Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
1. Introduction:
1.1. Origin of the report:
This report is prepared with the respect to the course of Brand Management. We are
assigned to prepare a term paper by our honorable course instructor Shobodh Deba Nath.
Our task is to make an in-depth analysis on brand performance of Coca-Cola and
complete a study that covers all-important factors of Brand Management.
1.2 Objective of the Report:
This report has been prepared considering a number of objectives. The objectives are:
To apply our knowledge that we have gathered from ‘Brand Management’ course into
the report
To provide the overview of Coca-Cola.
To measure the business value of Coca-Cola.
To analyze and find out the performance of Coca-Cola.
Brand promotional activities and relevance of them.
To get knowledge and apply it into the real world.
1.3 Scope:
The term paper is made on the basis of what people think about and the brand
performance of Coca-Cola. For this we searched in the internet and several articles to get
the actual information. This is focused on Brand performance, positioning, marketing mis
of Coca-Cola and in depth analysis on the brand.
1.4 Sources:
Secondary information was collected from books and the web site of Coca-Cola.
Statistical techniques were used to analyze the collected information and this information
was presented in the graphical form. Also several internet articles and the marketing
knowledge of the group members are also applied.
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
Background of the Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation and
manufacturer, retailer and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups. The
company is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola, invented in 1886 by pharmacist
John Stith Pemberton in Columbus, Georgia Besides its namesake Coca-Cola beverage,
Coca-Cola currently offers more than 500 brands in over 200 countries or territories and
serves over 1.7 billion servings each day. The company operates a franchised distribution
system dating from 1889 where The Coca-Cola Company only produces syrup concentrate
which is then sold to various bottlers throughout the world who hold an exclusive territory.
The Coca-Cola Company owns its anchor bottler in North America, Coca-Cola
Refreshments.
According to the 2005 Annual Report, the company sells beverage products in more than 200
countries. The report further states that of the more than 50 billion beverage servings of all
types consumed worldwide every day, beverages bearing the trademarks owned by or
licensed to Coca-Cola account for approximately 1.5 billion (the latest figure in 2010 shows
that now they serve 1.6 billion drinks every day). Of these, beverages bearing the trademark
"Coca-Cola" or "Coke" accounted for approximately 78% of the Company's total gallon
sales. In 2010 it was announced that Coca-Cola had become the first brand to top £1 billion in
annual UK grocery sales.
Also according to the 2007 Annual Report, Coca-Cola had gallon sales distributed as follows:
42% in the United States
37% in Mexico, India, Brazil, Japan and the People's Republic of China
20% spread throughout the rest of the world
In 2009, the company generated revenues of $31 billion with $6.8 billion net income. Coca-
Cola Company will take control of the bottler's North America operations, giving the
company control over 90% of the total North America volume. In return, Coca-Cola
enterprises will take over Coke's bottling operations in Norway and Sweden, becoming a
European-focused producer and distributor.
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
Company Profile:
Basic Information
Company Name : The Coca-Cola Company
Company type : Public corporation
Industry : Beverage
Company Founded : 1892
Company Founder : Asa Candler
Area Served : More than 200 countries
Number of brands : More than 500 brands
Headquarters : Coca-Cola headquarters, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Chairman& CEO : Muhtar Kent
Website : www.thecoca-colacompany.com
Financial Information
Revenue : US$ 35.119 billion (2010)
Operating Income : US$ 08.449 billion (2010)
Net Income : US$ 11.809 billion (2010)
Total assets : US$ 72.921 billion (2010)
Total Equity : US$ 31.317 billion (2010)
Employees : 139,600 (2010)
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
Brand Profile: Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in
more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and
is often referred to simply as Coke (a registered trademark of The Coca-Cola Company in the
United States since March 27, 1944). Originally intended as a patent medicine when it was
invented in the late 19th century by John Pemberton, Coca-Cola was bought out by
businessman Asa Griggs Candler, whose marketing tactics led Coke to its dominance of the
world soft-drink market throughout the 20th century. The Coca-Cola Company has, on
occasion, introduced other cola drinks under the Coke brand name. The most common of
these is Diet Coke, with others including Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola, Diet Coke Caffeine-Free,
Coca-Cola Cherry, Coca-Cola Zero, Coca-Cola Vanilla, and special versions with lemon,
lime or coffee.
Mission:
The official website of Coca-Cola states in its mission statement: “At the Coca-Cola
Company we strive to refresh the world, inspire moments of optimism and happiness, create
value and make a difference”.
Coca-Cola Roadmap starts with a mission, which is enduring. It declares the purpose as a
company and serves as the standard against which we weigh our actions and decisions.
To refresh the world
To inspire moments of optimism and happiness.
To create value and make a difference.
Vision:
Coca-Cola’s vision serves as the framework for the Roadmap and guides every aspect of its
business by describing what they need to accomplish in order to continue achieving
sustainable, quality growth.
People: Be a great place to work where people are inspired to be the best they can be.
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Portfolio: Bring to the world a portfolio of quality beverage brands that anticipate
and satisfy people's desires and needs.
Partners: Nurture a winning network of customers and suppliers, together we create
mutual, enduring value.
Planet: Be a responsible citizen that makes a difference by helping build and support
sustainable communities.
