Chapter 7: Business Marketing

   Business marketing is the marketing of goods and services to individuals and organizations for purposes other than personal consumption.

I love going to the movies. I just do. Before every movie begins, the theater screens a clip that includes a group of young people that look very excited for their movie to start. These young people are becoming apart of the movie experience while holding a large cup of Coca-Cola. Another thing I've noticed when I go to the movie theaters is that no matter what beverage I chose to purchase, it always gets served in a Coca-Cola cup. Even if I may not be thirsty,Coca-Cola has sort of become part of the movie experience itself. This is a good example of the company placing themselves in a position where the customer could have an encounter with them, without necessarily it being direct. It is very important and a great benefit for this company when they are able to achieve this, while not having to deal directly with customers.


As the worlds largest beverage company, the Coca-Cola Company markets all over the globe to people, restaurants, theaters, supermarkets, large offices, airline companies, grocery stores, and etc. By marketing to these businesses, the Coca-Cola Company is able to indirectly reach the customer. This way, they are able to make new customers while still keep existing customers. They do all this without having to directly market, or promote to them personally. It also helps a lot when you're a company this known because you get contacted from other corporations who want to market your product.
Another good example are the bottling partners of Coca-Cola. They also extend from all over the world in places like; Africa, Eurasia, European Union, Latin America, North America, and the Pacific. These bottling partners manufacture the products and distribute them to places like restaurants, grocery stores, movie theaters, sports venues, and amusement parks.
The Coca-Cola Company has over 3,000 different products to offer in over 200 different countries. Coca-Cola's loyal customer-base is what has made them the number one seller of soft drinks, sparkling drinks and juice drinks. Not to mention #2 in the sales of sports drinks and #3 in the sales of bottled water.
As I've mentioned before, the Coca-Cola Company is an electronic commerce and mainly uses the internet to facilitate the exchange of goods, information between organizations and several services they provide.
In my opinion, business marketing sort of goes hand-in-hand with sales promotion and customer relation. When the Coca-Cola Company runs sales promotions, they do so in a way where customers connect with the company through their products they have purchased. Business Marketing is pretty everything the class has been able to cover throughout our blog post.

 

Dunkin dumps Pepsi Co.

I walked into a Dunkin Donuts this morning for my regular bagel with a Tropicana Orange juice, when I noticed all the Pepsi products were now replaced with Coca-Cola products. It seems like after a long partnership, PepsiCo is no longer the beverage provider for Dunkin Donuts. Another win for the Coca-Cola Company. I Must admit though, Im going to miss them serving Tropicana and not Minute Maid.

-- Uploaded from my Samsung Galaxy S II --

Coca-Cola Looks at the World a Little Differently

LIVE POSITIVELY.

Chapter 8: Segmenting and Targeting Markets

     

Many markets include groups of organizations or people with different product needs and/or preferences. That is why segmenting in the market industry is so important, because it helps define customer needs and wants more accurately. 

     I found a great example of market segmentation while reading Chapter 8 of our book where they stated a point that I also previously have. Before 1960, the Coca-Cola Company really only produced one very special beverage and they aimed that one beverage everywhere; nearly at the entire soft drink market. And now as we all now, Coca-Cola offers more than a hundred different products to market segments which they base off of a variety of customer preferences for flavors, calories, sugar, caffeine, & etc.

     I believe that in order to stay around for so long AND remain as relevant as Coca-Cola has through-out the years, then you must learn to adapt, and to market certain products towards specific segments. Marketing segmentation plays a key role in the marketing strategy of almost all successful organizations.

It's no surprise Coca-Cola's target market are teenagers from all parts of the globe. We watch the most television and Coca-Cola is mostly advertised on television. We want the coolest things available and we're willing to spending money for it, and so Coca-Cola is both seen and advertised as such a cool beverage to refresh ourselves with after a long day of doing whatever it is that we do. I think that the colors they use for their product helps is appeal even more to both sexes. Not red nor white can't nether be specified towards a certain sex and thats pretty cool. Teenagers are also more active then other age groups as they are more likely to be outside playing sports. Coca-Cola is known to sponsor many sporting events which also appeals to younger people because we are more likely to play these sports and have them as a hobby, that helps Coca-Cola define a target market. 

