| Coca Cola Essay, Research Paper
Abstract
The Coca-Cola Company started out as an insignificant one-man business and over the last one hundred and ten years it has grown into one of the largest companies in the world. Coca-Cola was originally used as a never and brain tonic and a medical elixir. Coca-Cola debuted as a non-carbonated beverage and later carbonated water was added to the syrup to make the beverage what we know today as Coca-Cola. Today, The Coca-Cola Company is the world’s largest producer and distributor of soft drink syrups and concentrates.
The Coca-Cola Bottling Company:
The Making of Classic
The Coca-Cola Company started out as an insignificant one-man business and over the last one hundred and ten years it has grown into one of the largest companies in the world. The first operator of the company was Dr. John Pemberton and the current operator is M. Douglas Ivester. Without societies help, Coca-Cola could not have become over a 50 billion-dollar business. Keogh, Donald R., (1987, May). Three A s Spell Global Success Journey, pp. 5-11.
Coca-Cola was invented by Dr. John Pemberton, an Atlanta pharmacist. He concocted the formula in a three-legged brass kettle in his backyard on May 8, 1886. He mixed a combination of lime, cinnamon, coca leaves, and the seeds of a Brazilian shrub to make the fabulous beverage. Coca-Cola debuted in Atlanta s largest pharmacy, Jacob s Pharmacy, as a five-cent non-carbonated beverage. Later on, the carbonated water was added to the syrup to make the beverage what we know today as Coca-Cola. King, Monroe, Originator of Coca-Cola, Pharmacy in History, vol. 29 (1987), no. 2, pp. 85-89
Coca-Cola was originally used as a never and brain tonic and a medical elixir. Coca-Cola was named by Frank Robinson, one of Pemberton s close friends; he also penned the famous Coca-Cola logo in unique script. Dr. John Pemberton sold a portion of the Coca-Cola Company to Asa Candler, after Pemberton s death the remainder was sold to Candler. Pemberton was forced to sell because he was in a state of poor health and was in debt. Pemberton paid $76.96 for advertising, but he only made $50.00 in profits. Candler acquired the whole company for $2,300.
Candler achieves a lot during his time as owner of the company. On January 31, 1893, the famous Coca-Cola formula was patented. He also opened the first syrup manufacturing plant in 1884. His great achievement was the large scale bottling of Coca-Cola in 1899. In 1915, the Root Glass Company made the contour bottle for the Coca-Cola Company. Candler aggressively advertised Coca-Cola in newspapers and on billboards. In the newspapers, he would give away coupons for a free Coke at any fountain. Coca-Cola was sold after the Prohibition Era to Ernest Woodruff for 25 million dollars. Woodruff gave Coca-Cola to his son, Robert Woodruff, who would be president for six decades.
Robert Woodruff was an influential man in Atlanta because of his contributions to area colleges, universities, businesses and organizations. When he made a contribution, he would never leave his name; this is how he became known as Mr. Anonymous. Woodruff introduced the six-bottle carton in 1923. He also made Coca-Cola available through vending machines in 1929, that same year; the Coca-Cola bell glass was made available. He started advertising on the radio in the 1930s and on the television in 1950. Currently Coca-Cola is advertised on over five hundred TV channels around the world. In 1931, he introduced the Coke Santa as a Christmas promotion and it caught on. Candler also introduced the twelve-ounce Coke can in 1960. The Coca-Cola contour bottle was patented in 1977. The two-liter bottle was introduced in 1978; the same year the company also introduced plastic bottles.
Woodruff did have one dubious distinction; he raised the syrup prices for distributors. But he improved efficiency at every step of the manufacturing process. Woodruff also increased productivity by improving the sales department, emphasizing quality control, and beginning large-scale advertising and promotional campaigns. Woodruff made Coke available in every state of the Union through the soda fountain.
In 1985, the Coca-Cola Company made what has been known as one of the biggest marketing blunder. They put forth 4 million dollars of research to come up with a new formula. The decision to change their formula and pull the old Coke off the market came about because taste tests showed a distinct preference for the new formula. The new formula was a sweeter variation with fewer tangs; it was also slightly smoother. Robert Woodruff s death was a large contributor to the change because he stated, “he would never change Coca-Cola s formula.” [Online]. Available FTP: www.thecoca-colacompany.com/tcc.bottle.html. Another factor that influenced the change was that Coke s market share fell 2.5 percent in four years. Each percentage point lost or gain meant 200 million dollars. A financial analyst said, Coke s market share fell from 24.3 percent in 1980 to 21.8 percent in 1984. Schuster, S. (1997, May). The Thirst Quenching Drink. Wall Street Journal, pp. 20-21. This was the first flavor change since the existence of the Coca-Cola Company.
