Coke Under Fire

4. What was Pepsi’s meaning management game? Was it really a threat to Coke? How should have responded to Pepsi’s

Coca–Cola a leading manufacturer, distributor and marketer of soft drink products. Coca–Cola was not always the sugary syrup soft drink most people know today. As a matter of fact, before 1886 Coca-Cola was made with alcohol and cocaine. Concocted by Dr. John Pemberton a pharmacist in Atlanta Georgia Coca-Cola was originally named Pemberton’s French Wine Coca. Dr. Pemberton marketed the drink as a cure all for mental and physical disorders and was sold from a soda fountain at his local drug store. A step ahead of prohibition, Dr. Pemberton replace the wine in his formula with a sugary syrup. The cocaine portion of Coca-Cola was removed before 1914 when cocaine was deemed illegal in the United States of America. Coca-Cola as we know today still contains coca but the narcotic portion of cocaine, it is removed. Today, Coca-Cola has expanded to over 200+ countries. From concerts to sport venues to local restaurants you are more than likely to come across a Coca-Cola product, Coca-Cola has had such an impact on society that it is given credit for how we portray Santa Clause today. Other credits should also be given to Coca-Cola like an increase in diabetes and other diseases.

“Whether Coca-Cola can prevent the infringement of its trademark Coca-Cola and unfair competition with it in its business of

Coca-Cola Company history originated in 1886 when the “curiosity of an Atlanta pharmacist, Dr. John S. Pemberton, led him to create a distinctive tasting soft drink that could be sold at soda fountains” (Coca Cola History, 2013, para. 1). He generated flavored syrup, took it to his

John Stith Pemberton, a pharmacist and “cash-strapped morphine addict,” created Coca-Cola in 1886. He used a French wine called Vin Mariani as his product to replicate. Coca-Cola was different because it was water-based, not wine-based, and included kola nut, caffeine, coca leaf extract, and sugar. It was originally sold as a medicine, a “brain tonic” that “Cures Morphine and Opium Habits and Desire for Intoxicants.” Later broke and ill from his stomach problems and morphine addiction, Pemberton sold the patent to Coca-Cola to Asa Candler, who later officially created The Coca-Cola Company.

Coca-Cola and PepsiCo compete at length with each other among an extensive list of other brands. A key concern for both of these companies in 2011 was their capability to market, produce, and distribute across national boundaries of a single nation. This concern has decreased as both companies were able to push though their limitations and were able to establish manufacturing plants in countries across the globe. (Coca Cola Company, 2011)

Almost everywhere I go, I see advertisements for “The Real Thing.” Even during my trip to Mozambique, a country stricken with poverty where the people rarely speak English, native children knew how to ask for their favorite drink, available just down the road at the street vendor‘s hut. Created in 1885 by pharmacist John Pemberton, Coca-Cola has evolved from a tonic peddled by traveling salesmen to cure headaches and hangovers, to one of the most recognized and most widely enjoyed beverages of all time (Oliver 14).

The company known as Coca-Cola today was started in September of 1919, but the first Coke brand was served as early as 1886. Since that time it has grown to be one of the most globally recognized brand names with a stock value of $167 billion. Coke’s plan has always been developed with the future in mind. Right away the company realized that it was more profitable to manufacture the concentrate used to make carbonated drinks than to bottle it. From that point on they saw the entire world, not simply the originating country, as their desired market. It seems only practical that the company should pursue this agenda until conquered then focus the effort on expanding into different product lines. This logical

Coca Cola is bestselling soft drink in the world. It has introduces various product like sports drink, water, juices, sparkling beverages and energy drinks. It has gone through several innovations from products to packaging. In May 1886 Coca Cola was invented by Dr. John Pemberton, a pharmacist from Atlanta, Georgia, registered trademark in US as Coke since 1944. Company sells its product at gas station, supermarket, vending machines and at most fast food restaurants like Mc Donald and Subway. Its widely availability has made its customer’s first choice leading to brand loyalty.

In the city of Atlanta, in 1886 the world was forever changed by one individual. Dr. John S. Pemberton articulated a syrup that when combined with carbonated water became the world’s leading beverage Coca-Cola. Frank M. Roberson, Dr. Pemberton’s bookkeeper and partner named the beverage. In addition, he is credited with writing out the Coca-Cola logo in his handwriting which was trademarked and is still used today (About Us Coca-Cola History, n.d.). On August 16, 1888, Dr. Pemberton passed away from cancer only five months after filing a petition for incorporation of Coca-Cola Company (King & Dobbs, 2015).

The history of Coca Cola began in 1886 when Dr. John S Pemberton, an Atlanta pharmacist created a tasty soft drink which could sell at soda fountains. Since then, Coca Cola grew to be a global brand and touched great heights. Today, it sells across 200 countries and is just as popular across all the markets and nations. The company today, owns or licenses and markets more than 500 non alcoholic beverage brands. The brand has only few major competitors in the global market. The daily servings of coca cola are estimated to be at 1.9 billion globally. (Coca-Colahellenic, n.d.) This is just another proof of the popularity of the brand which has a very large and diversified

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.

Coca-cola boasts of being the world’s largest beverage company serving approximately one billion customers daily. The most dominant products distributed by Coca-cola are Coke, Fanta, Sprite and Diet Coke. This strategy is aimed at ensuring that every customer gets satisfied whenever they use a Coca-cola brand. Coca-cola has large distributions across the globe making it the largest distributor in the world. The late Roberto Goizueta termed Coca-cola to be an American company with large international business and a sizeable American business (Ferrell, 2008). This has helped a lot with brand selling as it is the most recognized brand in the whole world. “Coca-Cola has the most valuable brand name in the world and, as one of the most visible companies worldwide, has a tremendous opportunity to excel in all dimensions of business performance” (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2008). Coca-cola, however, has not been smoothly running over the decades in operation. It has on numerous occasions been criticized for overlooking some ethical standards that it should have rather upheld. This essay aims at looking into some of the issues facing Coca-cola, the most significant of them, how they were resolved and how Coca-cola should have solved them.

The ouster of Coca-Cola in 1977 was probably the most damaging effect of traditionally restrictive rules governing foreign investment that the Indian government had. Until recently, the Indian government had a policy whereby no foreign company could own a majority equity stake (greater than 50%) in a venture/project in the country. Coca-Cola’s withdrawal from India was partly due to this reason, and partly due to the demand by the government to share its secret formula for the concentrate.

“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