The Coca-Cola Company

The coca-cola company is best known for the producing and distribution of the drink coca-cola. Today it offers around five hundred brands in two hundred countries. It is estimated that on a daily basis 1.6 billion servings of beverage from the coca-cola company is consumed worldwide.  Besides the creation of coke, the coca-cola company has invented other brands that have achieved much success as well. These brands include Fanta, Sprite, and 7 Up.  Did you know how much the coca-cola company controlled in the soft drink industry?

The history of the creation of these brands is complex, but the following is narrowed down to a few sequences of events. During World War Two Max Keith was responsible for the distribution of coca-cola products in Germany. The company wanted the German people’s money that would come in if they offered their main product but they knew people would judge and criticize them if they sold it to Germany. As a compromise that would both solve everything and create another beverage for the coca-cola company, Max Keith created and distributed Fanta. Furthermore a lemon flavor of Fanta became what it is known today as Sprite.

The Secret Formula

Current Formula:

·         Carbonated water

·         Sugar (high fructose corn syrup in America and other countries, sucrose in other countries such as Germany)

·         Caffeine

·         Phosphoric acid

·         Caramel color

·         Natural flavorings (trade secret)

Two controversial ingredients have let a lot of people speculate both the best and the worst about the coke formula. The most frowned upon and surprising is that the soft-drink used to contain cocaine. The other is caffeine from kola nuts which still is a part of the formula today. The government was against both these ingredient but they could not get rid of the caffeine in the soda. Is this the first time you have heard about this?

Coca Leaf

In 1891, per gallon of syrup five ounces of coca leaf was in the fast-selling soft drink. Speculations traveled fast about how much cocaine was in a glass of the refreshing drink. At one point people believed every glass of coke had about nine milligrams of cocaine. Currently the formula only includes cocaine-free coca leaf so the drink maintains the flavor but does not include cocaine.

Kola Nuts (A.K.A Caffeine)

Kola nuts add a bitter flavor to the drink and contain about two percent caffeine.  There was some dispute between the company of coke and the government whether or not the formula should include caffeine. The government was in favor for the drink to exclude caffeine but the results of the dispute let the formula have the same amount of the stimulant.

Coke Commercials

Coke advertisement is a key reason why people drink it. This video exemplifies a few commercials that draw in new coke drinkers. The advertisement is important because it also gives us, consumers, information about how Coke gets our attention and mainly our interest in spending money on their product. Did the history of Coca-Cola Company always strive for over-commercialization? The answer is yes, so please read on to understand

The first way the company tried to appeal people was the way the coke bottle looked. The original design of the bottle was created by Earl R. Dean. Here is a picture of the first failed attempt of a unique design.

This original idea definitely succeeded and even exceeded the goal of originality but it was not convenient. 

Earl R. Dean decided to decrease the width of the middle diameter. This stabilized the bottle so people would be able to conveniently use it. This bottle was accepted by the coca-cola company but many other versions exist especially when other countries’ coca-cola bottles are considered.

Why Coca-Cola?

Coca-Cola has become a soft-drink brand famous anywhere there is space to put up a billboard or set up cable.  The brand is offered and commercialized in 200 countries and I have always wondered how the business of the brand could invest about 150 million dollars yearly. The business, no doubt, is a strategic one.  Have you heard of the scandals coca-cola allegedly have brought on to make such a feet possible? I have, and I want answers.
When was the last time you were refreshed by Coke?
Have you been a victim to over-commercialization?

Web Recources:

http://www.wikipedia.com/

www.bing.com/images