Review of few facets of Cola Market

Narinder Jit Singh, EPGP1314 P a g e | 1
TERM – 2
Marketing Management
Review of few facets of Cola Market
Submitted to
Prof. Dwarika Prasad Uniyal
(Course Faculty)
On
17th
February, 2014
By
Narinder Jit Singh EPGPM1314

Index
Consumer Survey Page No
1. Scope of Study 04
2. Limitations of Study 05
3. History of various Colas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ ……) 06
4. Questionnaire 10
5. Results 12
6. Lessons Learnt 22
General Analysis
7. Pet Bottle (600 ml) Labelling and Branding Analysis 26
8. Company Shares of Soft Drinks (RTD) 29
9. Brand Shares of Soft Drinks (RTD) 30
10. Forecast Off-trade vs On-trade Sales of Soft Drinks Volume 31
11. Forecast Off-trade vs On-trade Sales of Soft Drinks Value 31
12. FB Page Analysis 32
13. Retails Space and Price points 35

Consumer Survey

Scope of Study
The scope of study comprises three distinct Cola brands from two big companies i.e. Pepsi and
Coca Cola.
Purpose of this short study was to know the following:
1. Preferences of consumers in terms of 3 cola brands i.e. Coke, Pepsi and Thums up,
2. Frequency of the cola consumption by consumers,
3. Places where they most frequently drink their favourite cola,
4. Quantity of consumption at any one point of time
5. To know whether consumers prefer to drink alone or in the company of someone,
6. To determine the main reason for the consumption of cola,
7. To gain insight about loyalty a customer is having for his cola brand,
8. To know whether consumers are aware of the hazards associated with consumption
of cola,
9. To know which advertisement consumers were able to recollect.

Limitation of Study
Sample size was limited to the extent of 50 consumers. Most of the consumers interviewed
were known to the researcher. Sample was more of convenience sampling rather than random
sampling which would have generated much fairer insight into consumer behaviour in terms of
cola preferences. All the consumers interviewed were highly qualified, so represent limited set
of overall consumers of all 3 cola brands. All consumers surveyed, represented highly
urbanized way of living and this study will not reflect on semi urban and rural part of the
country. Those who were interviewed represented maximum number of males almost 90 % of
sample comprised males.

History of Three Major Cola Brands
Pepsi:
“Pepsi was first introduced as "Brad's Drink" in New Bern, North Carolina, United States, in
1893 by Caleb Bradham, who made it at his drugstore where the drink was sold. It was later
labeled Pepsi Cola, named after the digestive enzyme pepsin and kola nuts used in the recipe.
Bradham sought to create a fountain drink that was delicious and would aid in digestion and
boost energy.
In 1903, Bradham moved the bottling of Pepsi-Cola from his drugstore to a rented warehouse.
That year, Bradham sold 7,968 gallons of syrup. The next year, Pepsi was sold in six-ounce
bottles, and sales increased to 19,848 gallons. In 1909, automobile race pioneer Barney
Oldfield was the first celebrity to endorse Pepsi-Cola, describing it as "A bully
drink...refreshing, invigorating, a fine bracer before a race." The advertising theme "Delicious
and Healthful" was then used over the next two decades. In 1926, Pepsi received its first logo
redesign since the original design of 1905. In 1929, the logo was changed again.
In 1931, at the depth of the Great Depression, the Pepsi-Cola Company entered bankruptcy – in
large part due to financial losses incurred by speculating on wildly fluctuating sugar prices as a
result of World War I. Assets were sold and Roy C. Megargel bought the Pepsi trademark.
Megargel was unsuccessful, and soon Pepsi's assets were purchased by Charles Guth, the
President of Loft, Inc. Loft was a candy manufacturer with retail stores that contained soda
fountains. He sought to replace Coca-Cola at his stores' fountains after Coke refused to give
him a discount on syrup. Guth then had Loft's chemists reformulate the Pepsi-Cola syrup
formula.
On three separate occasions between 1922 and 1933, The Coca-Cola Company was offered the
opportunity to purchase the Pepsi-Cola company, and it declined on each occasion.”
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepsi)