As a teenager myself, I love how fun Coca-Cola advertisements are and how happy everybody (or everything) in the advertisement is. They [the advertisements] significantly increase my crave for Coca-Cola at the moment and makes me forget just how bad for my health too many of those drinks can be. At the same time, their advertisements also remind me just how happy you should go on living your everyday life and not to always worry about the negative factors in things because the negativity may consume you.
And so as Coca-Cola says -- "Live Positive."

Drinking Coca-Cola still seems like the right thing to do.

I've noticed that Coca-Cola doesn't target market older women as much as they do to other segments. I feel thats because older women are now more focused on watching their weight, keeping their figure, and how much sleep they get every night. With Coca-Cola acknowledging that their signature product may bring a negative effect to those three focuses of women, they see women more likely to have their Diet Coke or caffeine-free cola in order for them to be able to maintain their healthy lifestyle.

Families are another target market for Coca-Cola, when the Holidays come around there many different offers surrounding Coca-Cola products that encourage families to not only buy one of their products, but two or even three. Their famous Polar Bear commercials involve a mother/father polar bear with their cub and the Christmas commercials have Santa Clause bringing the Christmas spirit to families, one Coca-Cola at a time.
Growing up there was always Coca-Cola in the fridge when the Holidays came around and as I grew older, I began to associate the holidays and my family with Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola reminds me of when I was still a kid during holiday seasons, enjoying myself with my loved ones and I'm sure other people make that connection as well. With feelings like that is how Coca-Cola has managed to build such loyal customers and continues to build them all across the world.

 I don't see why this commercial was banned! 
It has Phil Collins AND Polar Bears! 

What more could you ask for ??

Chapter 11: Developing and Managing Products

     In 1886, Coca-Cola sold for 5 cents per glass. It was just an experiment and sold for treatment for morphine addicts. Coca-Cola has grown throughout the years and has hit a peak where the company almost monopolizes the competition. It's the most famous beverage in the world. And even when the company has over 3,000 different beverages in over 200 different countries, consumers still believe that the Coca-Cola is the companies best product and the one they love the most. 

   The Coca-Cola bottle has such an elegant silhouette, its difficult to not love everything about it. Theres a different taste that comes from drinking Coca-Cola out of a glass bottle then drinking it from anything else, it just feels right. And that is what Coca-Cola Company wants. They represent timeless passions and want you to know that a holiday isn't a holiday without a Coca-Cola nearby. 

     

   But even with the success of Coca-Cola, the company still wanted to explore different fields of beverages, like Diet beverages for example. Beverages that would be low on sugar, calories and saturated fat. So that's exactly what they did, in  2005 the Coca-Cola Company introduced Coke Zero, a beverage that just yells -- "How about a little less fat and sugar with the SAME taste you all, folks?!"

Coke Zero is now available in 130 different countries and has sold billions of cases since its release.

With more and more people being stirred away from Coca-Cola, the company had to make moves in order to maintain their sales. They wanted a product that would be good for everyone and people wouldn't have to think twice about drinking it or not. It had to be a common beverage. What's a beverage most people reach for when they're at the market? Juice. The Minute Maid line was introduced for that purpose and also has many different lines of beverages under its belts. Flavors like Grape, Orange, Strawberry, Apple, Pomegranate, etc.. all also come in different options like "100%" or "Pulp/No Pulp" for the Orange Juice. Minute Maid is a big reason why the Coca-Cola Company has been able to remain at top.

     A few chapters ago, I mentioned the "Coca-Cola Freestyle" product which is a beverage machine that serves over 100 different Coca-Cola Products. They have been placed around NYC and other states in the country. It is another example of the Coca-Cola Companies ability to develop and manage new products in a way where they appeal to the audience. Whether its with sales promotion or personal selling, the Coca-Cola Company always makes suers they are staying one step ahead of everyone else. 

