File sharing is not a crime. Now we have proof. Promo reports on moves being made by Coca-Cola to become more relevant to the youth market.
Coca-Cola North America has launched a music program that is available to download for free to file sharers.
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.
Coca-Cola also operates MyCoke.com, where young music fans can mix music, play games and blog.