Coca Cola:
“Colonel John Pemberton was wounded in the Civil War, became addicted to morphine, and
began a quest to find a substitute to the dangerous opiate. The prototype Coca-Cola recipe was
formulated at Pemberton's Eagle Drug and Chemical House, a drugstore in Columbus,
Georgia, originally as a coca wine. He may have been inspired by the formidable success of
Vin Mariani, a European coca wine.
In 1885, Pemberton registered his French Wine Coca nerve tonic. In 1886, when Atlanta and
Fulton County passed prohibition legislation, Pemberton responded by developing Coca-Cola,
essentially a nonalcoholic version of French Wine Coca. The first sales were at Jacob's
Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 8, 1886. It was initially sold as a patent medicine for
five cents a glass at soda fountains, which were popular in the United States at the time due to
the belief that carbonated water was good for the health. Pemberton claimed Coca-Cola cured
many diseases, including morphine addiction, dyspepsia, neurasthenia, headache, and
impotence. Pemberton ran the first advertisement for the beverage on May 29 of the same year
in the Atlanta Journal.
The first bottling of Coca-Cola occurred in Vicksburg, Mississippi, at the Biedenharn Candy
Company in 1891. The proprietor of the bottling works was Joseph A. Biedenharn. The
original bottles were Biedenharn bottles, very different from the much later hobble-skirt design
of 1915 now so familiar. It was then a few years later that two entrepreneurs from
Chattanooga, Tennessee, namely; Benjamin F. Thomas and Joseph B. Whitehead, proposed the
idea of bottling and were so persuasive that Candler signed a contract giving them control of
the procedure for only one dollar. Candler never collected his dollar, but in 1899, Chattanooga
became the site of the first Coca-Cola bottling company. Candler remained very content just
selling his company's syrup. The loosely termed contract proved to be problematic for The
Coca-Cola Company for decades to come. Legal matters were not helped by the decision of the
bottlers to subcontract to other companies, effectively becoming parent bottlers. The first
outdoor wall advertisement that promoted the Coca-Cola drink was painted in 1894 in
Cartersville, Georgia.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca-Cola)

Thums Up
“During the late 1970s, American cola giant Coca-Cola abandoned operations in India rather
than accept a forced sale of 60% of their equity to an Indian company. Following this, the Parle
brothers, Ramesh Chauhan and Prakash Chauhan, along with then CEO Bhanu Vakil, launched
Thums Up as their flagship drink, adding to their portfolio of older brands Limca (lime
flavour) and Gold Spot (orange flavour).
Thums Up enjoyed a near monopoly with a much stronger market share, often overshadowing
domestic rivals like Campa Cola, Double Seven, Dukes and United Breweries Group's
McDowell's Crush, although many small players sold well in their own markets.
It was one of the major advertisers throughout the 1980s. In the mid '80s it faced short-lived
competition from Double Cola.
In 1990, when the Indian government opened the market to multinationals, Pepsi was the first
to come in. Thums Up and Pepsi subsequently engaged in heavy competition for endorsements.
Pepsi spokespersons included major Indian movie stars like Juhi Chawla, while Thums Up
increased its spending on Cricket sponsorship. Thums Up also introduced a larger 300 ml
(10 US fl oz) bottle, branded "MahaCola" (the original size was 250 ml (8.5 US fl oz)). This
nickname gained popularity in smaller towns where people would ask for "Maha Cola" instead
of Thums Up. Consumers were divided, with some saying that Pepsi’s mild taste was rather
bland.
In 1993 Coca-Cola re-entered India after a prolonged absence, spurring a three-way Cola War
with Thums Up and Pepsi. That same year, Parle sold out to Coke for US$60 million. Some
assumed Parle had lost the appetite for a fight against the two largest cola brands; others
surmised that the international brands' seemingly endless cash reserves overwhelmed Parle.
Thums Up had an 85% market share when sold.
Despite its strong overall equity, the brand was losing its popularity among the core cola
drinking age group of 12 to 25 year-olds, partly due to a lack of advertising.

