Coca-Cola Relaunches Insiders Club D2C Subscription Box

Need to Know

• The Coca-Cola Insiders Club sends consumers several unreleased drinks to try out each month, along with Coca-Cola swag and collectibles.
• The subscription costs $45 for three months of boxes, including shipping, and is currently sold out, though there is a waiting list.
• Insiders Club was originally launched in early 2020 but canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
• The subscriptions are one more effort by Coca-Cola to stay relevant with a D2C offering, something rival PepsiCo launched early in 2020.

Analysis

Despite the fact Coca-Cola is the most recognizable brand in the world and can be found in nearly every store, the beverage brand is continuing its efforts to branch out into the direct-to-consumer (D2C) world.

Coca-Cola has announced the relaunch of its Coca-Cola Insiders Club, a subscription service that sends consumers a monthly box of goodies for a three-month span. Although the service is currently sold out on Coca-Cola’s site, fans can join the waitlist and get their chance when subscriptions reopen.

The Insiders Club is not a new effort, as it was originally launched in early 2020, but was canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Now that it has relaunched, those lucky few who were able to snag a subscription will be sent new products to test out as well as some fun Coca-Cola swag.

The club costs around $45 to join, and though the contents of the new boxes are secret (for now), the ones sent in early 2020 included unreleased Dasani water flavors as well as some Coca-Cola stickers. Subscribers will also reportedly receive a special virtual experience such as a workout with an NFL star or a cooking class with a celebrity chef.

Although it’s a small D2C offering, the subscription service is in line with what many brands have realized is vastly important during the pandemic: find new ways to connect with your biggest fans. Coca-Cola rival PepsiCo went one step further with their D2C offering, opening up two sites called Snacks.com and PantryShop.com, then eventually doubling their D2C sales.

With the Insiders Club, Coca-Cola is playing into a couple of factors that help drive demand and brand awareness. Superfans will love the opportunity for swag that plays into the nostalgia of a drink that has been around for nearly 130 years, while others will want to get their hands on flavors before the rest of the public can try them.

Either way, it’s one more method for a huge brand without its own storefronts to remain in the minds of consumers. The time is obviously right—other huge brands such as Chewy, Nike, and lululemon have seen exceptional growth thanks to their focus on D2C e-commerce.

Coca-Cola has also been experimenting with innovation outside of the D2C realm during the pandemic. The brand’s popular freestyle machines went contactless thanks to QR Code-powered pouring, and Coca-Cola also partnered with Snapchat to unlock new AR lenses once the logo was captured through the social media app.