Soon after John S Pemberton prepared the first batch of Coca-Cola syrup in 1886, his friend and bookkeeper, F. M. Robinson, chose an alliterative name. He wrote the words in the now familiar flowing script, and, in 1893, “Coca-Cola” was registered officially in the U.
S Patent and Trademark Office. The Coca-Cola Company is the worlds largest beverage company and is the leading producer and marketer of soft drinks. The company markets four of the world’s top five soft drink brands: Coca-Cola (the world’s Number one and best known trademark), Diet Coke, Sprite and Fanta. Through the world’s largest and most pervasive distribution system, consumers in nearly 200 countries enjoy the Company’s products at a rate of more than 900 million a day. Soon after John S Pemberton prepared the first batch of Coca-Cola syrup in 1886, his friend and bookkeeper, F. M.
Robinson, chose an alliterative name. He wrote the words in the now familiar flowing script, and, in 1893, “Coca-Cola” was registered officially in the U. S Patent and Trademark Office. In 1941 the word “Coke” received equal prominence in advertising with “Coca-Cola” and in 1945 was registered as a trademark. In 1888 control of the budding businessman Asa G. Candler who saw the potential for Coca-Cola and acquired sole ownership for the princely sum of $2,300.
The Coca-Cola Company was formed in 1892 and within three years Coca-Cola was being drunk in every state of the U. S. Shortly afterwards the move into world markets began with sales in Canada and Honolulu. The key to this wider distribution was bottling. Coca-Cola was first put into bottles in 1894 but it was only at the turn of the century, when two businessmen from Chattanooga, Tennessee secured the rights to sell Coca-Cola throughout the U.
S that bottling commenced on a large scale. Asa Candler was a great believer in advertising and countless souvenir and novelty items depicting the trademark were distributed during his period as proprietor. In 1919 the Candler interests were sold to Atlanta banker Ernest Woodruff. His son Robert Winship Woodruff was elected president of the Coca-Cola in 1923. During the 20’s and 30’s under Robert Woodruff, the Coca-Cola Company introduced many new ways of distributing and dispensing Coca-Cola, the Glascock Cooler for example and Automatic Dole Master.
The stage was set for worldwide distribution with the establishment of what was to become the Coca-Cola Export Corporation in 1926 which was responsible for foreign sales. Under Woodruff’s leadership many new merchandising and marketing ideas were put into practice and his vision of Coca-Cola as an international institution soon became a reality. One of Robert Woodruff’s major objectives was to place Coca-Cola “within an arm’s reach of desire. ” Even thirsty sports fans were within hailing distance of a vendor selling ice-cold Coke. Robert Woodruff insisted on quality for the product and its image, initiating stringent quality control standards for both bottling and fountain operations.
By contract with The Coca-Cola Company or it’s local subsidiaries, bottling companies are authorised to package and sell their soft drinks within certain territorial boundaries and under conditions that ensure the highest standards of quality and uniformity. The company takes great pride in being a worldwide business that is always local. Bottling and canning plants are, with some exceptions, locally owned and operated by independent business people who are native to the countries in which they are located. Bottlers provide the required capital investment for land, buildings, machinery, equipment, trucks, bottles and cases.
Most supplies are bought form local sources, often creating new supply industries and areas of employment within the local economy. The company supplies bottlers with syrups, concentrates and beverage bases and actively engages in management assistance to help ensure the profitable growth of the bottler’s business. Bottlers are offered a broad range of business support services form the Company, in such areas as product quality control, marketing, advertising, engineering, finance and personnel training. To handle the enormous scope of its business, The Coca-Cola Company is divided into 6 operating units: the Middle and Far East Group, the Greater Europe Group, the Latin America Group, the North America Group (responsible for the United States and Canada), the Africa Group (responsible for the countries of sub-Saharan Africa), and The Minute Maid Company (the largest marketer of juice and juice-drink products in the world). The Company today views itself as a truly global corporation that happens to be headquartered in the United States.
With decades of experience in international business, the Company has mastered the challenges of marketing and advertising to a vast world population. The messages are not simply translated but tailored to suit local cultures. Even within a single country, like the United States, the Company reaches different audiences in different ways to make sure that no segment of the population misses the message that Company products are special, different and better. Competitive Advantage & Key Success Factors:Coca-Cola has built up a brand over the last 113 years in just under 200 countries serving a network of 14 million customers (e. g. Retailers, Cinemas etc.
) who resell onto the consumer. It’s recognisability as a brand is second to none. Coca-Cola is market leader in most of the countries it serves. Between all its brands it usually makes up three or four (e. g.
In the USA Coca -Cola has established four of its brands in the top five) of the top selling soft drinks. The company’s position within the market is virtually inpenetratable. The management successfully achieved to serve a wide range of markets and needs with equal effectiveness. The distribution system is regarded as one of the best in the world. The anchor bottlers, who are a strong and focused team, have contributed to the success of Coca-Cola.
Coca-Cola, usually, hold an equity position within these bottlers which builds a unique working relationship. It gives a sense that your customers are also your partners. The company continues it’s integrative growth. Coca-Cola has a number of world-renowned brands, such as, Sprite, Fanta and Diet Coke. It is believed if production plants and inventories of the company went up in flames overnight, banks would give funds to rebuild with only the trademarks “Coke” and “Coca-Cola” as security. A great Strength of Coca-Cola is its diversification of brands within the drinks industry.