Coca-Cola apparently did try to kill Thums Up, but soon realized that Pepsi would benefit
more than Coke if Thums Up was withdrawn from the market. Instead, Coke decided to use
Thums Up as a rival brand to Pepsi. The Coca-Cola Company by this time had about 60.5%
share of the Indian soft-drink market but much to its dismay found out that if it took out Thums
Up, it would remain with only 28.72% of the market (according to a report by NGO Finance &
Trade in India), hence it once again dusted out the Thums Up brand and re-launched it
targeting the 30 to 45 year olds.
The brand was re-positioned as a “manly” drink, drawing on its strong taste qualities. Known
to be a strong drink with more power packed into it than other colas, it was a favorite in rum-
based cocktails, as in “rum and Thums Up.” Thums Up kick-started an aggressive campaign
directly attacking Pepsi’s television commercials, focusing on the strength of the drink hoping
that the depiction of an “adult” drink would appeal to young consumers. “Grow up to Thums
Up” was a successful campaign. The brand’s market share and equity soared. The brand was
unshakeable and Coca-Cola’s declaration that Thums Up was India’s premier cola brand in
terms of market share did not surprise many.
Other campaigns from Thums Up build on its “strength” and its perception as a macho drink.
Ads showing the Thums Up man, riding through the desert in search of a cantina that sells
Thums Up rather than drink another cola, stuck in the minds of many Indians and caught the
imagination of youngsters who wanted to be seen as men.
In February 2012, popular South Indian actor Mahesh Babu became a spokesperson for Thums
Up. In October 2012, Coca-Cola India signed Salman Khan once again as the brand
ambassador of Thums Up.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thums_Up)

1 Which Cola brand do you like?
A) Coke
B) Pepsi
C) Thums Up
D) None of Above
2 How frequently do you drink any of above choices?
A) Daily
B) Weekly
C) Once in a Month
D) Occasionally
3 What is the quantity of Consumptions at one occasion?
A) 200 ml (Small Bottle)
B) 600 ml (Pet Bottle)
C) Loose Quantity (Anything between 200 ml to 600 ml)
D) More than above
4 Most frequent place of consumption
A) Home
B) Office
C) Social Gathering (Birthday parties/ Marriage parties etc.)
D) On outings
5 Usual Number of the persons drinking Cola when you drink:
A) Alone
B) 2 to 3
C) 4 to 5
D) More than that.
Questionnaire

6 What is the main reason for drinking Cola?
A) Feeling Thirsty
B) Taste
C) Just like that
7 If your choice is not available then which brand will you prefer?
A) Coke
B) Pepsi
C) Thums up
D) Won’t take any other
8
If answer to above question 7 is D) then are you are willing search for
your cola in other places?
A) Yes
B) No
9) Which cola advertisement at the first go you can recollect?
A) Coke
B) Pepsi
C) Thums Up
D) None of above
10) Are you aware of health hazards associated with Cola consumption?
A) Yes
B) No
Questionnaire

Question
Which Cola brand do you like?
Responses %
A) Coke 36
B) Pepsi 8
C) Thums Up 38
D) None of Above 18
When asked about which brand of cola they liked, maximum response came in favour of
Thums up and second in the lead was coke. Pepsi was third distant runner among the sample
interviewed. 18% even said they don’t drink any type of the cola because they don’t like it.
These consumers were not asked further 8 questions which basically meant to get insight into
cola drinking habits. However they were asked last question about whether they are aware of
health hazards associated with the cola consumption or not.

How frequently do you drink any of above choices?
Responses %
A) Daily 0
B) Weekly 22
C) Once in a Month 29
D) Occasionally 49
Those who said they like one of the cola referred in first questions were further asked about
frequency of the consumption. As survey was being carried during winter, special care was
taken to remind normal consumption habits keeping in view during winter consumption
reduces due to other preferences. However almost 50% of the respondent said they drink cola
occasionally whether it is summer or winter. If we combine occasionally drinking people with
those of who take once in a month it is 78% of those surveyed, who fall in the category of the
persons drinking cola. However no one admitted drinking cola daily.

Question
What is the quantity of Consumptions at one occasion?
Responses %
A) 200 ml (Small Bottle) 49
B) 600 ml (Pet Bottle) 12
C) Loose Quantity (Anything between 200 ml to 600 ml) 39
D) More than above 0
The respondents were posed with question as to the quantity of consumption at one occasion.
Almost 50% of respondent said they consume around 200ml of cola at one go. Very few said
they consume 600 ml at one occasion. No body admitted having taken cola more than 600ml.
Many respondents told, even it was not part of structured questionnaire, cola is only used with
hard drinks otherwise they don’t consume cola.

