What a $20K Media Budget Can Buy You

By: Cynti Oshin
Director of Client Services/Business Development

Ask Coca Cola. Even a mega brand like Coke searches for ways to stretch a media budget of next to nothing into something rather remarkable. In this case, Oglivy & Mather Colombia developed a guerrilla marketing campaign unveiled in the midst of a daily major traffic jam in Bogota. An enormous movie screen was erected and stalled drivers were directed to go to a designated radio station playing the sound track. As drivers sat and watched, models came to cars delivering their new product mini-cokes, hot dogs and treats.

With a $20,000 media budget, Coca Cola was able to multiply the advertising campaign reach and effectiveness by touching approximately 183,000 drivers and passengers, garnering media attention reaching 9,000,000 viewers of local and national TV news broadcasts, 3,000,000 magazine and newspaper readers and 2,500,000 social media hits.

It is this ingenuity that can serve even the smallest business. You don't have to be a monolithic company to come up with ideas like this. With a creative guerrilla strategy and some interest from local media, the campaign effectiveness can far exceed even the wildest objectives.

Kudos to Coke and their ability “spread happiness” while spreading the word.