Coca-Cola Gets into the File-Sharing Business

Coca-Cola North America has launched a music program that is available to download for free to file sharers.

Coca-Cola gets into
the file sharing biz

The program, called Stageside, is showcasing Island Def Jam R&B star Ne-Yo as its first musician.

Each episode will feature interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and personal interviews with various artists. The content is commercial free with Coca-Cola being credited for providing the content as part its new Coke side of life campaign.

Stageside can be downloaded from its own Coke-branded site Stageside.tv, as well as P2P (peer-to-peer) sites such as BitTorrent and Gnutella, which are free, file-sharing applications. Experts say that free music on P2P sites has long equated to free advertising, and that brands are coming to realize the advantages of targeting such sites, which attract the elusive young male demographic.

At the Coke-branded site, the company reinforces that the content is free to download and share. Ne-Yo's In My Own Words CD is available for purchase.

The show is produced and seeded on the Internet by Jun Group, Inc., a viral marketing specialist, according to news reports. Viral seeding has the potential to reach millions of consumers.

Coca-Cola North America VP-Interactive Marketing Carol Kruse told the Hollywood Reporter that the program is not piracy, but rather a legal means for consumers to share great new content.

Coca-Cola also operates MyCoke.com, where young music fans can mix music, play games and blog.

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