Question
Most frequent place of consumption
Responses %
A) Home 22
B) Office 2
C) Social Gathering (Birthday parties/ Marriage parties etc.) 46
D) On outings 29
To know where exactly cola consumption happens, a question was posed with regard to usual
place of drinking cola. Here also respondents might be because of similarity in the background
of each respondent, said maximum consumptions of the cola happen during the social
gatherings i.e. Birthday parties/ Marriage parties etc. Second place of consumption was during
the period when the person was on outings. Significant percentage of people to the tune of 22%
also said they consume cola at home. But this % is far less when compared with those taking it
in social gathering and on outings. One surprising fact came out of survey only 2% admitted
there frequent place of cola consumption as office.

Question
Usual Number of the persons drinking Cola when you drink:
Responses %
A) Alone 5
B) 2 to 3 61
C) 4 to 5 15
D) More than that. 20
To access whether person prefers to drink cola alone or in the company of others, the question
was asked from the respondents. A high majority to the tune of 61% said they consume cola
when they are in a group of 2 to 3 persons. Distant second highest was more than 5 people to
consume cola together. Very few said they take cola when they are alone.

Question
What is the main reason for drinking Cola?
Responses %
A) Feeling Thirsty 10
B) Taste 27
C) Just like that 63
When asked for the main reason of drinking the cola, 63% of respondent said they just drink
for no specific reason. But significant number of persons also said they drink it for the taste.
Small number of respondent said they drink cola when they feel thirsty.

Question
If your choice is not available then which brand will you prefer?
Responses %
A) Coke 39
B) Pepsi 22
C) Thums up 22
D) Won’t take any other 17
To know about the brand loyalty of the respondents, this question was asked. 83% of the
respondents were ready to consume other cola if their preferred brand was not available. Only
minor majority said they will not take any cola if their choice is not available.

Question
If answer to above question 7 is D) then are you are willing search for your cola in other
places?
Response %
A) Yes 50
B) No 50
Fifty % of those who answered they are not willing to take any other cola said they will not
make any efforts to search for their cola at other places. So very small % of overall sample size
was ready to make additional efforts to locate for the brand of cola they drink.

Question
Which cola advertisement at the first go you can recollect?
Response %
A) Coke 34
B) Pepsi 20
C) Thums Up 29
D) None of above 17
Maximum numbers of the respondent were in a position to recollect one of the 3 cola
advertisements. However few were not able to recollect any of the advertisements. Maximum
recollection was for Coke or Thums up.

Questions
Are you aware of health hazards associated with Cola consumption?
Responses %
A) Yes 88
B) No 12
Almost every respondent was aware of the health hazards associated with cola consumption.
Very few to the tune of 12% said they are not aware of health hazards associated with cola
consumption.

Lessons Learnt
Mostly FMCG category products are fast moving category with stiff completion. In this
category occupying consumer mind space is essential. With a little let up in consumer memory
game is lost. One needs to be aware of what the consumer’s preferences are and how he
behaves or consumes a particular product.
Cola market today is governed by 2 major players and 3 major Brands. These brands in order
of importance in terms of Indian market are Thums up, Coke and Pepsi. The history of all of
them has been cited in the beginning. All three brands compete to occupy consumer mind
space.
Cola has health hazards and awareness among those interviewed was high, even then 88% of
respondents consume cola. It could be attributed towards heavy advertisement done by these
two cola companies that people tend to neglect harmful effects and go ahead with the
consumptions of these cola products. In matter of advertisement recollection, maximum mind
space was occupied by Coke as 34% of respondents were able to recollect coke ad at first go.
Second was Thums Up advertisement to the tune of 29%. There is famous quote “Jo deekhata
hai vo bikta hai” However following has been predicted in Passport Soft drinks in India
Euro monitor International July 2013
“Health and Wellness Products Continue To Grow in Urban India
Consumers in urban India are seeking healthier beverage options, even though they are generally relatively more
expensive, due to their positioning. Fruit/vegetable juice is considered far healthier than carbonates and the
stronger growth rates of fruit/vegetable juice indicate the growing preference for healthy beverages.
Manufacturers, such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, are also aware of this trend and are strengthening their non-
carbonated soft drinks offerings. PepsiCo, for instance, positioned its Tropicana brand as “Breakfast not 100%
complete without Tropicana” to drive home consumption of fruit/vegetable juice.
Current impact
Carbonates are slowly losing their sheen among health-conscious consumers, especially in urban India. There
has been a shift in the consumer beverage demand towards non-carbonated alternatives. The key reasons for the
shift to and rise in demand for non-carbonated beverages are: obesity and other health issues; changes in lifestyle
and affordability; an increasing presence of organised retail; as well as increasing urbanisation. Total value