Profit: Maximize long-term return to shareowners while being mindful of our overall
responsibilities.
Productivity: Be a highly effective, lean and fast-moving organization.
Winning Culture of Coca-Cola:
Coca-Cola’s winning Culture defines the attitudes and behaviors that will be required to
make its 2020 Vision a reality. Coca-Cola promotes some cultures as:
Live Our Values:
Our values serve as a compass for our actions and describe how we behave in the world.
Leadership: The courage to shape a better future
Collaboration: Leverage collective genius
Integrity: Be real
Accountability: If it is to be, it's up to me
Passion: Committed in heart and mind
Diversity: As inclusive as our brands
Quality: What we do, we do well
Focus on the Market:
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
Focus on needs of our consumers, customers and franchise partners
Get out into the market and listen, observe and learn
Possess a world view
Focus on execution in the marketplace every day
Be insatiably curious
Work Smart:
Act with urgency
Remain responsive to change
Have the courage to change course when needed
Remain constructively discontent
Work efficiently
Act like Owners:
Be accountable for our actions and inactions
Steward system assets and focus on building value
Reward our people for taking risks and finding better ways to solve problems
Learn from our outcomes -- what worked and what didn’t
Be the Brand:
Inspire creativity, passion, optimism and fun
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
Market Analysis Coca Cola
Market Size:
Coca Cola is one of the leading beverage companies in the whole world. It covers the large
market segment. From the facts it is revealed that the market for coca cola as mentioned in
the SWOT analysis segment is encouraging. Still it has a great potential in world market. It
focusers on it deficiencies and try to over come it than it will definitely grow more than any
other beverage company in the world. So it has a large margin for growth.
Growth rate of Coca Cola:
In Asian market the growth rate is 22% which is a significant rate. According to Fortune 500
magazine, the brand has earned 13% more revenues from 2009 to 2011, and the profit has
been jumped up to 73% from 2009 to 2011. Profits have grown 34% of total revenues, 16%
of total assets and 38% of shareholders’ equity.
Market share of Coca-Cola:
As of 2004, Coca-Cola reached a market share of 60.9% in India, and in 2010, Coca-Cola
reached 22% in Pakistan where it is the second largest beverage consumed by customers.
Coke's soft-drink market share slid to 42.9% from 43.1% in 2005 in USA, while PepsiCo's
fell to 31.2% from 31.4%. The share of British rival Cadbury Schweppes, which markets Dr.
Pepper and 7Up, gained 0.3 percentage points to 14.9%.
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
Products of Coca-Cola
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
Target Market of Coca Cola
Coca Cola takes every customer as target and potential customer who is thirsty. All age
groups are being target but the most potential is the age group from 18-25 that covers around
40% of total age segments. And since the urge of enjoyment rest more on this age segment,
this is very vital for Coca-Cola.
Age: The target market for the Coca Cola is based on age. The target audience of
Coca Cola is youngster or youth. It is a wide range for targeting. It ranges from the
age of 15-25 and also reaches to 40 plus, as they are serving this age group also.
Gender: Coca-Cola Zero or Coke Zero was specifically marketed to males, who were
shown to associate 'diet' drinks with women. It is primarily marketed towards young
adult males and has even been nicknamed "Bloke Coke". Diet Coke is also focused
on females to have diet drinks with males who like Coke Zero.
Life style: Busy life style and mobile generation who like to enjoy much are targeted
since the slogan always promotes happiness, and joy of life.
Family: There is segmentation based on family since the Coca-Cola family pack is
designed to serve the whole family to enjoy in occasions or without any occasions.
Customer’s Media Habits
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
There are some habits which are given as follows’
The target audience of the Coca Cola brand love to have exposure to media.
They are the mobile generation and spend lot of time on MMS and SMS chatting.
They spend most of the time on enjoying music.
They spend their home time on watching TVs. They like innovations in TV ads. Etc.
Consumer behavior of Coca-Cola
The company's beverages are generally for all consumers. However, specifically of coca cola
regular customer’s buying behavior and characteristics are given in the following section.
Factors stimulate demand
There are large numbers of factors that are affecting the demand of the Coca Cola but most
out of them are the competitors’ price and promotional activities and the life style attached
with the brand.
Criteria for alternatives
Now-a-days the personality attached, taste, freshness and other factors like marketing theme
are set standards for alternatives to be selected. Pepsi provides the best alternative to Coca
Cola brand users. This strong factor changes the consumer behavior.
Use of product
Basic purpose of using Coca Cola is to quench the thirst. But now days it has become a life-
style status symbol. The use of the product is also very simple with out any complexities in
usage and also is available for drinking.
Competitors
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
Pepsi, the flagship product of PepsiCo, The Coca-Cola Company's main rival in the soft drink
industry, is usually second to Coke in sales, and outsells Coca-Cola in some markets. RC
Cola, now owned by the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, the third largest soft drink manufacturer,
is also widely available.