The change was announced April 23, 1985 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater at the Lincoln Center. Some two hundred TV and newspaper reporters attended this very glitzy announcement. It included a question and answer session, a history of Coca-Cola, and many other elements.
The debut was accompanied by an advertising campaign that revived the Coca-Cola theme song of the early 1970s; I в like to buy the World a Coke. (1972, July 12). The New York Times p. A17. The Jingle read like this:
I в like to teach the world to sing,
In perfect harmony,
I в like to buy the world a Coke,
And keep it company.
The change to the world s best selling soft drink was head by 81 percent of the United States population within twenty-four hours of the announcement. Within a week of the change, one thousand calls a day were flooding the company eight hundred number (1-800-GET-COKE). Most of the callers were shocked and/or outraged, many said that were considering switching to Pepsi. The company also fielded over forty thousand letters, which were all answered and each person got a coupon for new Coke. Many American consumers of Coca-Cola asked if they would have the final say.
The Coca-Cola Company is the world’s largest producer and distributor of soft drink syrups and concentrates. Company products are sold through bottlers and fountain wholesalers and distributors in nearly 200 countries around the globe. In 1998, Company products represented approximately 51 percent of total soft drink unit case volume consumed worldwide. One of the Coca-Cola Company s greatest strengths lies in its ability to conduct business on a global scale while maintaining a multilocal approach. At the heart of this approach is the bottler system. [Online]. Available FTP:www.thecoca-colacompany.com.
Coca-Cola s Mission is to create value for our shareowners on a long-term basis by building a business that enhances The Coca-Cola Company s trademarks. This also is our ultimate commitment. As the world s largest beverage company, Coca-Cola strives by developing superior soft drinks, both carbonated and non-carbonated, and profitable nonalcoholic beverage systems that create value for the Company, their bottling partners, their customers, their shareowners and the communities in which they do business. In creating value, they succeed or fail based on their ability to perform as worthy stewards of several key assets:
1. Coca-Cola, the world s most recognized trademark, and other highly
valuable trademarks.
2. The world s most effective and pervasive distribution system.
3. Satisfied customers, who make a good profit selling products.
4. People, are ultimately responsible for building Coca-Cola’s enterprise.
5. Abundant resources must be intelligently allocated.
6. Maintaining a strong global leadership in the beverage industry in
particular and in the business world in general.
Quality every time is the Secret Ingredient What is Coca-Cola s secret ingredient? Coke tells one secret is locked safely away in a secured vault. But another is just at arm’s length away. It’s the consistent quality of Coca-Cola. The secret ingredient! People love to speculate about the secret ingredient in Coca-Cola. Some say it could be ferreted out by simple analytical chemistry. Others are sure they taste a distinctive flavor base. Steinback-Palazzini, F. (1986). Coca-Cola Superstar. But most are simply delighted that it makes Coca-Cola, the world’s premier soft drink, taste so consistently delicious has been said that if production plants and inventories of The Coca-Cola Company were to go up in flames overnight, any bank would lend the funds for rebuilding. The loan would be secured only on the value of the trademarks of “Coca-Cola” and “Coke,” the number-one soft drink worldwide. Pendergrast, M. (1993). For God, Country and Coca-Cola The Unauthorized History of the Great American Soft Drink and the company that makes it.
Coca-Cola s process is the magic of turning syrup into a finished beverage is the role of independent bottlers and canners. They bring together the essential ingredients syrup, water and carbon dioxide and transform them into the essence of refreshment.
Whatever, Coca-Cola came to be presented in many ways to please all its consumers and never leave them dry. An intrinsic part of Coca-Cola’s history is the story of its packaging, from the development of the original bottle to the metal cans, which were first developed for the armed forces overseas. Of course, today the technologies for producing these drinks are very advanced. But the basic objective is still the same to capture the bubbles in order to let them burst into lift the moment the container is opened. To the early pioneers of Coca-Cola, Pemberton, Robinson and Candler, should be added the name of the first Coca-Cola bottler, Joseph A. Biedenharm.
References
Keogh, Donald R., (1987, May). Three A s Spell Global Success Journey, pp. 5-11.
King, Monroe, Originator of Coca-Cola, Pharmacy in History, vol. 29 (1987), no. 2, pp. 85-89.
[Online]. Available FTP:www.thecoca-colacompany.com/tcc.bottle.html
Schuster, S. (1997, May). The Thirst Quenching Drink. Wall Street Journal, pp. 20-21.
I в like to buy the World a Coke. (1972, July 12). The New York Times p. A17.
[Online]. Available FTP:www.thecoca-colacompany.com.
Steinback-Palazzini, F. (1986). Coca-Cola Superstar
Pendergrast, M. (1993). For God, Country and Coca-Cola The Unauthorized History of the Great American Soft Drink and the company that makes it.
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