sales of fruit/vegetable juice grew by 28% in 2012 reaching Rs69 billion. This growth was faster than the growth
of 26% in 2011. Consumers are seeking healthier beverages even though they are relatively more expensive, due
to their positioning. Fruit/vegetable juice is considered far healthier than carbonates.”
Frequency of consumption is less; only 22% of respondents admitting to drinking cola on
weekly basis, rest 78% drink either once in a month or occasionally. It shows cola companies
have tremendous scope to increase the consumption of cola by emphasizing on more regular
consumption of the drink.
Most of the respondents drink cola during social gatherings or on outings. Least number of the
people told they consume it in the office or at home where they spend maximum time. Cola
companies need to positions it as drink that can be taken in the office like tea or coffee during
breaks as refreshments.
Majority of the respondent (95%) said they drink cola when they are in a company of others.
Only 5% constituting small % of respondent said they take cola alone. Tea and coffee usually
are consumed both alone and in the company of others, same fashion cola brands too can be
promoted for individual consumption too instead of only in the company of others.
Brand/ Product loyalty has been found missing. When asked if their brand is not available but
other two are, will they go without cola or would like to take any one of other two, astounding
83% were willing to go for the other brand. Only 17% said they will not go for the other
option. But out of these 17% also 50% were not willing to make any effort to search for their
brand of cola. So in case of cola marketing reach/ place is very important, if desired brand is
not available at the place where consumer wants and other brand is available then sales of
desired brand are lost. That might be one of the reasons why all the brands want to be present
at maximum number of outlets so that their respective customers don’t have to make any
efforts to locate them. They need to continue heavy advertisement and celebrity endorsement
to maintain their market share. Same is vouched by Passport Soft drinks in India Euro
monitor International July 2013
“Celebrity Endorsement To Maintain Brand Share
Companies spend heavily in marketing and advertising their brands. Companies are signing up with sports
personalities and Bollywood stars in order to have an edge over the competition. For instance, Coca-Cola

witnessed a stronger rise in value sales in 2012, mainly attributable to the strong performance of brands, such as
Thums Up, Sprite and Limca. These brands were strongly advertised and visible throughout the year. Coca-Cola
announced that it has signed Sachin Tendulkar as its “happiness ambassador” with the company continuing to
focus on cricket as a medium for advertisement. Similarly PepsiCo became the new title sponsors of the Indian
Premier League (IPL) starting from 2013 to 2017.
Current impact
Companies are investing in advertisements and marketing campaigns in order to stay ahead of the competition.
Coca-Cola launched a new advertising campaign featuring cricketer Sachin Tendulkar around the happiness
theme. The launch of Mirinda Orange and Mirinda Masala was also strongly supported by a 360-degree
campaign including outdoor, online and a consumer engagement programme called the "Taste Twister
Challenge". The Slice brand by PepsiCo also benefitted from celebrity endorsement in 2012. The brand recorded
volume growth after Bollywood star Katrina Kaif featured in its marketing campaigns as brand ambassador.
Outlook
This trend is expected to continue into the forecast period. In fact companies which have never used brand
ambassadors in the past have now started to sign up with famous personalities. For example, for the first time
Pioma Industries launched fruit drink powder Fruit Plus, which the company claims has numerous health benefits
containing 21 vitamins, minerals, glucose and calcium. The company signed with Indian cricketer, Virender
Sehwag, as the new brand ambassador for the product while Bollywood actress Genelia D'souza was employed as
brand ambassador for Rasna. The actress was featured in all communication and promotional campaigns of the
brand. Also employing this strategy for the first time, Parle Agro signed up with a Bollywood personality to
promote its Frooti brand. It also uses the very famous Shahrukh Khan to endorse its brand with many other
companies expected to follow the same trend.
Future impact
Coca-Cola plans to invest US$5 billion in its India business over eight years to expand capacity and improve its
distribution network in the country. The US$5 billion investment, according to the company, will be used to
upgrade bottling lines, distribution, marketing and logistics. This will provide fierce competition to the second
largest players PepsiCo Holdings. In response, PepsiCo will develop huge expansion plans to counter the
competition.”

