Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most recognized brands, is now facing a wave of criticism following allegations of religious bias. It all began after a viral video surfaced online that showed a customer trying to make a Coke can with the name “Jesus,” only to see his request sacked by the soda machine from the company.
Meanwhile, names such as “Satan” and other religious figures including “Allah” and “Buddha” were said to have been allowable, which indeed outraged some Christian communities and incited another online debate on social media platforms.
The controversy went viral when a social media user posted a video of how Coca-Cola’s custom can machine refused to print “Jesus” on a can. Immediately, the incident went viral and brought allegations of anti-Christian bias. People started voicing complaints about the company’s policies that were seen to be discriminating and arbitrarily applied.
But Coca-Cola replied that its personalization policy bars names and phrases that are trademarked, “political or can be construed offensively,” including those referencing religious figures. The company said it was its way of providing a safe environment that respects everyone’s dignity. By the time that explanation came, though, many were already up in arms, feeling slighted by the nixing of the name “Jesus.
The incident snowballed into a social media frenzy, with the hashtag #BoycottCocaCola trending across several platforms, including Twitter and Facebook. Many users took to their accounts to voice grievances, citing that the policy in question is one-sidedly aimed at Christian expressions. “Why is ‘Jesus’ offensive when other names aren’t?” was one tweet that voiced the sentiment of many.
Furthermore, some consumers have sworn never to purchase any Coca-Cola products until the company changes its policies on customization. This is a rude wake-up call as to how sensitive religious and related issues of poor representation can be, especially for a brand as global as Coca-Cola.
After the backlash, Coca-Cola says that it is reconsidering its guidelines on customization in light of customer concerns. It considers a number of measures to fix its approach by strengthening the process for name acceptance and seeking feedback from diversity sets of customers.
Such a solution might be made possible through the application of advanced technology in discourse, such as AI and machine learning, to determine the context and cultural implication of certain words. This will minimize instances where well-meaning requests are misjudged as offensive.
What happened with Coca-Cola really speaks to a greater issue at play when considering the automated filtering systems involved with bespoke products. The more and more companies that begin to offer personalized options, the more delicate a balancing act it becomes between inclusivity and brand safety. Automated systems, while being enormously efficient and much more effective than human-based systems, can’t always handle nuance with sensitive topics such as religion.
Indeed, this is not the first time that Coca-Cola has come into the limelight for something. Throughout its existence, it has been embroiled in several controversies from environmental-related scandals to health-related ones. For example, constant criticism against Coca-Cola is made concerning plastic waste and high sugar products that lead to obesity among many other issues.
Caving to criticism in the past, Coca-Cola has moved to mitigate such complaints. The brand launched the project “World Without Waste” with goals of increasing recycling rates, adding to its portfolio more beverages with low and no sugar. Controversies like this one show that a brand is never done building a positive image; rather, it must be eternally vigilant and change with the times.
Going forward, Coca-Cola will need to be much more proactive at reaching out to its customer base. That could include establishing forums for open dialogue and collaborating with religious and community groups to foster understanding and possibly some goodwill. In this way, Coca-Cola will, in fact demonstrate that it values all of its customers and is committed to embracing and appreciating religious diversity.
The Company Should Renew Its Marketing Campaigns To bolster the attempt of inclusivity and diversity. This may help turn the tide and show Coca-Cola as the brand that unites and understands its people.
