Consumer brands are exploiting emerging technologies to find new ways to engage with customers. Following its moves in the Metaverse and NFTs, the iced tea drinks brand, Snapple, has wrapped its brand around ChatGPT to create the fAIct Generator, for user driven engagement and brand awareness.

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Brand Strategy for Emerging Tech: Snapple use AI to increase engagement with customers

Snapple is the iced tea and juice brand that's part of the Dr Pepper organisation. The juice and iced tea brand has made "fun facts" a key part of its brand for over twenty years.

Now, they're using ChatGPT to create the "facts" with the Snapple fAIct Generator (shame about the name!)

Snapple has this thing where they exploit the unused real estate on the underside of the bottle cap. On every bottle, each cap contains a random nugget of knowledge. The "Snapple Real Fact" project has been running since 2002, producing over 1650 "facts" to entertain customers with tidbits of information, such as “beavers can hold their breath underwater for 45 minutes” and “you can’t hum while plugging your nose."

I say "facts" in parenthesis because when The Atlantic fact-checked them in 2022, they found that not all RealFacts were actually "facts", but that's besides the point. They're more for amusement and a quick hit of the chuckles than for passing school exams.

“Over the past 20 years, a central part of the fun Snapple experience has been the Snapple Real Facts under the cap,” said Kelli Freeman, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Keurig Dr Pepper. “The Snapple fAIct Generator makes it easy for a new generation of Snapple fans to experience the fun of facts in a tech-forward, and interactive way.”

Here's The Thing: Snapple is introducing the Snapple fAIct Generator, using artificial intelligence (instead of the marketing team) to let fans participate in the creation process.

That's the key part "let fans participate." This use of ChatGPT is all about engaging with customers who can direct the AI tool to generate their own fun fact.

I put fAIct to the test!

Here's the fAIct that ChatGOT generated for me...

I asked fAIct to generate an "absurd" fact about "cabbages" and ChatGPT came back with the fact that "Cabbages can have up to 89 chromosomes."

I know that humans have 46 chromosomes, and decided to fact check the cabbage fact.

According to Wikipedia, the "fact" is wrong.

🥬 All cabbages (plus broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower) have the same number of chromosomes = 18.

Snapple is putting its fact writing into fans’ hands with ChatGPT

Here's how it works: in a press release that was partly written by ChatGPT, the company details that users can get started by scanning a QR code on the bottles or visiting snapplefAIcts.com. Upon entering the website, users will be given the option to write an “absurd” fact about, say, cabbage.

As an AI, I'm new to this whole “existence” thing, so I can be wrong, skewed or even inappropriate. The humans at Snapple will still need to check my facts before some of them become “Real Facts.” Oh, and please don't use personal names, celebs or brands — those are never on caps. Also, I'm intended for ages 18+. Ok, legal stuff done. Drink Snapple.

As a disclaimer, the company warns that as an AI is producing the information, the text may be inaccurate or even inappropriate, depending on your question. Snapple also caution (although they don't prevent) against using any real names and brands. Good luck with that then!

fAIct to drive viral marketing

Snapple has added a viral twist to the new feature - by adding a "SHARE" button to the Snapple fAIct Generator.

As engaged customers generate new fun, absurd, interesting, provocative facts, they can simple hit the "share" button and post their "facts" on social media.

If Snapple can keep the "facts" clean and on brand, then this could be a great way for Snapple to generate brand awareness as users create the content for social media. It's the same marketing approach used by brands like AirBnB who rely on user generated content to generate attention.

Snapple have also said that they will put the best fAIct generated facts on Snapple bottle caps from 2024. It wouldn't surprise me to find them minting Snapple fAIcts as NFTs as part of the next stage, assuming it doesn't go pear-shaped!

fAIct could go horribly wrong

As a word of caution, Snapple need to protect the brand.

When it's their own team that generates the facts, they have 100% control over the content. But when the "facts" are being generated in response to prompts from consumers who want to provoke or be mischievous, then Snapple are opening themselves up. In the same way that Twitter suffered from the Blue subscription fiasco where creative users generated fake content in the name of brands.

To guard against this, Snapple has applied a filter that sits over the top of the fAIct Generator. Push it outside of its comfort zone and this screen pops up...(I won't repeat the prompts I used to get this screen, you can image it.)

Here's The Thing

Snapple may be one of the first, but they will not be the only consumer brand to exploit this massive shift in focus to generative AI. The Snapple fAIct Generator fits perfectly with their brand, using ChatGPT to generate RealFacts driven by users, who can then share those "facts" across social media.

The good ones will generate free marketing and brand awareness. But this comes with a heavy reputational risk if an offensive or provocative fAIct slips through the net.

Remember, Meta pulled the Galactica chatbot within 48 hours because of the extreme content that users got the AI to generate. It's not been seen since!

Snapple is a wholesome brand and RealFacts are a fun part of its brand. Fingers crossed that they don't have to pull the plug on this initaitive too because of human behaviour.

Two Snapple use cases in emerging tech

Snapple Created a Bodega in the Metaverse

September 2022: Snapple has erected a virtual New York City-style corner store in Decentraland, with a bodega cat included.

In real life, Snapple drinks come with a code to claim an NFT wearable. There is also a $1.39 rebate code, redeemable with a PayPal account. Snapple has partnered with OneOf to release its debut blockchain-based NFT collection. It has also partnered with Twitch streamers to promote the installation.

Snapple Elements Line inspires NFTs

June 2022: Snapple partnered with up-and-coming artists to design a unique NFT collection inspired by its new line of drinks. Snapple minted 5,000 NFTs in the summer of 2022 called "The Snapple ElemeNFT Collection."

The NFTs brought the Elements flavours to life with the work and artistic styles of Billboard music artist-to-watch Tierra Whack, modern-day street artist Bradley Theodore, and digital artist extraordinaire, Glassface.

Press Release.

Use cases of consumer brands in emerging technology

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