General Analysis

Pet Bottle (600 ml) Labelling and Branding Analysis
Thumps Up & Coca Cola
Both Pet Bottles are made of transparent plastic which is light weight and easy to carry. Colour
of cap matches with the colour scheme of labelling. Thums Up and Coca Cola logo have been
printed twice on label, occupying maximum space to give it prominent visibility. Logo comes
out well on the label as Red in blue background is clearly visible in case of Thums up. Same
way Coca Cola logo too is prominently visible occupying almost 70 % of total label. On one
side of the logo, just near end of the label quantity of the cola is mention as 600ml. On left
hand side along the top corner of logo with small font number of calories per serving of 250 ml
is mentioned. It is also stated that this bottle comprises 2.4 servings. On approximately
remaining ¼ part of the label essential details are mentioned such as green dot in square box
signifying it to be a vegetarian product. Along with it nature of product as sweetened
carbonated beverage is mentioned. Below above line ingredients of cola are mentioned.
Statutory warning about drinks contain caffeine in larger than normal font is also given. Over
this warning in very small unnoticeable font it is mentioned that it contains no fruit. However
being crowded by other information, it goes unnoticed. Manufacturer details too are
mentioned. This small space also contains information about nutrition facts, bar code for
scanning, a declaration that this product belongs to Coca Cola Company. In the end, in the
distinct silver background with small font “Globally, Coca Cola offers more than 3300 ways to

Refresh, Relax and Enjoy ---- Live Positively” along with bottle sign is written. Even though
font size is small, but being placed distinctively in different background, it gets noticed. On the
cap of the bottle again it is mentioned that the product is manufactured under license from
Coca Cola Company with its USA address. In the middle of the cap, it goes on to declare a
quality product of the Coca Cola Company. It is strategically placed, as this will get noticed as
and when someone opens up the bottle. On the neck of the bottle date of manufacture and price
are mentioned which are visible with great effort.
From above analysis, it can be noticed that maximum emphasis has been laid out on
highlighting logo and making it prominently visible from a distance, so that consumer notices
it while shopping and gets tempted to pick it up from the shelf or ask for it from vendor.

Pepsi
Like Pet Bottle of Thums up and Coke, Pepsi bottle is also made of transparent plastic which is
light weight and easy to carry. Again colour of cap matches with the colour scheme of
labelling. In case of Pepsi too logo has been printed twice on label, occupying maximum space
to give it prominent visibility. Here logos are occupying almost 80 % of total label space. In
this case quantity of the cola is mention as 600ml at a place where all other details relating to
product are mentioned in a larger font. Only product bar code is placed in the area of logo
along with one circle which says one quality worldwide with a ball inside the circle. Rest of the
details are mentioned in 20% left out area. This area includes information such as mentioned
on Thums up and coke labels. Clearly visible is Pepsi help line number where it is written that
we would love to hear from you. Whereas on Thums Up and coke bottle recycling was
recommended, it case of Pepsi crush the bottle after use is mentioned so as to avoid misuse of
the bottle. In case of Pepsi number of calories per serving is not mentioned. However
Nutritional value per 100 ml is mentioned. Green dot in square box signifying it to be a
vegetarian product is missing in case of Pepsi. On the cap of the bottle, Pepsico’s local address
is given. In the middle of the cap, again help line number is given along with words we would
love to hear from you.
In case all three brands more emphasis is laid on logo projection and trying to keep the logo
uncluttered. Thums up and Coke are similar except for their logos and Colour scheme.
However Pepsi even though similar in respect of prominence to logo but information is placed
differently. Similar to Thums Up and Coke analysis, maximum emphasis has been laid out on
highlighting logo and making it prominently visible from a distance, so that consumer notices
it while shopping and gets tempted to pick it up from the shelf or ask for it from vendor.