In 1893, Pepsi Cola was established in North Carolina by pharmacist Caleb Bradham and
Pepsi had imitated the franchise bottling system of coke. In 1910, Pepsi build a network of
270 bottlers. In 1923 and 1932 Pepsi was declared bankrupt but still then it focuses on
marketing strategy and sold its 12 oz bottle for only a nickel----the same price that coke
charged for 6.5 oz bottle. In 1938, coke first suit against Pepsi by claiming that Pepsi cola
brand was an infringement on the coca cola trade mark. In 1941, Pepsi won the law suit
claimed by coca cola and counter suits between two companies. From 1938-1941, Pepsi not
only faced the competitor ship of coca cola but also surpasses royal crown and Dr. Pepper
and in 1940 it became the largest selling CSD brand. And in 1950, coke share of U.S market
was 47% and Pepsi was 10%.
Around the world, many local brands compete with Coke. In Peru, Inca Kola outsells Coca-
Cola, which led The Coca-Cola Company to purchase the brand in 1999. In Sweden, Julmust
outsells Coca-Cola during the Christmas season. In Scotland, the locally produced Irn-Bru
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was more popular than Coca-Cola until 2005, when Coca-Cola and Diet Coke began to
outpace its sales. In India, Coca-Cola ranked third behind the leader, Pepsi-Cola, and local
drink Thums Up. The Coca-Cola Company purchased Thums Up in 1993. As of 2004, Coca-
Cola held a 60.9% market-share in India. Tropicola, a domestic drink, is served in Cuba
instead of Coca-Cola, due to a United States embargo. French brand Mecca Cola and British
brand Qibla Cola are competitors to Coca-Cola in the Middle East. In Turkey, Cola Turka, in
Iran and the Middle East, ZamZam Cola and Parsi Cola, in some parts of China, China Cola,
in Slovenia, Cockta and the inexpensive Mercator Cola, sold only in the country's biggest
supermarket chain, Mercator, are some of the brand's competitors. Classiko Cola, made by
Tiko Group, the largest manufacturing company in Madagascar, is a serious competitor to
Coca-Cola in many regions. Laranjada is the top-selling soft drink on Madeira.
Many of the brands available from the three largest soda producers, The Coca-Cola
Company, PepsiCo and the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, are intended as direct, equivalent
competitors. The following chart lists these competitors by type or flavor of drink.
Flavor/Type PepsiCo Coca-Cola Dr Pepper Snapple
Cola Pepsi Coca-Cola RC Cola
Diet Cola Diet Pepsi, Pepsi
Max
Diet Coke, Coca-
Cola Zero
Diet Rite, Diet RC
Cola
Cherry-flavored
Cola
Pepsi Wild Cherry Coca-Cola Cherry Cherry RC
Orange Mirinda, Tropicana
Twister, Slice
Coca-Cola Orange Crush, Sunkist
Lemon Lime Teem,
7 Up (in countries
other than US)
Coca-Cola Lemon
Light
7Up (in US)
Schweppes
Marketing Mix of Coca-Cola
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
The 'Coca-Cola' brand has been adopted the strategy of global marketing. They are
considering the whole world as single market place and uniform marketing strategy was
being used Coca-cola for many years, but now the trend is changing and different marketing
campaigns are being designed for different regions of the world. . Business decisions are
made on a domestic basis to fit in with the culture and needs of the domestic community. In
1919 Coca-Cola decided it was time to go global. The Coca-Cola Company decided to take
its operations beyond national boundaries and marketing research was started in Central
America, china and many other countries of the world. Because of successful and efficient
marketing research Coca-cola was able to produce globally in different regions of the world.
Coca-cola has got such an intensive distribution and bottlers system that its products are
available everywhere in the world, starting from Middle East to Australia. You can find coca
cola product on every retail outlet
I. Product:
Coca-Cola has several differentiated products to help consumers with different tastes and
features. There are many reasons why Coca-Cola decided to sell its product in international
market. The prospect exists to sell Coca-Cola worldwide, because Coca-Cola is a product
which can be used by everyone irrespective of age and gender, all over the world. Marketing
globally demand the company to have a marketing team in line with a country's consumers so
effective sales can be made and good relations with the abroad key employees can be
maintained. Some of the popular products are:
i. Coca-Cola: The original version of Coca-Cola which was invented in 1886
and is being continued until now. People who like the cola flavor are great fan
of its taste and attributes. Coca-Cola is being packed into cans, family pack,
bottles and different other sizes.
ii. Coca-Cola Cherry: Cherry flavored cola which was available in Canada
starting in 1996. Called "Cherry Coca-Cola (Cherry Coke)" in North America
until 2006. People who like cherry or cherry flavor or the fragrance of cherry
were targeted for this product.
iii. Coca-Cola Lime: It was introduced in North America in the first quarter of
2005. The formula is the same as regular Coke but with added lime flavor. The
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decision to market the product was based on popular feedback from
consumers in 2004 with the release of Diet Coke with Lime.
iv. Coca-Cola Zero: Coca-Cola Zero or Coke Zero is a low-calorie (0.75 calories
per liter) variation of Coca-Cola specifically marketed to males, who were
shown to associate 'diet' drinks with women. Coke Zero is being distributed to
more than 90 countries in the world.
v. Diet Coke: Diet Coke (also known as 'Diet Coca-Cola', Coca-Cola light or
Coke light) is a sugar-free soft drink produced and distributed by The Coca-
Cola Company. It was first introduced in the United States on August 9, 1982
and distributed in 12 different flavors with 4 flavors being discontinued later.
