Things Go Better with Nostalgia: How the Coca-Cola Company Uses Brand Storytelling to Influence Its Holiday Marketing Efforts

Abstract

The idea of Santa Claus and Christmas go hand in hand for most people, largely because of the effective marketing of the Coca-Cola Company. Beginning in the 1930’s, the Coca-Cola Company revolutionized the idea of Santa and has continued to influence the magic of Christmas ever since. Nostalgia and brand storytelling explain Coca-Cola’s tremendous success in marketing their brand and associating it with Christmas and Santa. Results of a survey of 600 Tennessee residents highlight the success Coca-Cola has had associating their brand with Santa and cementing in consumers’ minds the connection between Coca-Cola and Christmas. A “Share a Letter with Santa” promotional campaign is proposed as a means by which Coca-Cola can new technology and media to leverage its positive brand equity with new uses of nostalgia to reinforce the associations between Coca-Cola and Santa.