Chapter 16: Integrated Marketing Communications

    Countless numbers of companies have now explored the world of Social Networks. Whether it may be Facebook, Twitter or Google+, companies now see the importance of communicating with their customers and the younger generations. The Coca-Cola Company is no different. With over 54 million subscribers on Facebook, 2 million on Twitter, and 600,000 on Google+; the Coca-Cola Company continue their growth through online social media that have been developed to help empower their associates to participate in the new frontier of marketing and communications, represent the Company, and share the optimistic and positive spirits of the Coca-Cola brands. 

The vision of the Company to achieve growth online and offline is guided by certain shared values that the Coca-Cola Company live by as an organization and as individuals:

• LEADERSHIP : The courage to shape a better future
• COLLABORATION : Leveraging their collective genius
• INTEGRITY : Being real
• ACCOUNTABILITY : Recognizing that if it is to be, it's up to me
• PASSION : Showing commitment in heart and mind
• DIVERSITY : Being as inclusive as their brands
• QUALITY : Ensuring what they do, they do well.

  

That's Wendy Clark, she's the senior vice president of Integrated Marketing Communications and Capabilities of the Coca-Cola Company. Her role is to look over global design, marketing communications, media, sponsorships, interactive marketing and marketing of the Companies "Live Positively" platform. Since joining in 2008, Clark has done a lot already for the Company but probably her most known achievement of her and her team was the launch of the "Open Happiness" campaign, which now deployed in markets representing 100% of Coca-Cola's volume.The main idea of that campaign was to encourage people to stop every once in a while and refresh themselves with a Coca-Cola beverage. That way they'd be able to enjoy and share the happiness that it brings them. Wendy Clark and her team carry a "Fan-first" mentality that helps them come to more of an understand of digital media and it's importance in marketing now.

Coca-Cola run's many promotions year-in and year-out. They give away tickets, they run sweepstakes and even fly people across the world. Their forms of promotion includes Television, Radio, Bottle designs, news papers, magazines, bus stops, bill boards and everything else you can think of. During the holidays, its almost impossible to not see some sort of promotion by one of the worlds most recognized companies, Coca-Cola.

 

Chapter 10: Product Concepts

     I always saw Coca-Cola's product & marketing concept to be a very simple, yet solid and consistent one. The concept of their products usually are more based for the younger generations because Coca-Cola wants to represent youth and energy in their products. Their products come in classic packaging, the Coca-Cola can and elegant bottle shape are both recognized globally and when you see a soda can or bottle, you usually think of Coca-Cola. I also think that we as consumers would all like a product that both represents us as people and where we are from, what we enjoy as well as our character. The Coca-Cola Company always finds a way to relate their advertising to us and make us feel like its the right thing to drink a Coca-Cola. Although the Coca-Cola Company mainly focuses on the younger generation, they do also try to market the older generations with certain advertising and by paying for their commercials which show how classic their signature beverage Coca-Cola is.

Over 100 years of service at your door. 

     Energy drinks, coffee, fruit juice, soft drinks, water, teas and sport drinks. 3,500 products are available in over 200 different countries. These are all products made for and sold to satisfy an  individuals personal wants. If you'd like a coffee with little/no sugar; a soft drink with less than 800 calories; or maybe you quench some sparkling water instead of spring water. Whatever kind of beverage it is that you'd like, the Coca-Cola Company offers it. 

     Something I really like about Coca-Cola is that they aren't only about making great drinks but they also want to contribute to communities all around the world. They intend on doing so through commitments to education, health, wellness and diversity also. The Coca-Cola Company never forgets how important it is to have friends around the globe and never forgets their social responsibility as one of the biggest companies in all the world. 

It is very important to have an idea of your products concept when marketing it. I say this because product concept comes down to the owner thinking on how to convince the consumer to buy the product because of its quality, the affordable price and its benefits. One example is the beloved "Coke-Zero" which represents a re-mixed version of the original "Coca-Cola" but is advertised as a healthier option for the customers. The objective of product concept is to increase sales, product efficiency and to continue building relationships with both old and new customers.