vi. Coca-Cola Vanilla: Vanilla Coke is a vanilla flavored version of Coca-Cola
Classic. The marketing campaign for Vanilla Coke aimed to appeal across all
generations. It is available in Austria, Australia, China, Finland, Germany,
Hong Kong, New Zealand, Malaysia, Sweden, United Kingdom and United
States.
vii. Coca-Cola Blak: Coca-Cola BlāK was a coffee-flavored soft drink introduced
by Coca-Cola in 2006 and discontinued in 2008. The mid-calorie drink was
introduced first in France, before making its way to the United States and
other markets. It was available in the United States, France, Canada, Czech
Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria and Lithuania.
viii. Coca-Cola Orange: Coca-Cola Orange was a variation of Coca-Cola
available for a limited time that was flavored with orange. It was introduced in
June 2007 in the UK and Gibraltar only, following the success of the previous
year's Coke with Lime, for which 40% of the launch sales represented new
customers and increased purchasing. Coca-Cola Orange was designed to
appeal to regular Coca-Cola drinkers as well as those who prefer the more
citrus flavors of Coke with Lemon and Coke with Lime.
II. Price:
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
The Coca-Cola products pricing are set around the same level as its competitors. Most of the
Coca-Cola products use this method of pricing. For example, for a pack of 250ml of Coca-
Cola it is priced at Rs.12 instead of Rs.10.00.This pricing strategy makes consumers perceive
the products to be affordable.
Like any company who has successfully endured a century of existence, Coca Cola has had to
remain tremendously fluent with their pricing strategy. They have had the privilege of a
worthy competitor constantly driving them to be smarter, faster, and better. A quote from
Pepsi Co's CEO:
"The more successful they are, the sharper we have to be. If the Coca Cola Company
didn't exist, we'd pray for someone to invent them."
The relationship between Coca Cola & Pepsi is a healthy one that each corporation has
learned to appreciate. Throughout the years Coca Cola has made many pricing decisions but
one might say that their ultimate goal has always been to maximize shareholder value. In
order to grab market share most of time Pepsi began to drop prices (even with summer
approaching). Shortly thereafter, Coca Cola decided to drop their prices slightly, but focused
on the reduced price point of their 200ml container. Coca Cola planned to use the lower price
point to penetrate new cities that were especially price sensitive. The carbonated soft drink
market in Pakistan is nearly 57% of the total beverage market there.
Coca Cola’s first used low-price strategy in the early 1990s. After annihilating the low price
store brands, Coke chose to reposition itself as a "Premium" brand and then raise prices. They
are sticking with this strategy as it is working. They are positioning themselves as premium
product for having fun in life.
Position support Pricing:
Coca Cola has been doing continuous focus on its price related positioned. With the help of
experience of over the years coca cola has finally emerged with the best marketing strategy of
its time and successfully maintained its position as an affordable enjoyment of life.
III. Place:
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A way of getting the product to the consumer and/or how easily accessible it is to consumers.
Coca-Cola products are available anywhere in the world. It is served more than 200 countries
in the world and in a very convenient way. Coca-Cola basically sells the syrup chemical to
the bottlers and then it is distributed across the whole world. Coca-Cola is available at
convenient places like retail stores, shopping mall, vending machines, confectionery stores,
convenient stores etc.
The World of Coca-Cola is the latest premiere location where you can experience Coca-Cola
Freestyle - the sleek and stylish fountain that offers 100+ beverage choices in one incredible
machine. Coca-Cola Freestyle machine is the newest innovation that brings you the ultimate
fountain experience from the company that has its roots in the fountain experience. Coca-
Cola Freestyle touch screens make it simple to select from more than 60 diet and low-calorie
beverage brands, and among Coca-Cola varieties that have never before been available in the
U.S. other than on Coca-Cola Freestyle.
Coca-Cola Freestyle machine is a new addition to our Taste It! beverage lounge and a great
complement to the more than 60 beverage choices from around the world we currently offer.
Availability of Coca-Cola Freestyle may vary depending on scheduled maintenance, updates
or during specialty beverage activations.
IV. Promotion
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By taking into consideration all the key elements involved in the Developing of an IMC
campaign strategy such as, deciding on the mix and level of different IMC ingredients as
advertising, sales promotion, publicity and direct marketing.
In Promotional plan there are three campaigns which would be carried for the whole year by
Coca-Cola. The Marketing strategy for Coca-Cola would depend on the nature of market and
focus on the social responsibility or societal marketing. Secondly, it will focus on the fun and
entertainment perspective in order to motivate youngsters to purchase Coca-Cola and
generate more sales. Whole marketing communication will be developed to communicate the
message to the target audience to raise funds to attract consumer’s attention and alter their
decision on the basis of its taste and quality. Following are the details of the whole IMC
including promotional mix for Coca-Cola.
Elements of IMC mix
This depends upon not only on the nature of the product and also on the objectives. In IMC
mix there are three different types of media that will be used like “TV advertising” and “Print
advertisement”, and “banners advertisement”. The various elements that are included in the
IMC mix must work together to deliver a consistent and persuasive message to the target
audience.
