Using online for building awareness, driving trials and direct response.

Mark H. Dooley is interactive brand manager for The Coca-Cola Company's Coca-Cola Classic, Coke C2 and Powerade brands.. Dooley has been helping to craft online campaigns and messaging for consumer brands since 1999, and manages all CRM, online promotions and Web activities for his Coca-Cola brands. He recently led the online launch for the company’s Berryclear Sprite ReMix and FLAVA 23 line extensions. On the agency side, Dooley has led the campaign efforts of diverse clients such as Coors Brewing, Electronic Arts, Half.com and Intuit.

iMediaConnection: What was your biggest online "win" this year, and how did you sell it throughout the company?

Dooley: Launching "Live the Madness," an NCAA online activation featuring a virtual two-on-two browser-based basketball game. We obtained support in the company by making a case that it would help recruit younger consumers into the franchise, improve brand health measures, and help service our relationship with the NCAA and CBS.

iMediaConnection: How has your job changed this year?

Dooley: Rather than just focusing on building brand Web sites, I've had to become educated about the wireless industry, mobile marketing, search, advergaming -- the job has become more multifaceted. And as our role has broadened within The Coca-Cola Company, the challenge has been to educate an increasing number of potential stakeholders and users about interactive's benefits.

iMediaConnection: Have you realigned internal structures and resources to simplify or increase integrated marketing?

Dooley: We've added resources and tried to build more and more institutional knowledge about integrated marketing within the company.

iMediaConnection: How do you determine your marketing mix -- and how has the role of online in it changed?

Dooley: We rely heavily upon our media buying and planning partners, and fortunately, late last year they established a dedicated digital team on our Coke business. As we look to 2005, it seems more brands within the portfolio have shifted more dollars to digital. We utilize online media for a variety of purposes: building awareness, driving trial, and of course, direct response -- i.e. obtaining signups and site participation.
 
iMediaConnection: Have you seen specific evidence of online driving offline sales?

Dooley: It's something I think most CPG companies are seeking, that direct link between online and unit sales. We don't have any hard and fast evidence yet -- it's something we're still tackling.

iMediaConnection: What do you believe is the future of ad agencies?

Dooley: They'll always be there to advance creative ideas and execute great work. Brand Managers don't have the time, and probably not the unique skill-set to do that piece. Agency staff members will most likely specialize even more than they currently are in certain functions, such as search, rich media, blogs, wireless.

iMediaConnection: Are you being affected by any consumer-generated marketing (CGM) -- blogs, user groups, etc.? Are you using any blogs or other social networking tools to market?

Dooley: We keep an ear to any groundswell of noise that any of our under-the-cap promotions might generate, and we hope to bring social networking components to one or more brand Web sites in the near future.

iMediaConnection: What blogs do you read?

Dooley: Gary Stein's blog from Jupiter; Squidfactory.com, a repository of news, music and entertainment commentary; and of course, Miles Thirst's blog.

iMediaConnection: What are your daily "must-see" Web sites and why?

Dooley: Yahoo! Sports -- I need my fix!;  [Cincinnati] Enquirer.com -- I try to keep up on the hometown news; Brand Camp Cartoons -- a funny and accurate portrayal of CPG and product marketing.