Coca-Cola 'targeted' by China in hack ahead of acquisition attempt

Bloomberg has reported that Chinese hackers have been blamed for infiltrating confidential systems within Coca-Cola for more than a month.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20204671

Chapter 18: Sales Promotion and Personal Selling

        Sales promotion is an initiative taken by an organization to promote an increase in sales and usage of a certain product. Sales promotion could be directed to into different aspects. For example, a company could promote sales of a product to either their customers, their sales staff or even the distribution companies purchase the companies certain product. I think it's important to promote sales because it will give that product a better chance of selling and when times are difficult, and sales are slowing down, sales promotion plays a big role in getting your sales back up. 

       Right now when you bring one Coca-Cola can to a Six-Flags theme-park, you get a free admission ticket. Another example is this promotion in the video below, which is also for the Coca-Cola beverage and is promoting a game the company has going-on right now. On every Coca-Cola Beverage, there is a code and if you text to the code from your cellular phone, you enter a sweepstakes that can win you a brand-new BMW car! We've seen many companies take this approach when promoting their product and they do it to increase sales. 

     In 2009, the Coca-Cola Company started to promote their new touchscreen soda fountain called "Coca-Cola Freestyle".  The fountain is called Coca-Cola Freestyle because you can mix whichever drinks you want that satisfy your taste at the moment. It has 125 drink choices from the Coca-Cola Company to choose from and also includes new flavors, like Raspberry Diet Coke and Fanta Grape. Coca-Cola Freestyle once gave away V.I.P. tickets to this past years Ski Championships in Park City, Utah. These fountains can now be found at select movie theaters around NYC and also at the McDonalds restaurant right across the street from BMCC. 

     Coca-Cola Company is one of the best companies at promoting their products, in my opinion. They are constantly looking at and for new ways to promote their beverages and they end up working for them very well. For an organization to last through tough economic times and handle loss in sales, they must promote to bring their numbers back up and remind their customers why they admire the product so much in the first place. The Coca-Cola Company does this year-in and year-out which is what makes them on of the best companies and advertising, promoting and marketing their product. Also one of the worlds most recognized companies as well.

Chapter 17: Advertising and Public Relations

"... ONLY A COKE WOULD DO. 50 MILLION TIMES A DAY, AT HOME, AT WORK OR ON THE WAY. THERES NOTHING LIKE A COCA-COLA. THERES NOTHING LIKE COKE"

     No stranger to great advertising is the Coca-Cola Company. Since 1886 their advertising and public relation has been key to their boost in sales and the heart&soul of the company itself. Where would Coca-Cola be without their famous Mr.Clause. Without their well-known and signature Polar Bears? Every Holiday season and all-year-round, the Coca-Cola Company manages to market their product in a way where we could relate and see no harm in drinking that fine beverage of theirs. They remind us that there is nothing better then a Coke, especially after a long day of shopping or a long day a work. A coke is what you need, so don't worry about anything else.

  


   

      In 1886, an ad appear in the Atlantic Journal that never appeared before, It was an add for this new beverage that everyone was buzzing for. The ad was persuading (or trying to) people to try this "new and popular fountain drink, containing the wonderful Coca plant and the famous Cola nut." Hence: Coca-Cola. This single add tripled the sale of Coca-Cola from 3 a day to 9 a day. People loved it and it did nothing but keep on growing on others.

          The Coca-Cola Company started to notice a pattern. Their sales would be very good in the hotter times of the years and the hotter countries but not so good when the cold came around. So in 1931, the Coca-Cola Company started Santa Clause in several ads of theirs and this was to show people that drinking Coke isn't just for the Summer season and for hoot weather, but that it could also be drank in any time of the year. Whether its 90 degrees or 20 degrees out, Coca-Cola is your beverage. In 1932, the Coca-Cola Company introduced a new slogan : "Thirst knows no Season". Ever since, the Coca-Cola company has also used their signature Polar Bears to promote drinking Coke in the winter also.