Company Shares of Soft Drinks (RTD) by Total Volume 2008-2012
% total rtd volume (Passport Soft drinks in India Euro monitor International July 2013)
Company 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Coca-Cola India Pvt Ltd 24.1 24.8 24.6 24.0 23.6
Parle Bisleri Ltd 22.6 23.0 23.1 22.2 21.6
PepsiCo India Holdings 22.5 21.9 21.6 21.6 21.2
United Breweries Ltd 0.5 0.8 1.3 2.0 2.9
Dhariwal Industries Ltd 4.0 3.8 3. 6 3.2 2.9
Parle Agro Pvt Ltd 3.3 3.2 3.0 2.8 2.6
Dabur India Ltd 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.7 0.8
Mount Everest Mineral 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.7
Pioma Industries Ltd 1.2 1.0 0.9 0.7 0.6
Narangs Hospitality 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.4
DS Foods Ltd 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.4
Hindustan Unilever Ltd 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.3
Hamdard (Wakf) 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
Mother Dairy Calcutta 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
Red Bull GmbH 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Danone, Groupe 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Kraft Jacobs Suchard 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1
Tunip Agro Pvt Ltd - 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1
Goldwin Healthcare Pvt - 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Tata Global Beverages Ltd - 0.0 0.0 0.0 -
Others 18.9 18.6 18.9 20.3 21.4
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Brand Shares of Soft Drinks (RTD) by Total Volume 2009-2012
% total rtd volume (Passport Soft drinks in India Euro monitor International July 2013)
Brand Company 2009 2010 2011 2012
Bisleri Parle Bisleri Ltd 23.0 23.1 22.2 21.6
Aquafina PepsiCo India Holdings 8.0 8.3 9.5 10.1
Kinley Coca-Cola India Pvt Ltd 5.6 5.6 6.5 7.5
Thums Up Coca-Cola India Pvt Ltd 4.9 4.8 4.3 4.0
Sprite Coca-Cola India Pvt Ltd 4.1 4.2 4.2 4.0
Pepsi PepsiCo India Holdings 4.6 4.3 3.9 3.4
Kingfisher United Breweries Ltd 0.8 1.3 2.0 2.9
Oxyrich Dhariwal Industries Ltd 3.8 3.6 3.2 2.9
Coca-Cola Coca-Cola India Pvt Ltd 2.9 2.7 2.5 2.2
Maaza Coca-Cola India Pvt Ltd 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.0
Limca Coca-Cola India Pvt Ltd 2.4 2.3 2.1 1.9
Mirinda PepsiCo India Holdings 2.9 2.6 2.2 1.9
Fanta Coca-Cola India Pvt Ltd 2.7 2.4 2.0 1.7
7-Up PepsiCo India Holdings 1.7 1.8 1.6 1.4
Mountain Dew PepsiCo India Holdings 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4
Frooti Parle Agro Pvt Ltd 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.4
Slice PepsiCo India Holdings 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4
Bailley Parle Agro Pvt Ltd 1.1 1.1 1.0 0.9
Réal Dabur India Ltd 0.7 0.6 0.7 0.8
Himalayan Mount Everest Mineral 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.7
Evervess PepsiCo India Holdings 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7
Rasna Pioma Industries Ltd 1.0 0.9 0.7 0.6
Tropicana PepsiCo India Holdings 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5
Qua Narangs Hospitality 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.4
Catch Natural DS Foods Ltd 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.4
Duke's PepsiCo India Holdings 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3
Appy Parle Agro Pvt Ltd 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.3
Kissan Hindustan Unilever Ltd 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.2
Minute Maid Coca-Cola India Pvt Ltd 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.2
Rooh Afza Hamdard (Wakf) 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
Mother Dairy Mother Dairy Calcutta 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
Red Bull Red Bull GmbH 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Evian Danone, Groupe 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Tang Kraft Jacobs Suchard - - - 0.1
Lipton Hindustan Unilever Ltd 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Onjus Tunip Agro Pvt Ltd 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1
Gatorade PepsiCo India Holdings 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1
Diet Coke Coca-Cola India Pvt Ltd 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0
Diet Pepsi PepsiCo India Holdings 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Cloud 9 Goldwin Healthcare Pvt Ltd 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Others 18.7 19.0 20.3 21.4
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Forecast Off-trade vs On-trade Sales of Soft Drinks (as sold) by
Channel: Volume 2012-2017
million litres (Passport Soft drinks in India Euro monitor International July 2013)
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Off-trade 9,693.10 11,754.60 14,099.50 16,752.60 19,709.50 22,937.40
On-trade 4,304.10 5,225.00 6,288.10 7,494.60 8,837.50 10,296.70
Total 13,997.30 16,979.70 20,387.60 24,247.30 28,547.00 33,234.10
Forecast Off-trade vs On-trade Sales of Soft Drinks by Channel: Value
2012-2017
Rs million (Passport Soft drinks in India Euro monitor International July 2013)
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Off-trade 226,882.40 259,688.30 299,945.60 345,593.50 398,193.60 454,633.00
On-trade 208,653.90 235,394.70 268,896.30 306,587.60 350,013.50 396,250.80
Total 435,536.30 495,083.00 568,841.90 652,181.10 748,207.10 850,883.80