Promotional Activities for Each Target Segments
In IMC the target market of Coca-Cola is the whole nation especially teenagers, families and
all those people who consume Coca-Cola. So by using different types of media we will give a
message to our target customer that we are here to help the victims of earth quake.
i. Advertisement:
In order to reach the maximum target customers, newspapers are best media suited for
reaching to very large audiences. It is a cost effective way and it has more frequency
of distribution. Another media being selected for giving ads of Coca-Cola is using
television as a medium because young generation watches television very much. It
also reaches mass media, and it does so during a short period of time, so every one
can be reached in the very short time period by using the television media. It also
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covers a large number of people and delivers a good message to the customers more
effectively. Some Newspaper and Television ads are given below:
Similarly, another medium being selected for giving advertisement of Coca-Cola are
billboards. The reason of giving ad on billboards is that they are considered to have
high impact on the people passing through the highways and roads. Billboards create
more exposure towards the ad leaving an impact on the people. They are hard to
ignore and are use for the purpose of creating reminder in the minds of the people
about Coca-Cola existence. Some of the Television, print media and billboard
advertisements are given below:
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ii. Sales promotion:
Coca-Cola Co. is running a mobile campaign via the Cha-cha mobile answer service to
generate interest in its loyalty program and Coke Zero soft drink. The soft drinks giant is one
of Cha-cha’s first advertisers. Cha-cha has been charged with enabling a conversational
relationship between Coca-Cola and the millions of users of its answer service.
Firehouse Subs is launching Coca-Cola Freestyle fountains in all of its 437 restaurants. With
Coca-Cola Freestyle, visitors to Firehouse Subs will now have the ability to create their own
customized drinks. Robin Sorensen, co-founder of Firehouse Subs, said, “Coca-Cola
Freestyle has led to a substantial increase in beverage sales. We’re pumped to be the first
national chain to bring the fountain of the future to all our customers.
iii. Public relation
Coca Cola spent $4,890,000 on lobbying in 2010. $475,000 went to seven outside lobbying
firms. Everyone remembers those cute cuddly polar bears from the Coca-Cola Commercials.
In Coca-Cola's newest PR campaign they are ready to take action. Coca-Cola wants to reduce
human impact on global climate change! They are also socially responsible to the matter.
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Coca-Cola posts, "Polar bears need your help too. We created this web site so you can learn
about polar bears and what you can do to help the planet. Send a polar bear e-card to a friend,
make a donation to WWF or "adopt" a polar bear. Whether you do one thing or do them all,
you can make a difference." Coca-Cola has made several cans and bottles promoting to save
polar bears.
.
iv. Personal Selling:
Coca-Cola has vending machines in roadside and different stores to get coca-cola from the
machines to make it more easy and convenient for the customers. In 2009, Coca-Cola carried
out a mobile coupon campaign in the UK, powered by digital voucher company, i-movo.
Using the Pay point network, hundreds of thousands of bottles of Coca-Cola were distributed
free, using secure digital vouchers delivered to mobile phones. Selected Pay Point stores were
given eye-catching point-of-sale material, including door posters, shelf blazers and fridge-top
stands, which made clear the simple step required of customers to get their free drink. All
they had to do was send a text message with the word ‘YES’, followed by their date of birth.
Valid voucher requests received a text message reply within a few seconds that included a
unique voucher code that was validated by the retailer using the Pay Point terminal. By the
conclusion of the eight-week campaign, over 200,000 drinks had been given away to nearly
100,000 consumers across the UK, with the campaign delivering a redemption rate of 87%,
according to i-movo, leading the company to describe it as: “the most popular and effective
mobile coupon campaign the UK has ever seen”.
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V. Process
The Coca-Cola system is not a single entity from a legal or managerial perspective, and the
Company does not own or control all of its bottling partners. While many view the Company
as simply "Coca-Cola," the system operates through multiple local channels. The Company
manufactures and sells concentrates, beverage bases and syrups to bottling operations, owns
the brands and is responsible for consumer brand marketing initiatives. The bottling partners
manufacture, package, merchandise and distribute the final branded beverages to our
customers and vending partners, who then sell our products to consumers. Regarding the
manufacturing process, the company says:
“We take the environmental impact of our business very seriously. Within our
manufacturing process, these areas includes water, packaging, energy use and
emissions”
VI. People:
People are the most important element of marketing activities. Services tend to be produced
and consumed at the same moment, and aspects of the customer experience are altered to
meet the 'individual needs' of the person consuming it. Most of us can think of a situation
where the personal product/service offered by individuals has made or tainted a tour, vacation
or restaurant meal. Remember, people buy from people that they like, so the attitude, skills
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and appearance of all staff need to be first class. Some ways in which people add value to an
experience, as part of the marketing mix is, training, personal selling and customer service.
VII. Packaging:
Most consumer products goods depend on some form of packaging of transportation, display
and shopper convenience. In food and beverage products, packaging also provides important
safety benefits such as spoilage reduction and temper resistance.
The majority of Coca-Cola’s primary packaging is returnable bulk or made from commonly
recycled materials. They are developing packaging designs that use less material without
sacrificing quality, and investing in technologies in recovery systems that enables them to use
more recycled materials. Besides the shape of the bottles, cans and other packs are
determined by conducting mass amount of survey investing millions of dollars after every
certain period of time.
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SWOT Analysis:
As a market leader in beverage industry and the most valued brand in the world, Coca-Cola
has certain enormous strengths, weaknesses, huge opportunities and strong competitions. In
this section, an in depth SWOT analysis is given to measure a bit of the giant company’s total
situation.
