NO - MIKE WELSH, Chief executive, Publicis Dialog
Coca-Cola has managed a careful balancing act over the years - doing great global ads while keeping connected with its consumers in local markets. By continuing this approach, it will ensure that moving away from producing British ads looks like an informed decision and not one purely designed to save it money.
It should continue to root future ads in cross-border insights. This can either be a unifying thought - a la 'I'd like to buy the world a Coke' - or something that taps into the nation's mood at the time - such as this year's World Cup work. The key thing is that it resonates with everyone. And it must retain a local presence through tailored online, events and sponsorship.
Past successes suggest Coca-Cola will avoid the pitfalls. There's a world of difference between a universal ad and one that looks recycled. Namely, Coke must not fall into the trap of working to the lowest common denominator. It should always take care to plan around local markets to avoid using wrong or unfamiliar cultural references.
NO - Nick Fox, Chief operating officer, DDB UK
Shelving UK-specific ads won't damage the brand's value. However, just because a local-market ad is rubbish, it doesn't mean a pan-regional ad will be any better. Local ads that are relevant to their audience because they are developed with local insight can increase brand equity. Equally, so can excellent global campaigns that translate across boundaries.
This isn't to say there aren't universal truths; the recent Duffy and Calvin Harris ads, for example, simply didn't enter the public consciousness despite airing in Europe as well. The choice of musician was the real problem; the songs seemed arbitrary. Local ads never increased brand value, so it follows that shelving them won't damage it.
There used to be global stars such as Otis Redding and Roy Orbison advertising Coke. That was a more natural fit.
The crux of the issue is to go global or local. With a brand such as Coke, you can successfully do both - the real danger is the middle ground. Coke is one of the greatest brands on Earth. It should be able to play it both ways.
NO - RUSS LIDSTONE, Chief executive, Euro RSCG London
Whether brands specifically require local-market 'brand' executions or campaigns is a debate that has raged across multinational companies and agencies for many years - but this case seems relatively simple.
The key reasons why any brand requires specific local-market brand communications - for example, unique cultural circumstances - don't apply to Coke in the mature UK market.
Naturally, equity can be negatively affected by one-size-fits-all intern-ational communications that aren't perceived to be relevant. However, given Coke's global proposition, heritage and appeal, plus the ability to adapt and tailor communications 'locally' through the line, negative impact won't be an issue.
If any brand is global, it's Coke. In fact, a significant part of its attraction is its global demeanour and its ability to tap into a fundamental human truth - the need for optimism. Right now in the UK, we'd probably prefer to hear that message from the international icon that taught the world to sing.
NO - PAUL HAMMERSLEY, Chief executive, The Red Brick Road
While this decision may be the result of recent client reorganisation, it's nothing new for Coke; those that have worked with Coca-Cola will know that this decision is just the latest pendulum swing from local to central and back.
My guess is that if you correlated historical Coke brand performance in the UK with previous swings to and away from global creative, you'd see little, if any, connection. Consumers view Coke as a global brand and would hardly find it strange to see ads that evidently originate outside the UK.
Moreover, while recent UK ads for Diet Coke have had a distinctive UK slant, UK ads for the Coca-Cola brand have always been more international in look and feel anyway.
What matters is how good the work is. Coca-Cola has long since moved past imposing dull, globalised campaigns from New York on the world and these days it works with some of the world's best agencies, wherever they are.
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