In the era of the agile consumer, peoples’ lives have been transformed by technology. We think in the now, are open to novelty and innovation and will act quickly if bored, frustrated or enticed.

And in the midst of all this, it’s easy for people to feel bombarded by and ignore messages from brands – particularly retailers. Coca-Cola, however, can teach the retail sector a thing or two. It has a great track record of harnessing technology to create memorable experiences, bringing unexpected moments of happiness to people in all kinds of situations and far-flung places.

Coca Cola used drones to deliver drinks and messages from the people of Singapore to migrant construction workers

In Johannesburg it recently converted a tower block into a giant rainbow maker to celebrate the first 20 years of post-apartheid democracy, and curious onlookers discovered free Cokes at the foot of the rainbow. In Italy, football fans at the Milan derby were invited to push a button on one of two vending machines to dispense a free Coke. The catch? The freebie was given to a fan of the rival team from the machine located at the opposite end of the stadium, and friendly rivalries were then exchanged via video screen.

Yet my personal favourite was in Singapore, where migrant construction workers living apart from their families were visited by a squadron of drones. These flying brand messengers swooped in to high-rise building sites bearing gifts of cold drinks, and messages of encouragement and gratitude from resident Singaporeans to workers who might have felt alone and unloved.

So what can retailers learn from this? First, Coke’s genius is to use technology (in this case, drones) to create surprising and memorable moments of happiness in innovative ways that are worthy of conversation, and that people want to share.

Secondly, corporate do-gooding, so often ignored or treated cynically, can still be a powerful tool when it sticks to your brand values and is communicated the right way. It’s not enough to just functionally fulfil people’s needs. We are motivated far more by emotion than by rational thought - so make people feel something positive as a result of every interaction they have with your brand.

  • Matt Pye is chief operating officer at advertising and marketing agency Cheil UK