Strengths:
Coca-Cola has been a complex part of world culture for a very long time. The
product's image is loaded with over-romanticizing, and this is an image many people
have taken deeply to heart.
The Coca-Cola image is displayed on T-shirts, hats, and collectible memorabilia. This
extremely recognizable branding is one of Coca-Cola's greatest strengths. "Enjoyed
more than 685 million times a day around the world Coca-Cola stands as a simple, yet
powerful symbol of quality and enjoyment" (Allen, 1995).
Additionally, Coca-Cola's bottling system is one of their greatest strengths. It allows
them to conduct business on a global scale while at the same time maintain a local
approach. The bottling companies are locally owned and operated by independent
business people who are authorized to sell products of the Coca-Cola Company.
Because Coke does not have outright ownership of its bottling network, its main
source of revenue is the sale of concentrate to its bottlers.
The Coca Cola sells beverages in around 200 countries. And it has a huge variety in
the product line.
Coca Cola was the first commercial sponsor of Olympic Games and it has been
sponsoring the FIFA and cricket world cup events.
People like the taste and quality of Coca Cola around the world.
Strong Financial reserves and returns
Huge range of brands and variety of product line to a huge extent
Weaknesses:
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
Weaknesses for any business need to be both minimized and monitored in order to
effectively. Achieve productivity and efficiency in their business’s activities, Coke is no
exception. Although domestic business as well as many international markets are thriving
(volumes in Latin America were up 12%), Coca-Cola has recently reported some "declines in
unit case volumes in Indonesia and Thailand due to reduced consumer purchasing power."
According to an article in Fortune magazine, "In Japan, unit case sales fell 3% in the second
quarter [of 1998] scary because while Japan generates around 5% of worldwide volume, it
contributes three times as much to profits.
Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Japan account for about 35% of Coke's volume
and none of these markets are performing to expectation.
Coca-Cola on the other side has effects on the teeth which is an issue for health care.
It also has got sugar by which continuous drinking of Coca-Cola may cause health
problems. Being addicted to Coca-Cola also is a health problem, because drinking of
Coca-Cola daily has an effect on your body after few years.
Customers are not being able to differentiate among few brands such as Coca Cola
Zero and Diet.
It high relies on Coca Cola drink only.
Most of the beverages supply is restricted to few countries.
Lack of innovation.
Opportunities:
Brand recognition is the significant factor affecting Coke's competitive position.
Coca-Cola's brand name is known well throughout 94% of the world today. The
primary concern over the past few years has been to get this name brand to be even
better known.
Packaging changes have also affected sales and industry positioning, but in general,
the public has tended not to be affected by new products.
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola's bottling system also allows the company to take advantage of infinite
growth opportunities around the world. This strategy gives Coke the opportunity to
service a large geographic, diverse area.
Making more innovations and overtaking competitors. Also there are huge
opportunities in acquiring firms which they have been doing for a long time. In India,
Coca-Cola acquired Thumbs-up cola and is doing a great job.
Launch healthy drinks
Increase mineral water sales
Increase Awareness programs
Launch other coca cola variants in the untapped countries.
Threats:
Currently, the threat of new viable competitors in the carbonated soft drink industry is not
very substantial. The threat of substitutes, however, is a very real threat. The soft drink
industry is very strong, but consumers are not necessarily married to it. Possible substitutes
that continuously put pressure on both Pepsi and Coke include tea, coffee, juices, milk, and
hot chocolate. Even though Coca-Cola and Pepsi control nearly 40% of the entire beverage
market, the changing health-consciousness of the market could have a serious affect. Of
course, both Coke and Pepsi have already diversified into these markets, allowing them to
have further significant market shares and offset any losses incurred due to fluctuations in the
market.
Consumer buying power also represents a key threat in the industry. The rivalry
between Pepsi.
Coke has produce a very slow moving industry in which management must
continuously respond to the changing attitudes and demands of their consumers or
face losing market share to the competition.
Consumers can easily switch to other beverages with little cost or consequence.
New entrants are gaining market share. Competitions from local firms.
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
It has some negative health effect.
Ongoing recession
Economy instability in third world countries and also in the European countries.
Political instability in Middle East and third world country. Some of the events like
Arab Spring and others.
Product Life Cycle:
To be able to market its product properly, a business must be aware of the product life cycle
of its product. The standard product life cycle tends to have five phases: Development,
Introduction, Growth, Maturity and Decline. Coca-Cola is currently in the maturity stage,
which is evidenced primarily by the fact that they have a large, loyal group of stable
customers. Furthermore, cost management, product differentiation and marketing have
become more important as growth slows and market share becomes the key determinant of
profitability. In foreign markets the product life cycle is in more of a growth trend Coke's
advantage in this area is mainly due to its establishment strong branding and it is now able to
use this area of stable profitability to subsidize the domestic Cola Wars.
Brand elements of Coca-Cola
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
Logo: Logo means the visual trademark that identifies the brand. The coca-cola
company has their own popular logo which helps to distinguish the coca-cola product
from others. The company never made any major change to their logo, the perception
that people have of their logo is one of consistency. But coca-cola has managed to
update the logo so that it looks more modern and ready for the future.