     Now as of 2012, the Coca-Cola Company remains one of the worlds top advertisers and power-house companies and Almost of a monopoly in the beverage industry. While operating in over 250 countries around the world and with 3,000 beverages to the company name; they do a fantastic job relating the public to their products, as they prove year-round and especially come Holiday Season.

Chapter 15: Retailing

     The Coca-Cola Company isn't very much considered a retailer because they only sell to certain stores which market their products. They are what we call - "independent retailers" which by Google, is defined as; A non-multiple retailer operating separately and outside of a larger company chain. Or retailer which only has one or two stores open to the public. The Coca-Cola Company has been in business for over 120 years and is one of the worlds most recognized companies. What they do is have their product produced and distributed by bottling companies that they do not have ownership to. There are three different kinds of bottling companies that the Coca-Cola Company does business with:

• Bottling companies that Coca-Cola has invested in and are able to control with interest.
• Bottling companies that Coca-Cola has invested in but has NO controlling ownership interest.
• Bottling companies that are independent and where Coca-Cola also has NO controlling-ownership interest.

 

     Although the Coca-Cola Company is an independent retailer, they do still have a few retail stores here in the United States and even one outside the country. These stores not only sell the company's signature beverage but also merchandise, apparel, and souvenirs that the customer is open to buying. The first was opened in Atlanta, Georgia and is still open to this day. On top of that, you can also purchase merchandise from the company shop website where they even offer Halloween costumes and decorations for the Holiday season.

So Coca-Cola beverages are usually most commonly found in department stores and even the corner bodegas in NYC. It seems like it's everywhere we go and that goes to show you how Coca-Cola has worked towards being the most recognized beverage distributor everywhere they are. Supermarkets, movie theaters, sporting events, restaurants, vending machines, etc.  Coca-Cola is sold EVERYWHERE. They are bottled in the famous glass bottle of theirs, a plastic bottle or their signature cans so they are pretty difficult to not recognize. 

  

During the weekend, I went out to a particular restaurant for the first time. It was very routine but when the waitress came to take my order and asked me what I would like to drink, I asked for a "Coke, please". She apologized and told me that this particular restaurant does not carry any Coca-Cola beverage because they do not support the company and believe they are bad for the environment. I found this very strange, it was the first time I went to a diner and they didn't have any Coca-Cola. She suggested a Pepsi; I said No. I ended up drinking a couple glasses of water throughout my meal because I felt bad that I wasn't having a Coke in that moment AND because I was very much looking forward to that class of Coke. I could of easily asked for the Pepsi but I didnt. I guess this goes to show that even though Coca-Cola is such a recognized company in this world, it still has its non-supporters. This is something that Coca-Cola has been working towards throughout the years. They want to bring back the customers that it seems they have been losing.

Chapter 6: Consumer Decision Making

      Me and my family are consumers of Coca-Cola. Although we limit our intake of this soft-drink, we sometimes just crave this soda to quench our thirst. We could easily just drink water or fruit juice instead but we don't. We drink Coca-Cola and I love how well it goes with a burger or at barbecue. It's the crisp feel that I can't get enough of sometimes and the cultural environment that I grew up with.

     In fact, many of us grew up with it and now with the Coca-Cola Company having more then three times the beverages they offered 10 years ago and even more low-calorie beverages, many of us are even more open to drinking Coca-Cola. All us consumers are now offered a beverage for every lifestyle and occasion. They range from juices, fruit drinks, water, sports and energy drinks, teas, coffee, dairy and soy based beverages. Also beverages with full, reduced, low and/or no calories.

   But even if it does quench our thirst and satisfy our needs for that moment, too much of it can be very bad for your health because of the chemicals and amount of sugar it contains. This being true, it can discourage a lot of us to not drink Coca-Cola at times and go with something else. Something more healthy. But even with us knowing this, Coca-Cola fills a pleasure in us all. It may be a guilty-pleasure but a pleasure none-the-less. 

