Product Concepts.

With a portfolio of more than 3,000 beverages, from diet and regular sparkling beverages to still beverages such as 100 percent fruit juices and fruit drinks, waters, sports and energy drinks, teas and coffees, and milk-and soy-based beverages, our variety spans the globe.

Essentially a touchstone for pop culture, Coca-Cola has earned its status in the minds of consumers by being a leader in the world of style and reflecting the tastes and preferences of each generation. Always upfront and innovative, Coca-Cola continually succeeds in re-inventing itself, miraculously updating the spirited essence of the brand while maintaining its position as an everyday connection point for individuals everywhere.

From the development of its earliest logo, to the re-engineering of its trademark contour bottle, to the launch of engaging and surprising marketing campaigns, The Coca-Cola Company has consistently sought to portray Coke as a hallmark of quality and style and has intuitively succeeded in always being right for the times. Now, moving forward and speaking to today’s contemporary lifestyles, Coke once again seeks to remain ever-present and ever-relevant. Marrying the interests of everyday life with the attitudes of aspirational living, Coca-Cola brings a new generation of consumers the Ultimate Drinking Experience.

Aligned with contemporary influences, the Ultimate Drink Experience is achieved via a line of signature products that translate the classic elements of Coca-Cola into something new and engaging, with the curves of the contour bottle and its Georgia Green caste translated into modern silhouettes that speak to today’s style-minded consumers. The resulting vocabulary of mixed materials portrays Coca-Cola as fresh, sleek, innovative and desirable. Functioning as beautifully as it looks, this signature line of products delivers against Coca-Cola’s brand promise of providing style and quality. As an enhancement to the drinking experience, these products will come to be recognized and loved as the most refreshing way to enjoy and enhance ice cold Coca-Cola. Resulting will be yet another iconic reference to the most recognized and beloved brand in the world.

Decision Support Systems and Marketing Research.

Whether your goal is to expand into new markets, introduce a new product or service, or gauge customer reactions, even the smallest businesses can benefit from a simple but well-planned market-research study. Market research helps you to understand your market, your customers, your competitors,and larger industry trends. High-quality research will reveal details about your current customers and will help you to target new customers. For example, before you open an organic produce market, find out if there's a demand for food grown without pesticides and whether customers will pay more for it.

In addition to the insight that you’ll gain into customer needs, market-research studies can help you to avoid costly mistakes, such as introducing an unpopular new line of goods or developing a service that no one really wants. Coca-Cola's introduction of New Coke in the 1980s demonstrates what happens when decisions aren't supported by solid research. Coke revised the formula of its traditional brand of soft drink and lost millions in sales. By performing a study and determining what people thought of the new formula, the company could have avoided public-relations headaches.

segment and Targeting Markets.

The company's beverages are generally for all consumers. However, there are some brands, which target specific consumers. For example, Coca-Cola's diet soft drink are targeted at consumers who are older in age, between the years of 25 and 39. PowerAde sports water target those who are fit, healthy and do sport. Winnie the Pooh sipper cap Juice Drink target children between the ages 5-12. This type of market approach refers to market segmentation.The Coca-Cola Company when advertising, has a primary target market.

Segment and Targeting Markets.

Coca-Cola Company has been very successful in international marketing effort. Aggressive advertising, branding and market segmentation have played an important part in the success. It has portrayed itself as fun, playfulness, freedom, lifestyle and the international appeal of Coca-Cola was embodied by a 1971 commercial, where a group of young people from all over the world to a hilltop in Italy to sing “I’ll like to buy the world a Coke”.
The company has been sponsoring big events, like Olympics, Sea Games, FIFA Cup, International Film Festivals all over the world to create awareness, credibility and to brand itself as world-class company. It also makes big donations to organizations, charities and involvement in the communities. These activities have aided Coca-Cola in creating a positive image and consumers’ perception toward the company.
Though the company makes the world its target market, segmenting by diverse consumer preferences would still required to help Coca-Cola to serve the consumers better. As different segments of different countries have various preferences or cultures, Coca-Cola tried to expand with new flavors, brands and even reduced the sugar contents in its Coke, to suit all the different segments. This often increases the acceptance of new drinks that are specially designed for them.

Business Marketing.

The Coca-Cola Company and go2 Systems Inc., originator of go2, a leading location-based directory and information services provider for the Internet and wireless devices, announced a five-year strategic alliance in 2000. go2 and Coca-Cola will work together to offer go2's patented location-based technology, content-rich directory and information services to Coca-Cola Fountain's food service customers. Coca-Cola Fountain will offer the basic go2 services to its food service customers throughout the United States as a means of creating added value for its customer base. The go2 services offered include dedicated (brand-specific) go2 Web sites, location database management, store locators, premium listings and the distribution of accurate, real-time information in go2's wireless and online location-based directories and affiliates.

