With its products sold in more than 200 countries, and a global consumption rate of millions of units per day, Coca-Cola is considered the largest beverage company in the world. But is the red label with the swirly white letters simply the world’s greatest brand?
Put aside your beverage bias for just a moment and ask yourself this: has any brand ever been more beloved?
I can’t be the only one who thinks it’s sacrilege to enjoy a slice of pizza or a Big Mac and fries without a Coke to top it off. Yet the magic of the brand is that it feels like so much more than just the perfect complement to a cozy meal. Coca-Cola defines a class of life experience–everything from small victories to chance encounters to reflective pauses.
They’ve basically nailed this concept in their marketing, haven’t they?
“Have a Coke and a Smile”
“Life Tastes Good”
“Taste the Feeling”
There’s an elevated, emotional underpinning to the distinct and refreshing ritual of enjoying a Coke. It’s as much about the sound, the color, the timeless logo and the sensation as it is about satisfying thirst.
The company’s formula for their phenomenal marketing success is largely due to the brand capital accrued over decades of being associated with fast food restaurants (hello McDonald’s), movie nights (with AMC, the largest movie theater chain in the world) and backyard barbecues. Basically, all the fun times in life.
There’s an elevated, emotional underpinning to the distinct and refreshing ritual of enjoying a Coke. It’s as much about the sound, the color, the timeless logo and the sensation as it is about satisfying thirst.
Business-wise, they long ago switched away from making and selling their own product to consumers, and have developed a streamlined delivery-chain system of simply supplying their secret syrup to bottlers who then concoct the fizzy beverage themselves and go to market with the help of Coca-Cola’s long list of commercial partners. That saves the headache and expense of taking care of inventory so the Coca-Cola company can focus on licensing, finance and sponsorship deals to keep Coke at the forefront of good times at all times.
That’s why, despite the growing understanding of the environmental impact of the company’s bottling process and the decline in popularity of sugary soft drinks overall, who could dispute that enjoying a Coca-Cola belongs in the pantheon of life’s most iconic human experiences?
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