Packaging: All products of the Coca-Cola are committed to strict environmental
guidelines, and to ensuring their packaging has as little impact as possible on the
environment. For this, a recycling project was introduced in New Zealand
during 2001.which ensures their PET bottles contain an average of 10% recycled
material.
Shapes: The distinctive shapes of the Coca-Cola bottle are trademarked elements of
those brands.
Graphics: The dynamic ribbon is also a trademarked part of Coca-Cola's brand.
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
Slogan: Slogans are short phrases that communicate descriptive information about
the brand. Coca-Cola practices different slogans to communicate with their customer
since 1886. Here r some slogans in USA:
1886 - Drink Coca-Cola.
1942 - The only thing like Coca-Cola is Coca-Cola itself.
1986 - Red White & You (for Coca-Cola Classic)
2003 - Real.
2005 - Make It Real.
2006 - The Coke Side of Life (used also in the UK)
2007 - Live on the Coke Side of Life (also used in the UK)
2009 - Open Happiness
2010 - Twist The Cap To Refreshment
2011 - Life Begins Here
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
Criteria for choosing Brand elements:
Some of the criteria for choosing brand elements are Memorability, Adaptability, likability,
transferability, Protectability etc. Coca-Cola has maintained a good correlation for maintain
these criteria and so a good job in the market. A further discussion is given below:
Memorability: Memorability of Coca-Cola is pretty high in the consumers’ mind. From the
very beginning, Coca-Cola has maintained huge promotions to make it memorable to the
consumers’ mind. The slogan “joy of happiness”, or “open happiness” were quite popular and
referable to the brand.
Adaptability: Our Company moved up five spots to the No. 2 position in this year's "Top of
Mind" ranking of Argentina's most admired companies. The annual study is conducted by El
Clarín, the country's leading newspaper.
Out of the 10 attributes measured, Coca-Cola leads "Quality of Products and Services,"
"Creativity" and "Track Record," and runs second in "Quality of Management," "Adaptability
to Changing Environment," "Strategic Vision" and "Corporate Social Responsibility."
Measurability: Promotions and actions of Coca-Cola are measurable in the way they have
been doing for 1886. All the ads, TVCs, and differentiation are measured in perfect manner
so that consumers can get the idea of what the brand is and how it works.
Likability: Brand elements should be selected in a way so that it is liked by the target
customers. Coca-cola is very popular among the customers and consumers for which they
have been doing successful business in the beverage industry. Most effective likeliness of the
brand is new and diversified packaging after certain times. Coca-Cola spends millions of
dollars to survey and to determine the packaging which might be attracted to the target
customers. And the packaging and advertisements are quite popular on an average scenario.
Transferability: Coca-Cola has always been following the transferability criteria while
choosing their promotions or introduction of their brand. Slogans are always transferable and
also the brand mission and vision. They have maintained this feature in packaging,
introducing new item like Coca-Cola Zero, Diet Coke, Vanilla and other products. The brand
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
has introduced sub-brands and transferred and adjusted their current values and ways of
promoting to the new brands.
Protectability: Coca-Cola has protected their image, brand value and any chance of
imitation or process that might confuse consumers with other brands. When Pepsico named
the company as Pepsi Cola, Coca-Cola filed a lawsuit against the company stating that the
company name is too much similar to Coca-Cola brand name. PepsiCola lost the case and
then changed into Pepsico. Also there are some other incidents where Coca-Cola has filed
cases to protect their own identity.
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
Leveraging Brand Equity by secondary association:
I. Celebrity endorsement:
When a celebrity is paid to allow his or her name to advertise a product, fans of that celebrity
display a heightened level of interest in the product being offered. Some of the image of the
celebrity is 'transferred' to the product, offering a connection to the celebrity's fans. Coca-
Cola's current celebrity endorser is former England football captain Davi. In India, Amir
Khan, Imran khan are promoting Coca-Cola in different ads and programs. Famous
footballer of the club Manchester United, Wayne Rooney has also been endorsed to promote
Coca-Cola in different times d Beckham. 'Brand' Beckham and Beckham the man are two
different entities the former exists in our heads, and the latter in real life. The image plus the
product creates a powerful selling machine. Sad but true, Beckham doesn't drink Coca-Cola.
Some of the Celebrity endorsement is given below:
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
II. Co-Branding:
Axe deodorant (a.k.a. Lynx in many parts of the world) and Coke Zero have joined in a
promotional partnership in 2008. It was an effective way of achieving product sampling with
the added benefit of association with a cool brand. In 2011, Coca-cola has also co-branded
with the Red Monkey. The challenge was to create a complex visual identity for Coca-Cola
and Red Monkey Group - a leading gastronomy company in the CEE region. The website
states:
“We have found a way of cleverly incorporating the identity of Coca-Cola and
implementing into the existing identity of Red Monkey Group that has been updated
during the process. The result is a smooth and clean design with easy adaptability.”
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
Coca Cola Brand Positioning
'Coca-Cola's' brand personality reflects the positioning of its brand. Positioning is in the mind
of the consumer and can be described as how the product is considered by that consumer.
