Since the invention of the Coca-Cola drink by John Pemberton in the mid-1880s, studies on the broad market that soft drink providers serve indicate that there is an increase in the uptake of soft drinks by the consumers (The Coca-Cola Company: Reports and Financial Information). It is evident that new entrants of the soft drink market have sought to outdo the reigning and seasoned provider in the market. The string of court cases arising out of the Cola brand is a clear indication that there is definitely a war aimed at clinching a piece of the market (Dost, 99). Despite all these reports, the Coca-Cola brand has stood out for more than one decade. It means that the Coca-Cola brand is the best selling and most popular brand of soft drink in history (Hill &Jones 134).
A decade after the Coca-Cola drink was formulated in a chemical laboratory by Dr. Pembert, the drink was present on sale in every state of the United States of America. The take up happened partly because of the mode of marketing that Pembert and his partners employed (Grant 58). Using the franchise model of distribution, the pioneers of the Coca-Cola brand reached the vast parts of the United States. With the initial lease of the bottling business to two businesspersons in Georgia, Asa Candler who is renowned to be the buyer of the Coca-Cola Company after the demise of Dr. Pembert, the channel of distribution of the Coca-Cola drink largely increased (Dost 80). Keenly following this model of distribution, the Coca-Cola Company has set the pace for the rest of players in the soft drink and carbonated drinks market. The franchise model of distribution has maintained the popularity of the Coca-Cola drink in the market due to the central maintenance of the sole syrup ingredient by the mother company (Hill & Garret 204). The franchise model has also ensured that the Coca-Cola brand has spread all over the wider geographical regions without a massive need of infrastructural outlay by the parent company (Dost 147).
Another factor that has spurned the progress of Coca-Cola to become the best and most popular brand in the world is its success in maintaining the brand name (overview of the Coca-Cola Company). Since 1885, Coca-Cola has stuck onto one brand without wavering. This strategy has pointed out to many that Coca-Cola is indeed a real thing (Hill & Garret, 130). If the contrary were true, a big number of Coca-Cola markets would lose trust in the Coca-Cola drink and the company. Studies related to the soft drink providers indicate that Coca-Cola has managed to retain the top position in the soft drink market because of numerous rebranding efforts exhibited by its main competitor Pepsi (Grant, 189). Pepsi has rebranded a dozen times in the period since its inception and up to 2008. Marketers term Coca Cola’s stand as the single recipe that has ensured the maintenance of trust in the market (Grant, 97).
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The mode of marketing exhibited by Coca-Cola is exceptional. Using smart women in its marketing campaigns, Coca-Cola sought to entice everyone on the globe to take up Coca-Cola as their favorite drink (Dost, 103). For instance, Coca-Cola has been able to influence the culture of people in the United States by altering the view of the famously known, though unseen Santa Claus. Using Santa Claus in a red and white suit, Coca-Cola has altered the widely accepted image of Santa Claus (Dost 154). It is a rather unifying model because of the belief of many people in the figure represented by Santa Claus. Another model of marketing that has set Coca-Cola several steps ahead is the pervasive marketing model (Grant 67). As reported by Woodruff, Coca Cola’s aim in marketing has been to ensure that all individuals on the earth take coke as their favorite drink. It precipitated into slogans that would ensure the success of this aim. Famous slogans used by Coca-Cola include: “I would like to teach the world a song. I’d like to buy the world a coke. Coke is it”. The Coca-Cola Company has also bought the Columbia pictures with the aim of increasing the rate of penetration through the media industry (Dost 158). Though this move has not been particularly fruitful, the approach depicts a smart move that has kept the soft drink giant at the top of charts. Another facet of marketing that has ensured that the Coca-Cola company clinched a massive piece in the market was the “Holiday is coming” campaign (Overview of the Coca-Cola company). Produced centrally by the Coca-Cola Corporation, the campaign sought to ignite the desire in the market to use Coca-Cola as a part of people’s holiday drinks. The effect of the trucks that brought in Coca-Cola in this advert has depicted the liveliness that is brought by taking Coke. It has furthered the lead that Coca-Cola has had in the soft drink market, hence making Coca-Cola the most popular and best rated soft drink in the market.
Coca-Cola has taken a leading hand in sponsoring global events that are deemed to unify the whole world (Dost 200). For example, Coca-Cola has been a consistent sponsor of the Olympic Games since 1928 when the Coca-Cola Company opened the tunnel of sponsorships for games. Coca-Cola has sponsored numerous games including football, baseball, hockey and cricket. For example, in 1928 Coca-Cola sponsored the Amsterdam Olympics. In 1978, Coca-Cola sponsored the World Cup of football commonly known as the FIFA World Cup. These campaigns have enabled Coca-Cola to do extensive marketing and publicity drives that have furthered its popularity and stand in the market (Dost 136). In doing its adverts, Coca-Cola has found it easy to reach different market segments by using different games that Coca-Cola supports to identify with the intended consumers. For instance, Coca-Cola has focused on sharing the name of the events that it sponsors. The world cups that Coca-Cola has sponsored include the name Coca-Cola in their names, thereby identifying the brand and drink as a major force in the soft drink industry.