    With that being said, it all depends on how the Coca-Cola Company markets their product and how they position it in our minds. Us consumers are now basing our purchases on the beverages we drink by its health and nutrition, also on how much it will benefit or not benefit our households. Not only that but also on the ethics of the company we're purchasing it from. 

"People want to interact with brands and companies that share their values and are doing their part to protect and enhance people's lives, communities and the world."

 

     Back in 1985, the Coca-Cola Company introduced the "New Coca-Cola", after changing their formula for the first time in over 100 years. This got people very upset because they felt like they needed the old formula. Consumers felt that the original Coca-Cola formula was just a part of America and could not be changed. There were protest all over the country and artist even wrote songs to honor the old formula. With Coca-Cola noticing how upset their consumers were, they brought back the original formula within that same year.

Coca-Cola Want's Our Help

 Coca-Cola is redesigning it's classic logo! 

     The Coca-Cola Company want's to their logo "re-envisioned" by their customers and are now opening a competition to all U.S. residents. The winner will receive $5000, a custom limited edition t-shirt with the new logo and of course, above all... bragging rights.

The Rules:

• The logo can only be presented in red and white (blue is expressly forbidden)
• No international logos or flags may be used
• The dynamic ribbon logo can only run horizontally
• The outline of the contour bottle needs to be pristine
• The design theme should always reflect a balanced, healthy lifestyle
• All designs should be targeted to a 12-years-and-older demographic 

     The deadline for this competition will be on October 29th and the winner will be announces on November 23rd. Seven days before Thanksgiving and just in time for the 2012 Holiday season! 

Chapter 5: Developing a Global Vision

     No stranger to global recognition, the Coca-Cola Company is the worlds largest & most recognized beverage distributor in the world, and when you are as large as they are, there is not much left to prove or achieve in your business field. But the Coca-Cola Company is a corporation which never settles for what they already have or already have accomplished. They are constantly pushing new ideas that can help their company grow even more across the globe.

 

     The Coca-Cola Company has over 3,500 beverage products and operates in over 200 different countries across the world. They are #1 in sales of fountain drinks, juices, juice drinks and sparkling beverages. They are also a very-respectable #2 in sales of sports drinks and #3 in sales of bottled water.
 

      The chart above displays the average consumption of Coca-Cola, per-person, measured by once, in 1996. As you can see, Coca-Cola beverages are of-course most consumed in North America with over 250 oz. per person. But even when they are most consumed in North America, the Coca-Cola company beverages are no strangers to other countries and continents across the world.

 

 

      The Coca-Cola Company has constructed a roadmap of the company's global vision. A roadmap which they also take from their "2020 Vision" that I have mentioned before. The roadmap consist of six main points of focus which the Coca-Cola Company believes are vital to their company's success in the long run. Long-term success that impacts both their production in North America AND across the globe. The Coca-Cola Company has truly been developing their Global Vision.  

1. People: Be a great place to work where people are inspired to be the best they can be.
2. Portfolio: Bring to the world a portfolio of quality beverage brands that anticipate and satisfy people's desires and needs.
3. Partners: Nurture a winning network of customers and suppliers, together we create mutual, enduring value.
4. Planet: Be a responsible citizen that makes a difference by helping build and support sustainable communities.
5. Profit: Maximize long-term return to shareowners while being mindful of our overall responsibilities.
6. Productivity: Be a highly effective, lean and fast-moving organization.

 

Chapter 4: The Marketing Environment

          126 Years of business, Thats what the Coca-Cola Company stands for. Consistency, social responsibility, great ethics, great product and great marketing all make up for this Corporation's success and they have no plan of slowing it down for years to come. 

       As I've mentioned before, the Coca-Cola Company has over 3,000 different beverages to their company name and with delivering their goods to hundreds of countries throughout the world they are a global leader in the beverage industry. Amazing and well-thought out Marketing has enabled them to manage to appeal to all sorts of audience in the world. No matter what culture. 

     Their retail market is very diverse and varies from within large restaurant and retail chains in the U.S. to small grocery and supermarkets in third world countries. 