As years pass they branch out into the juice (Minute Maid), sports drink (PowerAde) and water (Dasani) industry. Research and development (R&D) is a major factor in the company maintaining its number one slot. As they innovate by producing different brands, they also develop different products within the various brands. Most notably were the development of a variation of Coca-Cola itself with the introduction of Diet coke, Classic coke and Cherry coke.
Most recently was the expansion of the Powerade range with the launch of Arctic Shatter later this year. The dual vision of Coca-coal of being both nearsighted and farsighted has set a worldwide standard. While creating a short-term goal, they will not sacrifice a long-term vision, to achieve it. The company has always believed in creating and improving the infrastructure of the company to build for the future.
Amid dismal economic performance (e. g. Russia, Indonesia) will always continue to invest in the future. Coca-Cola boasts the slogan “Now is why we’re confident about always” which underlines their commitment to market orientated strategic planning. The market strength of Coca-Cola is revealed in the fact that in 113 years of business volume has only dropped 12 times, the last time was 44 years ago. It is for these reasons that Coca-Cola, which was a small chemist shop at the turn of the 20th century, will go into the 21st century as one of the top companies in the world.
In 1941 the word “Coke” received equal prominence in advertising with “Coca-Cola” and in 1945 was registered as a trademark. The Coca-Cola Company is the worlds largest beverage company and is the leading producer and marketer of soft drinks. The company markets four of the world’s top five soft drink brands: Coca-Cola (the world’s Number one and best known trademark), Diet Coke, Sprite and Fanta. Through the world’s largest and most pervasive distribution system, consumers in nearly 200 countries enjoy the Company’s products at a rate of more than 900 million a day. By contract with The Coca-Cola Company or it’s local subsidiaries, bottling companies are authorised to package and sell their soft drinks within certain territorial boundaries and under conditions that ensure the highest standards of quality and uniformity. The company takes great pride in being a worldwide business that is always local.
Bottling and canning plants are, with some exceptions, locally owned and operated by independent business people who are native to the countries in which they are located. Bottlers provide the required capital investment for land, buildings, machinery, equipment, trucks, bottles and cases. Most supplies are bought form local sources, often creating new supply industries and areas of employment within the local economy. The company supplies bottlers with syrups, concentrates and beverage bases and actively engages in management assistance to help ensure the profitable growth of the bottler’s business.
Bottlers are offered a broad range of business support services form the Company, in such areas as product quality control, marketing, advertising, engineering, finance and personnel training. To handle the enormous scope of its business, The Coca-Cola Company is divided into 6 operating units: the Middle and Far East Group, the Greater Europe Group, the Latin America Group, the North America Group (responsible for the United States and Canada), the Africa Group (responsible for the countries of sub-Saharan Africa), and The Minute Maid Company (the largest marketer of juice and juice-drink products in the world). The Company today views itself as a truly global corporation that happens to be headquartered in the United States. With decades of experience in international business, the Company has mastered the challenges of marketing and advertising to a vast world population. The messages are not simply translated but tailored to suit local cultures.
Even within a single country, like the United States, the Company reaches different audiences in different ways to make sure that no segment of the population misses the message that Company products are special, different and better. Competitive Advantage & Key Success Factors:Coca-Cola has built up a brand over the last 113 years in just under 200 countries serving a network of 14 million customers (e. g. Retailers, Cinemas etc.
) who resell onto the consumer. It’s recognisability as a brand is second to none. Coca-Cola is market leader in most of the countries it serves. Between all its brands it usually makes up three or four (e. g. In the USA Coca -Cola has established four of its brands in the top five) of the top selling soft drinks.
The company’s position within the market is virtually inpenetratable. The management successfully achieved to serve a wide range of markets and needs with equal effectiveness. The distribution system is regarded as one of the best in the world. The anchor bottlers, who are a strong and focused team, have contributed to the success of Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola, usually, hold an equity position within these bottlers which builds a unique working relationship. It gives a sense that your customers are also your partners.
The company continues it’s integrative growth. Coca-Cola has a number of world-renowned brands, such as, Sprite, Fanta and Diet Coke. It is believed if production plants and inventories of the company went up in flames overnight, banks would give funds to rebuild with only the trademarks “Coke” and “Coca-Cola” as security. A great Strength of Coca-Cola is its diversification of brands within the drinks industry.
As years pass they branch out into the juice (Minute Maid), sports drink (PowerAde) and water (Dasani) industry. Research and development (R;D) is a major factor in the company maintaining its number one slot. As they innovate by producing different brands, they also develop different products within the various brands. Most notably were the development of a variation of Coca-Cola itself with the introduction of Diet coke, Classic coke and Cherry coke.
Most recently was the expansion of the Powerade range with the launch of Arctic Shatter later this year. The dual vision of Coca-coal of being both nearsighted and farsighted has set a worldwide standard. While creating a short-term goal, they will not sacrifice a long-term vision, to achieve it. The company has always believed in creating and improving the infrastructure of the company to build for the future. Amid dismal economic performance (e.
g. Russia, Indonesia) will always continue to invest in the future. Coca-Cola boasts the slogan “Now is why we’re confident about always” which underlines their commitment to market orientated strategic planning.The market strength of Coca-Cola is revealed in the fact that in 113 years of business volume has only dropped 12 times, the last time was 44 years ago.It is for these reasons that Coca-Cola, which was a small chemist shop at the turn of the 19th century, will go into the 21st century as one of the top companies in the world.Bibliography:
