Coke promotes social causes and story-telling with Coca-Cola Journey 'magazine'

The new Coca-Cola Journey website has been developed in association with Perfect Sense Digital and The Wonderfactory and aims to spark dialogue and tell the story of Coca-Cola in a creative, refreshing way.

Users can browse regularly refreshed content by type, defined as stories, opinions, brands, videos and blogs, or by topic—brands, business, community, entertainment, environment, health, history, innovation and sports.

Coca-Cola Journey also features large bespoke photography, eye-catching infographics and a "Debate Board," which will poll users on a range of Coke-related topics.

The first edition focuses on India with more international versions of the Coca-Cola Journey site due to roll out in 2013.

Ashley Brown, director of digital communications and social media at Coca-Cola, called the redesign "the most ambitious rethink of Coca-Cola’s web properties since we launched our first website in 1995".

He added: "We designed Coca-Cola Journey to be a sharp departure from how companies use their corporate websites.

"Our corporate site is our most trafficked online property, so we wanted to create an experience that would make this incredibly valuable digital real estate work harder for us."

In a clear indication the soft drinks giant believes it is not just hyping-up a new website but rather taking its new status as a media owner seriously, Brown added: "We want to make sure that as our brand becomes a publisher, we do so in the most beautiful and functional way possible."

This week’s relaunch features a cover story on Coca-Cola’s commitment to supporting schools in India; Coca-Cola’s chairman and chief executive Muhtar Kent’s offers ‘Five Keys to Innovation’, and there is an interview with NASCAR driver Danica Patrick along with more than 70 other additional original pieces of content.

"Today, Coca-Cola is taking its digital communications to a new level," said Clyde Tuggle, senior vice president and chief public affairs and communications officer at the company.

"Coca-Cola Journey is the most ambitious digital project Coca-Cola has ever undertaken, and we are doubling-down on our commitment to be a quality publisher of compelling content.

"We hope Coca-Cola Journey will be a place where people will share their curiosity about the world, engage in stimulating debate, and find out what is at the core of Coke—our quality brands, our business, our people, and our ever-expanding commitment to social good."

This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk.