Is the Coca-Cola app worth installing?

I drink Coca-Cola Zero almost every day. I know it’s an unhealthy habit but I’ve not yet felt the need to deal with it. As a frequent Coca-Cola consumer, when Coca-Cola Bulgaria started advertising their app, I installed it. I’ve been using it for almost two months, which qualifies me as an expert reviewer.

The Coca-Cola app lets you enter the unique 10-character alphanumeric codes hidden under the cap and probably somewhere inside cans. Each code gives you 1 or 2 coins, which you can then use to buy raffle tickets. The raffle awards vary from completely useless to just useless. I saw IKEA and Dominos vouchers a few times, otherwise not stuff an adult is likely to want.

The awards, I challenge you to find the oddities.

Observations:

• There are two types of coins in the app Diamond-shaped and C-shaped.
• The diamond-shaped can only be obtained from the worst value Coca-Cola bottles, the 0.5l and 0.3l plastic ones. Probably from cans, although I couldn’t find any code there.
• The C-shaped coins can mostly be used for raffles like a Coca-Cola umbrella or a ticket for the Coca-Cola annual concert.
• A third type of coin was mentioned when I installed the app, and I must have 50 of it, but I never saw a raffle ticket that could be purchased with it or a place where I can see if I still have the 50 of that coin.
• Despite collecting all these raffle tickets, the app doesn’t offer a way to see if you won anything or if anyone wins anything.
• I’m unsure if I ever participated in a raffle or not.
• Apparently, we have Coca-Cola imports from Moldova and Ukraine, and the bottles from these countries don’t have codes.

What’s the point of all of that?

It’s most likely to gamify the Coca-Cola consumption, targeting people who may be tempted by a GoPro camera, a VR set, or a low-end 40 inch TV. That is clearly not older adults. It attempts to add value to the worst-value Coca-Cola bottles that generate the most plastic waste but might be available in school cafeterias. I suspect it works well, otherwise they wouldn’t do it. Also, it is to discourage people from buying the imported Coca-Cola.

Did I win anything? I don’t think so. I expected that I will, at least, get an umbrella, a concert ticket, or get some indication that a raffle happened and I didn’t win. No Coca-Cola umbrella for me.