     The consumer market of the Coca-Cola Company has plays a vital role because it appeals to everyone. They do not discriminate Income, Age, Ethnicity or even location when they attempt to connect to their loyal customers. Around the entire world, people are drinking Coca-Cola, and you should too.

     The following is a video of young man who decided to travel around the world for an entire year. He thought that because Coca-Cola is such a global-recognized company, that it would be cool to collect a Coca-Cola beverage from every country he traveled into. Enjoy.

Chapter 3: Ethics and Social Responsibility

     The Coca-Cola Company is a great example of a corporation that engages in social responsibility, not just for the well-being of their company but also for the well being of the world. I visited the companies website and noticed they had their beliefs set out in clear detail. They encourage their customers to help them believe in a better world, a better company and to believe in their report system.
  
     The Coca-Cola Company is no stranger to bad health acquisitions but yet they make it their priority to address as many health issues as possible. Health issues that include obesity, diabetes, tooth decay, etc. They have so much criticism that theres a Wikipedia page just for "the Criticism of Coca-Cola". There aren't many companies that would be willing to take on these blames while having to respond in a professional manner but that is exactly what the Coca-Cola Company does. They believe criticism could only help them improve their product and further their success.

"We at The Coca-Cola Company are working hard to help. We are bringing the hearts and know-how of our system’s 700,000 people to bear on the most critical issues facing our Company and the world: Water stewardship. Energy management and climate protection. Packaging and waste reduction. And the work of building communities that are healthy in every respect.

Helping to meet these challenges is necessary for our business. It is also the right thing to do. 

Sometimes our progress is slow. And we are not always perfect."

In 1940, the Coca-Cola Company introduced "Coca-Cola Sabco"  (or CCS) , who are the companies Bottlers. CCS has moved towards more efficient bottling-techniques by designing consumer-preffered, resource efficient packaging. The Coca-Cola Company plans to advance their zero-waste vision by eliminating their waste to landfills and using recycled/more renewable materials for their beverages.

      The Coca-Cola Company have made many donations of time, materials and money to many other organizations. Organizations that included the Special Olympics, the Coca-Cola Cup, Go Kids, 1000 Schools in Motion and many others. The awesome thing about this is that these donations don't just take place in the United States but also all around the world, in countries like New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Egypt, New England and countries in the Caribbean. Whether its for youth centers, fund raisers or the need of equipment for school, the Coca-Cola Company has covered it all. Many companies in these days are giving back to their communities and this is going to continue to be very essential in the growth in corporations. 

  

Chapter 2: Strategic Planning for Competitive Advantage

One of the single and most important aspects of Business and Marketing is Strategic Planning. It is very critical to a companies success and if done wrong way, it can be even more critical to a companies downfall. It involves planning where it is you want your company to one day be and what it is that's going to take you there. A lot of us find out something new everyday of our lives so its no question that Strategic Planning needs
mission, vision and outside the box thinking!

The Coca-Cola Company is no stranger to bad-judgement and with more people taking the - "I want to eat healthier" approach, the companies sales have not seen much of an increase as expected. But with times like these, comes adjustment and Strategic Planning. With wanting to stay on top of the competition, Coca-Cola has introduced lines of beverages that have less sugar or none at all. Take 'Diet Coke' for example, people love that stuff! It was introduced in 1982 because Coca-Cola wanted their company to market a more "Healthy Conscious" approach and statistics have shown that it has worked. After all, number's don't lie folks.. just look at the 2000 U.S. Presidential election. I'm joking.

Coca-Cola is the worlds most recognizable brand and as I've mentioned before, they deliver over 3,500 to over 200 countries around the world. And don't be mistaken because they don't just deliver soft drinks but also are a large provider for water (Dasani), juice (Minute Maid), sports drinks (Vitamin Water & Powerade), milk and even coffee (Nestea & Georgia)! Everyday this company explores new ways to "create and share beverages to energize, relax, nourish, hydrate and enjoy." Here is something Coca-Cola is truly best at and that is staying ahead of the competition with great marketing and Strategic Planning of their company.