Coca Cola Crisis Case Study

The traditional change model consists of three steps: unfreezing, i.e. recognizing the need for change because of some event or threat, the actual change actions and refreezing, i.e. incorporating new ways of operating and thinking into everyday operations of the organization. Apply this model to the situation at the coca-cola company at the point when the lawsuit was served in 1999.

Coca Cola was born in the laboratory of Dr. John Pemberton in May 1886 in Atlanta, Georgia. Coca-Cola's own name was made by Frank Robinson. And marketed for the first time with an ad of banners with the inscription of oil paints labeled "drink Coca Cola". Although it was the title of "brand of the century", Frank Robison had experienced a loss in sales. Coca Cola formula then bought by Asa Chandler in 1892 that heavily promoting senhingga experiencing huge profits. Coca cola increasingly global sales thanks to independent bottling firms with licenses to other countries and this is maintained until now.

Coca cola has been accused of providing commercial waste to farmers to use as fertilizer. This has been faulted to have toxic substances . The management of Coca cola India has denied presence of toxins and termed the waste as safe.

The multinational company that I have chosen is Coca Cola Company since it is a very popular brand and has been serving its customers for more then 10 decades and even after so many years its popularity seems to be increasing day by day which itself speaks about the company's remarkable performance. The Coca Cola Company is an American multinational corporation and manufacturer, retailer and marketer of the nonalcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups (Wright, 1999). It came into existence in 1886 and was invented in Columbus, Georgia by John Stith Pemberton. The current statistics of the company shows that it is currently operating in over 200 countries offering its customers over 500 brands with each day serving of more then 1.7 billion (Charles W. L. Hill, Essentials of Strategic Management, 2012). .Further more the Coca Cola Company is alone responsible for the 78% of the total gallon sales of all the beverages sold worldwide. The company is listed in New York Sock Exchange and is very popular in most of the countries especially United States of America, which alone consumes 47% of the total gallons, sold worldwide (Zurkuhlen & Meeker, 1987). The company headquarter is located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America and its current chief executive and chairman is Muhtar Kent (Charles W. L. Hill, Strategic Management Theory: An Integrated Approach, 2012).

The main issues that Gupta’s focus should be on in regards to short term are the allegations from Center for Science and Environment (CSE) that threatens to tarnish the image of the company’s brand, and the survey result of the its consumers. Crisis is inescapable. When it does occur, for the most part, ones’ wish is for it to go away as fast as possible. While it is an uncomfortable dilemma; nonetheless one ought to have a plan in place to reconcile the issue. In this case study Gupta, president and CEO of Coca Cola India found himself in a crisis that could either conquer his company’s animation or redeem its success as the lead in India. According to Dolewski, the element of surprise should be incorporated into the role of managers due to the variation in the amount of a disaster warning. Bearing in mind Gupta had tactics in place in to dealing with desolations that results from crises, it will at least allow company managers to start from a resilient situation. The gift to identify short-term issues in crisis is an accomplishment but having a solution is an entirely different scenario.

Coca Cola’s first main weakness is that it is highly susceptible to any kind of negative publicity. Every kind of negative publicity can hurt the brand badly. Some years ago after traces of pesticides were found in the products of Coca Cola, it had hurt the brand really hard. Sales had dipped in various corners of the world apart from the criticism that flowed. Any such thing can hurt the popularity and sales of coca cola. However, Coca cola can overcome this weakness by being more transparent regarding the ingredients it uses in the production of its brands.

Coca-Cola remains one of the most recognized brand names in the world today, worth more than $73 billion in 2011. However, in the 1990s and 2000s poor decisions, mismanagement, and alleged misconduct cast a shadow over the company. The following incidents exemplify some of the key crisis Coca-Cola has faced in the last several years.

The case explains the economics of the soft drink industry. There activities that add value to consumer at nearly every stage of the value chain of the soft drink industry. The war is primarily fought between Coca-Cola and PepsiCo as market leaders in this industry; who combined have roughly a ninety percent market share in their industry. The impact of globalization on competition has allowed both of these major players to find new markets to tap which has allowed each continued growth potential.

