A Simple Moment of Connection.

Today's Marketing Cookie is about the power a simple moment of connection creates.

I am in Chicago this week to attend the bi-annual meeting of the International Board of Directors of the American Marketing Association. One of my fellow AMA board members, Rebecca Messina, serves as the Vice President of Global Marketing Capability and Integration at The Coca-Cola Company. During one of our coffee breaks yesterday, Rebecca shared with me a new video Coca-Cola had uploaded to YouTube. She described it as the most meaningful project Coke has undertaken in her career. After watching it, I understood why, and you will too.

The tension between India and Pakistan, burdened by persistent war and conflict, has left people along the border of each country separated by barbed wire and the looming presence of armed forces. A voice in the video openly recounts how the two countries once lived harmoniously together and expresses sadness over being unable to visit their neighbors.

In an effort to bridge the divide between these nations, Coca-Cola installed a new kind of vending machine in each country, enabling people on either side to see and interact with one another. The video demonstrates how Coca-Cola has fostered a simple moment of connection between two people disconnected for over sixty years.

This project has created a moment of connection that, despite their differences, shows how alike they truly are. In this brief moment of happiness, the barriers that have separated them for so long fall away. With a single touch, two countries, constantly under the threat of conflict, set aside the status quo and connect with a smile. Thanks to Coca-Cola, people in India and Pakistan can reach across their forbidden border and convey, "You will have many friends when you need them."