Coca-Cola was invented in 1886 by John Pemberton, who created a popular soda fountain beverage. The company has since conducted extensive market research including taste tests of new products. Coca-Cola has a wide audience but has also attempted to target new demographics. While Pepsi is its main competitor, Coca-Cola has differentiated itself through family-focused advertising campaigns and brand promotions like "Share a Coke".

2. COMPANY CHOSEN AND THEIR HISTORY
Coca-Cola (Coke) was invented in 1886 by John Pemberton, an Atlanta -
Georgia, pharmacist. Pemberton was actually trying to create a headache
remedy, but once he mixed his special syrup with carbonated water, and a
few customers tasted the result, he realized that he had the had created a
popular soda fountain beverage. The name Coca-Cola was produced by
Pemberton's bookkeeper, Frank Robinson, who also wrote out the new name
in the curly script that has become Coca Cola's original logo.

3. MARKET RESEARCH
How have they carried out research in the past?
In the mid-1980s, the Coca-Cola Company made a decision to introduce a new beverage product - The company had evidence
that taste was the single most important cause of Coke’s financial decline in the late 1970s and early 1980s. A new product
called “New Coke” was developed that tasted sweeter than the original coke formula. Almost 200,000 blind product taste tests
were conducted in the United States, and more than one-half of the participants preferred the new Coke over both the original
coke formula and Pepsi.
Who is their audience?
Coca-Cola has a very wide audience, a major factor in their huge popularity. Based on their advertising schemes they Coca-Cola
target people aged 12+ (based on their responsible marketing scheme) . Coca-Cola in the modern day targets men and women
equally, without any genderfication of their products. Although, the recent release of ‘Coke Life’ – a healthier alternative to
regular coke with more natural ingredients is more popular amongst women in their late 40s-likely related to the attempt at
weight loss and health improvements. Different cokes have different audiences, older people likely prefer the original coke they
remember from their childhood, where as the younger generation are less conservative in their choices, choosing coke cherry,
vanilla, lime, lemon and grape over the regular or diet cokes. Cokes advertising focuses on friends and family, which makes
sense as to ‘share a coke’ is a little more inviting than sharing water with your guests, and sharing a bottle of coke with family is
also more involving than just filling up a glass of juice.
Has their audience changed over the years, have they began to target different audiences?
Initially Coca-Cola had a similarly wide audience to what it has today, It simply targeted people who suffered from headaches every
now and then, which is most of us. Once Coca-Cola was discovered to be a flavorsome soft drink, its target market set shifted
from those looking to clear a headache to those looking for a refreshing beverage. Recently Coca-Cola has began to target the
health conscious as it is a very popular market at the moment, and Coca-Cola knew that releasing a healthy alternative to the
regular beverage would certainly break into the market successfully.

4. MARKET ANALYSIS
Who are the main competitors?
Pepsi is Coca-Cola's main competitor, selling alternative and similarly prices beverages.
How has the company dealt with these competitors?
Cocacola has focused on different advertising schemes compared to Pepsi, Coca-Cola focuses on
friends, family and happiness. On the other hand, Pepsi focuses on a cooler and more modern
style of advertising showing more intense scenes where as Coca-Cola is more relaxed.
Has there been repositioning of the brand in the market (alternate methods of
targeting audience) ?
Cocacola has held its place in the soft drinks market for years, there has been little transitioning in
their market history, other than attempting to break into health drink sectors with ‘coke life’.
Although this was not a major success due to the drink still containing unhealthy ingredients to
simulate the coke taste compared to real health drink competitors.
Sales history?
In the first year of coke, the creator was selling a mere 9 glasses per day, fast forward
130 years and it’s estimated that there are 1.8 billion bottles of coke sold per day.

5. MARKETING STRATEGY
Have they introduced new product lines?
Cocacola have introduced a variety of new products to the coke lines. These include
multiple flavours, diet, and zero sugar versions of coke.
Have these product lines been similar or have they diversified?
The products have been similar in terms of source, they all have the original coke
taste, but there differences come in the flavor or sugar content usually.
In terms of their strategy, have their products been endorsed or sponsored at
all?
Coke has been endorsed by the likes of NASCAR and the London Olympics.
How has the company used technology to gain ore media presence? Do they
maintain social media platforms?
Coke has its own social media accounts where it releases pictures and
advertisements, as well as promotions such as free cokes etc.

6. ADVERTISING & BRAND PROMOTION
What campaigns have been carried out in the past or recently?
Cocacola run hundreds of campaigns globally, recently they ran a campaign for a
couple weeks which allowed people to get a free coke zero from supporting
stores, such as greggs and asda.
Is there any good or bad examples of their campaigns?
A very successful campaign ran globally called ‘share a coke’. This simply had
peoples names on bottles of coke – and proved a massive hit as people loved
to see ‘their own’ names on a bottle of coke.
How has the brand been reinforced through advertising?
Cocacola often goes one step further than simply advertising on TV and on
posters, for example, buying out the London eye and renaming it the
‘Cocacola London eye’. This is a very powerful form of advertising, and likely
a successful one.

7. PR MANAGING THE MESSAGE
How has the brand managed their message?
Cocacola has always sold coke with a very family and happiness orientated
message. In an oddly eery way coke uses quotes such as ‘Taste the feeling’
and ‘Coke is happiness’. They manage this message with advertisements
which show the family and happiness shared when drinking coke.
Has the company reinforced brand values through their messages?
Definitely, ignoring the fact cocacola makes billions from unhealthy drinks, they
like to express their family orientated values and sustain this through their

8. POSITIVE PUBLICITY
Has an advert used cross promotion?
Coke zero was cross promoted with skyfall.
Has it benefited both the product and the endorsement?
Yes, is successfully built excitement and anticipation for the skyfall movie, as well
as creating a bond between coke and its audience through the likes of online
challenges and promotions.
Could you identify a positive event that has been produced?
The cross promotion was inspired by Conan O’Brian. Soon after the endorsement
was released he posted on facebook saying ‘Coke Zero Dark Thirty really
was a missed opportunity’. This post went viral and a trend began on twitter
where people would inegrate ‘coke’ into movie titles. This was a healthy
chunk of free audience fueled positive advertising for coke.

9. ORGANISING EVENTS
Has the company carried out any local or national events to help the
community or individuals?
For 38 years cocacola has sponsored ‘A special day for special people’ where
money is raised for the physically and mentally challenged, and elderly
people in the surrounding communities.
Has their been a failed event?
Not as far as I can find.

10. SPIN
Has the brand or company put a positive spin on their products?
Have they compared themselves to their competitors?
Coke never compares itself to competitors as its closest rival (pepsi) is still quite
far behind and poses no threat.
Has the product ever been disputed or debated by news stories and there
for what action has been carried out as a result?
Cocacola funded a company which claimed that sugary drinks are not the leading
cause of obesity, and that it was instead due to lack of exercise.

11. DAMAGE LIMITATION
Has their ever been an occasion where the brand has taken a hit from
media or consumers due to an event or an occurrence?
There has been increasing pressure put on coke – the leading sugary drink, to
cut the calories and sugars contained in its products due to increases in
obesity.
How did the marketing team prevent further negative publicity?
An advertisement was released explaining how everything contains calories, and
how if you intake more than you burn off, you’ll gain weight. They then
released an advert shortly after showing ways to burn off the 140 ‘Happy
Calories’ in a bottle of coke.

12. LOBBYING
Has lobbying occurred within the brand or company?
Yes, cocacola is involved in lobbying.
Has a conglomerate or parent company been involved in lobbying?
No, Cocacola is itself a parent company to various brands.