One big change that needs to be made is pesticide free water in the Coca-Cola products. Indians have a lot of trouble with making sure their food and water is contaminated, and things like this aren’t going to help Coca-Cola’s business because they aren’t going to want to risk their health. Indian’s need to feel safe and trustful of Coca-Cola that their products are safe for themselves. Coca-Cola made also need to use less Indian water in their products if that problem cannot be fixed. Whatever it takes for Indian’s to understand that Coke’s products are pesticide free is what Coca-Cola needs to do. The future of Coke in India is in the hands of

The Coca-Cola Company is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and distributors of more than 500 non-alcoholic beverages, including Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Fanta and Sprite lines. The company’s interest market covers more than 200 countries worldwide using the distribution system that includes independent bottling partners, distributors and retailers.

The crisis that happened at Coca Cola was a very crucial incident. It affected issues such as brand and reputation, and the company has to take action so as not to ruin its image. Coca Cola is a company with a very strong brand name all over the world. An attack like this of the NGO can lead any company to problems. Although the Center for Science and Environment attacked the safety of Coca Cola India 's products, Coke was well within the Indian government 's legal limits for pesticide residue in beverages. The fact is that the country 's standards are weak, so the problem of Sanjiv Gupta and his team is how to rebuild trust. Furtherore, Gupta tries to find ways on how he could contribute on the creation of higher standards for food and

Who would have known that Coca-Cola debut to the world was all because of a pharmacist? And just a touch of carbonation has truly made it a refreshing and an enjoyable carbonated soft drink. It is within “arms reach of desire” as former CEO Robert Woodruff notes. The Coca-Cola Company ultimately cares about its customers and prides itself into providing good citizenship. One of Coca-Cola’s largest international investors was India, from 1993 up until 2003, Coca-Cola invested more than US$1 billion into the country. In August of 2003, CEO of Coca-Cola India, Sanjiv Gupta came to a standstill where he had to further anticipate his next move for the company. The company faced a crisis where the Center for Science and Environment (CSE) issued a press release affirming that three samples of the 12 cold drink brands sold in and around Delhi containing pesticide residues were of Coca-Cola and PepsiCo brands.

“A Coke is a Coke, and no amount of money can get you a better Coke than the one the bum on the corner is drinking. All the Cokes are the same, and all the Cokes are good. Liz Taylor knows it, the President knows it, the bum knows it, and you know it."(Andy Warhol, 1975) Regardless of its corporate reputation, the organizational performance and its social responsibility of Coca-Cola makes it loved around the world. Ever since its creation in 1886 Coca-Cola has been a household brand known globally for generations of families. I have to mention, of all the cases researched this is my least favorite not only because of my childhood love for the product because the ethical issues in one way or another always manage to resolve themselves not before further tainting the reputation Coke worked so hard to obtain. Most times, whether an organization is innocent of an unethical act, it becomes secondary to the suspicion of the original act. Almost as if the court of public opinion has the power to ruin the reputation of an organization based on an unfounded accusation. In spite of my loyalty after having ready the case, I do believe Coca-Cola to be flawed. The contamination scare in Belgium is a great example of a public relations nightmare. The slightest hint of impurity should have pushed Coca Cola into crisis management mode but they were slow to react, citing it a minor issue (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, (2011). It was not until local officials

Coca-Cola is a big recognized brand that produces many products than just soda drinks. With all the money and brand recognition the company possesses, there are possibilities for the company to past the scandals and keep up in the business market, like we have discovered the company has invested money to cover illicit activities. However, it is very important for the company to act ethically and respond to the scandals that the company has been accused. If Coca-Cola responds morally correct, it will shows the customers that the company cares about social responsibility, but if the company does not act fast and ethically, it exists the possibilities that the company’s sales keep declining.

Long before now has branding been considered as one of the peripheral aspects of business. Manufacturers, investors and other key players focused on the product without paying much attention to the consumer. But as the business landscape got tougher, marketing became not just an integral part of business but one of the fundamental principles of success.