Adweek 7.14.17

Living a perfect life with the best job and always fulfilling romantic relationships is not easy, and Americans today are feeling that pressure, according to a new survey from Wakefield Research for Zico coconut water.

The brand surveyed roughly 1,000 adults over the age of 18 in the U.S. as part of its ongoing “What’s Inside Is Everything” campaign and published those findings today to kick off the campaign’s “At the Core” wave. The goal for the brand was to figure out how different attitudes and mindsets affect what people stand for.

“We can inspire individuals across the country to discover and celebrate what they are made of at their core and bring that empowering notion to life,” Meghann Seidner, Zico vp of marketing, said. “The survey was one way we wanted to help understand what it is about Americans—are they meeting their true authentic lives, and can we encourage them to embrace who we are versus what society tells us to be?”

As it turns out, only 42 percent of Americans said they felt the people in their lives know the real them. “That, to us, is OK,” Seidner said. “We want to bring awareness to this and encourage people to start that journey and celebrate who they are.”

Other key findings included that while people feel their own social media profiles are authentic, 69 percent feel people overall are less authentic on social media than they are in real life. Additionally, 72 percent feel they missed out on something in life—including job opportunities, relationships and the chance to move to a new city or country—because they didn’t go with their gut.

The brand also discovered some key passions among those in its customer base, information that could be useful for Zico in future campaign work. Sixty-one percent feel money is no object when it comes to traveling around the world, 30 percent feel passionate about charity and volunteering and 26 percent want to expand their horizons by learning new skills like cooking or singing.

It may seem like a bit of a stretch for a coconut water brand to publish such findings, but the company is all about keeping things simple, Seidner said. “Our product comes in a beautiful, clear bottle that you can see what’s inside,” she said. “That double message is something we want consumers to take away.”

Zico will continue working with brand ambassador Jessica Alba. The brand and the agency Possible kicked off its work with Alba last summer, and a number of new outdoor and print ads featuring the actress.

“It is important to me that I collaborate with like-minded companies who truly stand for something. What’s great about working with Zico, is that besides the fact that I’ve been a Zico drinker long before my partnership with them, I’m passionate about the ‘What’s Inside is Everything‘ message and the notion to embrace who you naturally are,” Alba said.

In a few weeks, Zico will also hold an event in New York, where consumers can participate in different activations to learn about what’s inside. Zico is also partnering with iHeartRadio to launch a podcast. On it, the brand will speak with artists like Miley Cyrus and Camilla Cabello to uncover their true selves. The goal is to go behind the label and celebrity status to see what really defines each artist and what motives them.

“At the end of the day,” Seidner said, “if everyone can take away this idea that what’s inside truly is everything and understand the importance of discovering themselves and being true to their nature, that’s incredibly powerful for us.”

Source: Adweek