When researching the positioning of a product, consumers are often asked how they would
describe that product if it were a person. Coca cola has positioned itself as a part of their daily
life. This affinity between the brand and the consumer leads to a high degree of loyalty and
makes the purchasing decision easier. Coca Cola has been successful by using Unique Selling
preposition as “Live the coke side of life”.
Cole basically associates this brand with emotions and joy. We name of Coke comes into
mind the first thing comes into mind is fun and entertainment.
Perceptual Mapping of Coca-Cola:
Perceptual mapping is a graphics technique used by asset marketers that attempts to visually
display the perceptions of customers or potential customers. Below is the perceptual mapping
of coca-cola in relevance to the ideal points are given. A company considering introducing a
new product will look for areas with a high density of ideal points. They will also look for
areas without competitive rivals. This is best done by placing both the ideal points and the
competing products on the same map. The map shows the value proposition of Coca-Cola in
relevance to the price and the strength of flavor that it contains in the drink. The map also
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
shows that it is not much appropriate for a good health or healthy diet, Perceptual mapping of
Coca-Cola is given below:
Fig: Perceptual Mapping of Coca-Cola (Ideal points and clusters)
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
Differentiation Strategy, POD & POP: Coca Cola
POP of Coca-Cola simply refers to a soft drink with good taste which will serve thirst. POD
or a differentiation strategy calls for the development of a product or service that offers
unique attributes that are valued by customers and that customers perceive to be better than or
different from the products of the competition. The value added by the uniqueness of the
product may allow the firm to charge a premium price for it. The firm hopes that the higher
price will more than cover the extra costs incurred in offering the unique product. Because of
the product's unique attributes, if suppliers increase their prices the firm may be able to pass
along the costs to its customers who cannot find substitute products easily.
Coca Cola Company spends round about 20% of their total advertisement budget for
maintaining its differentiation strategy. Similarly coca cola has created its differentiation by
utilizing soft sell approach. Company has successfully positioned itself on the following
standards;
· Corporate reputation for quality and innovation.
· Successful communication of perceived strengths of the product.
· Symbol of fun and enjoy
Why this definition, Coca-Cola has unquestionably chosen a differentiation strategy. This
has always been Coca-Cola’s strategy since the early days of the company’s life as evident by
Woodruff refusing to match Pepsi’s 6 cent 12 ounce bottle. (Pendergrass, 2000) Coca-Cola
hopes to isolate their competition away from the market by creating a strong, brand loyal
customer base. They have dropped in market share lately and thus they need to create
stronger advertisements that will once again provide a sturdy customer base. This strategy is
a good choice for Coca-Cola; however it can be detrimental if they are not careful. A couple
more years of slipping market share may take Coca-Cola into the Stuck-in-the-Middle
category of which it can be very hard to climb out. There is a fine line between being
confident in a company and being content. Coca-Cola better be careful that they do not
mistake confidence with being content as their overwhelming success over the past century
could and very well may lead to ignorance of their current situation. Therefore if Coca-Cola
wishes to not only exist but also prosper in the future, a much stronger concentrated effort
toward a differentiation strategy will prove to be highly beneficial.
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
Limitations of the study:
This report is not free from limitations. Moreover the topic is so much vast, so we faced
some problems while preparing this report. The limitations acquainted with this report are as
the following.
Collecting previous information was little bit tough.
Information might be 100% perfect.
All the internet sources might not be reliable.
Decisions only based on this report might not be appropriate always
Technical Problems
Time shortage
Conclusion
This study lets the reader know about the huge entity of Coca-Cola, besides it creates brand
awareness and might lead to likeliness of the products. Surely, Coca-Cola brand is giant in
size. This term paper is aimed at revealing the brand performance of Coca-Cola and an in-
depth analysis of the marketing programs of the brand. Coca-Cola currently offers more than
500 brands in over 200 countries or territories and serves over 1.7 billion servings each day.
The company operates a franchised distribution system dating from 1889 where The Coca-
Cola Company only produces syrup concentrate which is then sold to various bottlers
throughout the world who hold an exclusive territory. Coca Cola has been successful by
using Unique Selling preposition as “Live the coke side of life”. Cole basically associates this
brand with emotions and joy. We name of Coke comes into mind the first thing comes into
mind is fun and entertainment. POP of Coca-Cola simply refers to a soft drink with good
taste which will serve thirst. POD or a differentiation strategy calls for the development of a
product or service that offers unique attributes that are valued by customers and that
customers perceive to be better than or different from the products of the competition. The
value added by the uniqueness of the product may allow the firm to charge a premium price
for it. The firm hopes that the higher price will more than cover the extra costs incurred in
offering the unique product.
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Brand Analysis of Coca-Cola
Reference:
1. Kevin Lane Keller, “Strategic Brand Management”, 3rd Edition, prentice
Hall ,Inc. 2008
2. Wikipedia, “Cola Wars”, retrieve date:11/12/11,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cola_Wars
3. Knowledge Inn, “Pricing Strategy Coke”, retrieve date: 11/12/11.
http://kninn.blogspot.com/2010/06/pricing-strategy-coke.html
4. The Coca-Cola Company official Website, “Our Manufacturing Process”,
retrieve date: 11/12/11.
5. Fortune 500, “Annual Ranking of America’s Large Corporations”, retrieve date:
11/12/1,1 http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/fortune/compare_2011.jsp?id=100
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