Coca-Cola to Send 3 Bloggers Around the World

The year long quest to find out what makes people happy is named Expedition 206. The trip, which includes short stays of a day or two in each of the 206 countries, incorporates all forms of social media.

The three people chosen for the Expedition 206 tour will be blogging, posting updates on Twitter and adding videos to YouTube. Coca Cola hopes this can generate talk by consumers and increase sales.

"It's not about having the Coca-Cola brand first and foremost, centre of the screen," said Adam Brown, director of Coca-Cola's Office of Digital Communications and Social Media. "It's about telling the story that involves Coca-Cola, that involves the attributes of what Coca-Cola is about, optimism and joy."

The team of 3 will meet with locals, tell stories on the trip's Web site and take part in events like the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The trip begins January 1, 2010 in Madrid. The three social media travellers will visit 17 countries, including Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia and Panama in the first month.

The social media tour, Expedition 206, ends Dec. 31 at Coca-Cola headquarters in Atlanta. The group will mostly be on their own but will connect with local Coca-Cola representatives and be escorted in certain countries.

You can help choose from nine finalists that the Coca Cola Company selected for Expedition 206. Votes can be cast at www.expedition206.com. Voting ends November 6 and the winning team of three social media travellers will be announced later in the month.