Fortune has unveiled its annual ranking of the 50 world’s most admired companies. Apple is No.1 on list for the sixth straight year. In the top, the i-devices manufacturer is followed by Google, Amazon, Coca-Cola and Starbucks. This year’s ranking is dominated by U.S. companies, which take up most of the places—only eight are occupied by the businesses from outside the USA.
Coca-Cola
Marc Jacobs replaces Jean Paul Gaultier as the creative director of Diet Coke for 2013. The brand, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in Europe this year, has tapped the fashion designer to design the new packaging (“whimsical, feminine” as he confessed to WWD) for the diet version of the legendary drink and to handle the creative part of the brand’s promotions in 2013.
Coca-Cola has tapped US pop country singer Taylor Swift as a new celebrity face for Diet Coke. The brand, which last year celebrated its 30th anniversary in the USA, will feature the 23-year old lady in its multi-platform campaign, which is expected to include more than just adverts. According to Ad Age, “executives close to the company noted she will not be involved in the company’s Super Bowl campaign.” Apparently, it’s because the young celebrity, who is gaining her power quite fast in the entertainment business, currently doesn’t have the superstar presence of such performers as Beyonce, who has been tapped by Pepsi and will be headlining the Super Bowl halftime show sponsored by the brand.
Coca-Cola US is piloting vending machines, which accept payments made via a mobile device —the new initiative was launched through the company’s partnership with the Isis joint venture created by AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless. The iconic beverages giant is not the first one which provides its consumers with such an opportunity (for instance, Starbucks offered it in 2011), but it is still a great move for the company.
For Super Bowl XLVII, Coca-Cola is launching “a game in the game.” The soft drinks giant, which won the hearts of the US audience with its 2012 Polar Bowl (one of the most talked about campaigns of the event), this year decided to focus on the spirit of rivalry and chase. The brand has launched a multimedia campaign, which engages fans with a 60-second spot titled «Mirage» and a dedicated website, allowing to vote and decide which 30-second spot will launch right after the game, slated for February 3.