Coca Cola is by far the most famous soft drink brand in the world. It is a brand you will see in the most populated cities like New York City and the most remote parts of the world e.g. the Australian outback. This is because the founders have been on a mission to make it the most valuable and well- known brand in the world since its introduction in 1886.
Coke was first developed in a Georgia-based chemical company by a chemist called John Pemberton. It was then sold as a medically potent drink since it was believed that carbonated drinks improved health. This therefore means that Coca-Cola started enjoying a good reputation right off the bat as people started buying the drinks to cure a myriad of ailments like headaches, addictions, fertility problems and diseases of the nervous system like neurasthenia, stomach upset etc. This initial success allowed the business to grow exponentially until the founders decided to incorporate in 1888 under the name Coca-Cola Company. The infighting among the owners did not, in any way, deter sales because as of 1944, a billion gallons of coke had been sold. The owners decided to increase sales by introducing canned coke in 1955, a move that resulted in an almost exponential increase in sales.
The road to the current levels that the Coca cola brand enjoys has not been easy. The company has had to deal with protests from the public when they tried to change the formula in the new coke. In a desperate bid to prevent diminishing sales, they reverted back to high fructose corn syrup from cane sugar as the main sweetener. Coke has also had to deal with nationwide protests from countries like Iraq, Burma etc. when they boycotted the company because of bad perceptions, investment sanctions and political instability. Needless to say, the Coca Cola management has been able to solve most of these challenges without having to suffer any long term losses. All the obstacles that Coke has had to deal with have, in many ways, allowed it to enjoy the success it does today. This success is seen in the variety of award it has won. For instance, Coca-Cola was known as the world’s most admired companies in fortune magazine in 2010, the world’s best multilingual workplaces in 2011, the world’s most valuable brand in 2011, best bottling company etc. All this therefore means that the successes and challenges have allowed Coke to become one of the world’s most favored drinks allowing it to reach milestones like making a billion sterling pounds in sales in the UK in 2010 alone.
While Coca-Cola is undoubtedly a well-established brand, it is important to know a few things about the ingredients found in each drink. In each bottle of coke, you’ll find varying amounts of carbonated water, food coloring, natural flavors, caffeine, phosphoric acid, carbohydrates, sodium etc. It should be added that the exact formula for coca cola is secret meaning that you shouldn’t start thinking of slashing your shopping bills by manufacturing your own supply.
In a nutshell, the strong Coca-Cola brand, the bullet proof business model, the product variety etc. ensures that Coke will stay around for many years to come.
