A Mobile Usability Study for Sprite's Teen Market

The Challenge

The Sprite devision of the Coca Cola Company was developing an online application and social networking WAP site for teen consumers of Sprite. This was in association with a website and online campaign for "The Yard." Besides learning how teens would access and use the site from their mobile device, Sprite wanted to see how the site would be received by their target market. Sprite wanted to investigate the viral nature social networks, examine adoptibility factors and see how teens reacted to the Yard as a site and Sprite's goal of also building brand affinity and recognition.

The Process & Result

A usability study guide was created and usability sessions held over a week long period with participants in the targeted teen market. During the study the teens registered on The Yard, interacted on their phones with a live online "friend," downloaded applications and sent messages and photos.
The study revealed insights about teens' facility with mobile devices, their receptivity to the WAP site, and their involvement in and opinion of social networking. It also demonstrated the technical hurdles Sprite would have to take into consideration when providing an mobile experience that had many factors out of their main control - e.g. connectivity issues,device/carrier compatibility and carrier charges for downloads. After the study was completed, Sprite furthered its presence in the social networking space by building its Sips widget for a Sprite Facebook group.