The Economic Downturn Brotherhood!

Desperate times, desperate measures. Competition is common in business but it is important to think of it in more granular terms. Strategic responses are different for each kind of competitive target, namely, companies or a line of products or maybe an entire industry.
Consider Slice, Frooty and Maaza. These are the top three mango drinks in India whose brand names have now become synonymous with the fruit. All the three drinks have been a favorite of children all over India and have been competing for market share since ages and many would agree that these are probably 3 drinks that are most similar in taste and smell, probably more than the colas. However, recently there has been a decline in the demand. Not just one product but for mango drinks in general.
As a common but effective response, all three have been airing new advertisements to boost demand. However, whats most imteresting is that all three campaigns have something startlingly common to them. Ads thats once targeted only children are now seen to target adults. In fact, one can actually imagine the three CEOs sitting together and agreeing to market their drinks in a way that increases the overall pie of the industry. Slice has come up with the 'aamsutra' campaign to give a romantic and sensuous touch to mangoes, a right which was until now reserved with strawberries or grapes. While, Frooty has a 'why grow up?' campaign showing adults making weird noises while sipping on a straw. Maaza shows an mango fanatic adult who cant sleep at night because of his obsession for the king of fruits. All three campaigns have been launched within days of each other.
As a response, we have always seen foes turning friends when an industry was attacked by any external market or non-market forces. Arch rivals Coke and Pepsi gave joint statements and hired common lobbyists to combat the pesticide problem and Wii attempted at extending the video game pie to families and adults (Nothing stops Sony or Microsoft fro launching family games and ride on the wave. These are just two of many examples. Some might argue that children will be ignored due to this new effort, but what is to be realized is that children will NOT stop drinking Mango drinks because the ads now focus on adults.
This can only increase the overall pie thus increasing total industry profits. Classical problem of the prisoners dilemma seems to have fit in perfectly in this situation and I am certain that game theory analysts were hired to figure out the potential of this move. I wouldn't be surprised if there was only one report circulated to all three.
Whether it was a coincidence or a pre-meditated move does not really matter now as it was an optimal response and would do only good. I only hope that this downturn makes businesses realize the potential of possible cooperation in some segments and regain some of the relatively easy profits they have been shooing away all this time.