Coca-Cola has been touted as the pacesetter in the American culture (Grant 108). It is clearly seen in movies and other media productions that the filmmakers have released since the inception of Coca-Cola. A case in point is the film The Gods Must Be Crazy. This film is entirely based on items tightly intertwined with the Coca-Cola brand. The bottle in the film is Coca-Cola and numerous parts of the film depict the part played by the giant world soft drink in the culture of people (Grant 108). Writers and songwriters have also taken up the strong cultural push to include Coca-Cola in their lyrics and plots of their books. For instance, Maxx Berry refers to Coke in his novel Syrup (Hill & Jones 109). “Come together” song by the Beatles is another song that heavily references coke. In this song, the songwriter inserts a statement that goes: “He shoots Coca-Cola” (Grant 169). Elvis Presley, an icon in the field of arts, also tightly identified with Coke, hence promoted it largely in his tour in 1977. With this basis, the Coca-Cola Company was able to use the image of Presley in doing their marketing campaigns in Japan (Dost 203). This identity held by people towards the drink pushes Coca-Cola to the top spot in relation to popularity and rating.
Coca-Cola boasts of the largest number of brands lined up in its portfolio (Overview of the Coca-Cola Company). Since the onset of the Coca-Cola original brand by the Dr. Pembert in 1886, the Coca-Cola Company has sought to maneuver the market challenges by adapting itself to the trends in the global markets. For instance, when the Nazi war was progressing and the original Coke found little favor with the Germans, the Coca-Cola Company introduced the Fanta drink in order to ensure that Coca-Cola did not lose the marketing standings (Grant 198). Coca-Cola drink alone holds different leading flavors in different geographical regions with the sole aim of capturing the needs of the market. For instance, in 1983 the Coca-Cola Company introduced the cocaine free version of its world known soft drink. It adopted the Coca-Cola drink to the market due to the negative influence of the idea that Coca-Cola contained caffeine. Coca-Cola cherry was launched in 1985 and was targeted at the Canadian market. Other significant variations and flavors of Coca-Cola seen in the market include Coca-Cola vanilla, Coca-Cola with lime, Coca-Cola with Raspberry, Coca-Cola Citra and Coca-Cola Black (Overview of the Coca-Cola Company). With this list of available variants, Coca-Cola has managed to maintain its popularity. Therefore, it stands out as the best soft drink as rated in the market.
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The statistics indicating the number of Coca-Cola drinks taken daily all over the world further assert the popularity and rating of the Coca-Cola drink (The Coca-Cola Company: Reports and Financial Information). Despite the unfavorable economic times that have seen the exit of other key players in the soft drink industry, Coca-Cola has maintained a lead in sales and revenue. For instance, the Coca-Cola in relation to the reported financial status was able to post positive improvements in its profits prior to taxation by averagely 5% (The Coca-Cola Company: Reports and Financial Information). Earnings before the interest and tax increased by 3% with the combined strength in the balance sheet due to the increase in the interest cover and return on investment by approximately 5% and 15% respectively. These results have been posted by the Coca-Cola company despite the occurrence of numerous natural disasters in New Zealand and parts of Australia. The Coca-Cola Company has also been able to post positive improvements in the operating costs. It has happened despite the increase in the costs of exchange rates of international currencies and investment costs in different countries. In order to lower costs, the Coca-Cola Company has ensured streamlining of operational costs together with the optimal operating capacity, hence, a substantial release of costs for other investment options (The Coca-Cola Company: Reports and Financial Information).
In conclusion, it is evident that Coca-Cola is a market force that has wielded all its power to remain the best-rated and most popular brand of soft drink (Overview of the Coca-Cola Company). The marketing strategies employed by the Coca-Cola Company are pervasive (Grant 108). Selling the world known drink, the Coca-Cola Company has ensured that all people around the globe identify with this drink and make it their favorite carbonated drink. The Coca-Cola Company has sponsored numerous sporting activities including football and basketball, thus facilitating the reach to the market held by fans and enthusiasts of these popular sports (Dost 78). The Coca-Cola Company has also held tight on the initial formula of the soft drink. It has kept the company at the top of business charts because of the unmatched standards and tastes (Overview of the Coca-Cola Company). The revenues that Coca-Cola has raked in from the sale of its different drinks indicate the fraction of the market containing the soft drinks offered by the soft drink company (The Coca-Cola Company: Reports and Financial Information).