FB Page Analysis
Thums Up has used its old and new bottles as cover page reminding of old ties with the brand.
Whereas Coca Cola has shown of two young rural lads happy and cheering as its cover page
picture with its logo on the right hand corner where the maximum time attention goes. Below
the logo it has mentioned trophy tour indicating wining spirit in the sports.
Pepsi has used it new brand ambassador for the cover page. Using young dashing image of
the Ranbir Kapoor, Pepsi have tried associating itself with young population of the country.

There are only 4 cover pictures on the FB page of Thums up. However in case of Coca cola
and Pepsi number of the cover pictures are much more. In case of Coca cola number is 28. In
case of Pepsi number is 101. Frequency of changing cover photo among Coca Cola and Pepsi
far exceeds as compared to Thums Up.
It goes on to show that both the brands are far more active in the digital sphere when compared
with Thums Up. Same can be gauged from the likes and number of people talking details as on
16th
Feb 2014:
When we look for the last date of FB page cover photo change/ updation, it was noticed most
recent updation of cover photo happened on Pepsi page that is on Feb 13th
, 2014 whereas in
case of Coca Cola this date was Jan 16th
, 2014. Thums Up cover picture was update on Nov.,

19th
, 2013. No activity can be noticed on Thums Up page after Feb 2nd
, even when 14 Feb was
valentine day. Whereas both in case of Pepsi and Coca Cola activity on the part of companies
can be noticed on Feb 13 & 14th
. Pepsi has gone on to change cover picture just one day before
Valentine day.
Even though Coke has more hits, but Pepsi is more active on its FB page by updating it more
frequently with new ads and promotional material. Reason for lessor activity on the Thums Up
page could be attributed to its semi urban and rural presence. As mobile and internet services
are penetrating in the rural areas of the country, Thums Up needs to up it activity on its FB
page.

Retail Space and Price Points
All three brands try to reach maximum number of retailers and occupy maximum retails space.
As concluded earlier with survey, brand loyalty is less among consumers. Both companies are
trying to avoid “Out of sight, out of mind” principal by making it visible at every nook and
corner of the country. Heavy advertisement is done so as to remain ingrained in the consumer
mind and entice him into buying and consuming the same without much effort.
At Easy Day, Rudrapur both Coke and Pepsi’s 2 ltr bottles are shown in display window up to
4 feet height from the ground with promotional schemes and discounts. However Thums Up
was missing in the above display. 2 ltrs Thums up was displayed inside store prominently in
large quantity alongside the Cooler refrigerators. 1.25 ltr Coke and Thums Up were placed on
the shelves in the far end of the store. Again display space was given just opposite namkeens
for 1.25 ltr /600 ml for Coca Cola/ Thums Up and 2 ltr and 600 ml for Pepsi. In other kirana
stores too prominent space have been allocated to all three brands along with Cooler space. No
promotional scheme was in foray for Thums Up.
Promotional schemes were available only at Easy day and Vishal, rest of retailers were selling
cola at normal MRP. Various price points and promotional schemes at Easy day are listed
below:
In the end would like to say cola market is highly competitive market which requires impeccable
aggressive marketing efforts to stay afloat. This might be the one of the reasons for Chauhan brothers
of Parle selling of Thums Up to Coca Cola. Signing Off – Narinder Jit Singh.
Price / Cola Quantity Thums UP Coke Pepsi
MRP 75 75 75
Sellling Price 75 72 130**
MRP 50 50 -
Sellling Price 50 50 -
MRP 33 33 30
Sellling Price 33 33 30
**For 2 Bottles
2 Ltr
1.25 Ltr
600 ml

Review of few facets of Cola Market

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