events or performance videos, which both Illest and Kyle gushed over, expressing how much they enjoyed filming it.

“It also has in a way become a brand itself wherein some of the artists that were rising when they started working with us are now big,” Teejae stated.

This may be thanks to Coke Studio's massive reach, which was built by putting together different artists on the same stage. Take the recent fandom concert, for example, which was headlined by K-Pop sensation, NewJeans. Their presence on the show allowed local artists to also touch base with K-Pop fans, which will hopefully result in an increase in their supporters.

Coke Studio at its heart is for the fans

Although the eighth season of Coke Studio PH is a tribute to the fandoms — the legion of supporters akin to the wind beneath an artist’s wings as they are the reason these artists are able to share their music and express their creativity, they have always been part of the program’s goals and purpose.

Teejae mentioned how just two seasons ago they launched the Coke Fan Fusion challenge which allowed artists to co-produce songs with their fans, making up the platform’s first ever fan-collaborated EP.

“Definitely, engagement and collaboration are key to all our executions,” Teejae said, and this can be seen not only through their global music platform but in the company’s portfolio which has continuously evolved through the years based on their consumer’s wants and needs.

“People are at the heart of everything we do. Whether in the way we market our products or in the way we innovate. When we say refresh the world and make a difference, it’s anchored in the fundamental belief of giving people choices,” Teejae explained further. “In the Philippines, for example, before it was just Coca-Cola and some other carbonated drink brands. Now it’s wide and offers people a lot of choices.”

Indeed, Coca-Cola has now expanded their offerings to include new variations and flavors such as Coke Light, Vanilla Coke Zero, and the limited edition K-Wave Zero Sugar, which was in collaboration with popular K-Pop idols.

“As a company, we pride ourselves in understanding the current trends, understanding what the opportunities in the market are,” Mark said.

“If you look at our portfolio, even in the categories that we only just started entering, we ensure that we understand what the consumer needs, what the trends are bringing us, and we use data to really back us up in order to innovate forward in the future.”

You can check our recap on the latest Coke Studio event at the SM MOA arena here.

To discover all the refreshing ways to add real magic to your life, follow Coca-Cola Philippines on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.