Farewell to "Brand Love": Behind Coca-Cola's $4 Billion Marketing Pitch, the Advertising Industry Is Being Redefined
"I no longer believe in 'love.'" Manolo Arroyo, Coca-Cola's Global Head of Marketing, made this statement at an industry conference that stirred quite a stir in the marketing community. The "love" mentioned here is not emotional connection, but the brand passion that the marketing industry has long regarded as a guiding principle. In his view, consumers can like a brand, admire its merchandise, and praise it on social platforms, but without genuine consumer behavior, this goodwill is of limited value to business operations. Today, Coca-Cola's criteria for judging marketing quality have fundamentally shifted: no longer prioritizing consumer favorability and brand identity, but focusing on the most tangible outcome—whether the consumer has truly completed the purchase and purchase. This statement is not purely a personal opinion; behind it lies a reassessment and public competition of Coca-Cola's global media, data, and technology business worth $4 billion. Partners have already been finalized in the North American and Japanese and Korean markets, with North America going to Publicis, and Japan and South Korea to Dentsu; In the remaining markets, WPP and Publicis are fiercely competing, with results expected to be announced in autumn 2026, while creative and PR businesses will maintain the original WPP Open X system. Arroyo's public statement essentially sets new standards for this massive bidding. For decades, brand marketing logic has always revolved around "brand equity." Favorability, user discussion, and willingness to recommend are core metrics for measuring brand success. But reality keeps exposing this pattern
Disclaimer: OKX Orbit content is provided for informational purposes only. Learn more