Business Marketing.

According to our textbook, the resellers market includes retail and wholesale businesses that buy finished goods and resell them for a profit. Meet Coca-Cola's customers..grocery stores, restaurants, street vendors, mass merchandisers, connivence stores, movie theaters, drug stores and amusement parks. These customers sell their products to people like us. These customers make it possible for consumers and shoppers in local communities around the world to purchase & enjoy a wide variety of beverages.

Consumer Decision Making.

Coca-Cola is a soft drink product which can be seen as a product to reduce the need of thirst. However, thirst could also be reduced by drinking water or another soft drink, so the consumption of cola to satisfy the need of thirst is better described as a want. The choice of drinking cola when one is thirsty depends on a consumer's cultural environment, his or her learning experiences and his or her history. For example, in western countries it is normal to drink coca-cola when you are thirsty, while in developing countries people will satisfy this need with water. Based on what is learned and what the cultural conditions are, people will or will not drink coca-cola. Therefore coca-cola is a want instead of a need. People do not need coca-cola, they want it.

Coca-Cola satisfies in the first place a useful need, it takes away the thirst of a consumer. But coca-cola can also be seen as to satisfy a pleasure need. Consumers who drink coca-cola can experience a refreshing moment, which is more an emotional response. This satisfaction of a pleasure need can particular be seen in the commercials of coca-cola producers, who often show the consumption of coca-cola as a refreshing and fun experience. So consumers' motivation to buy coca-cola depends on how strong they feel about satisfying the needs and wants described before. This will depend largely on their culture and how they are raised. Also, the consumption of coca-cola can cause an approach-avoidance conflict. Although it takes away your thirst and can give you a refreshing moment, it also contains a lot of sugar which is not good for your health. Therefore people can be less motivated to buy coca-cola.

Because coca-cola satisfies in the first place an useful need, we think consumers are not very involved when they buy coca-cola. Especially in western countries, where coca-cola is more of a everyday product, people purchase coca-cola soft drinks based on habit. Usually, consumers will not take into account the different coca-cola brands, but just purchase the brand they always take if it satisfies their needs, or in this case wants. Research has even proven that when consumers do not see the brand they are drinking, they do not taste any difference. It seems that the choice of coca-cola brand depends on how the different coca-cola producers position their product in a consumer's mind.

Consumer Decision Making.

Coca-Cola try to appeal to different subcultures by stressing out different values. The values that Coca-Cola wants to stress are family, friendship, happiness, exercise, and being cool. Their product appeals therefore to a broad range of people. It is a product for everyone, every time, everywhere. For Pepsi these values are enjoyment, relaxing and energy. Pepsi appeals more to young, active and sportive people. Although these values are somewhat different, they are all western values, so it will appeal more to western cultures. To also reach consumers in non-western cultures and countries, both companies make different advertisements campaigns for these regions.

Appealing to the local cultures is a very efficient way to gain sells. For example, there are large billboards of Coca-Cola in the Mainland China. People in China are used to large billboard with slogans on new government policies. Since many of those policies have proven to be a wrong step in the country's development, the credibility of such billboards is very low from Chinese people's point of view. Therefore, the aim to raise the brand awareness in this new market is not achieved. Instead, this gives a negative image of the Coca-Cola Company.

Developing A Global Vision.

Joint Venture- when a domestic firm buys part of a foreign company or joins with a foreign company to create a new entity.

ILLYCAFÈ is based in Trieste, Italy and produces as well as markets a unique blend of espresso coffee. illy is sold in over 14o countries around the world and can be enjoyed at the the best coffee bars and restaurants within those countries.

ILLYCAFÈ and Coca-Cola Company Finalize there joint venture on March 27, 2008 to launch the premium ready to drink espresso based coffee beverages in several European countries in April of 2008. Consumers in over 10 European countries will be able to buy three premium ready to drink coffee products. These products consist of (1) Caffè which is a real Italian "chilled caffe." Its the first ready to drink coffee to offer black (no milk) espresso based coffee. (2) Latte Macchiato which is a smooth fresh illy espresso experience swirled with milk. (3) Cappuccino which is an intense uplifting of aromas of illy espresso, blended with milk and dark cacao. All three of these products will be available in 10 European Coca-Cola markets including Austria, Croatia, Greece and the Ukraine.

"When we announced the partnership between The Coca-Cola Company and illy a few months ago, we committed to deliver the perfect ready to drink espresso experience," said Muhtar Kent, president and chief operating officer, The Coca-Cola Company. "Today, we believe we have delivered on that promise with an authentic Italian coffee experience. I look forward to this partnership delivering these great brands across the globe and enhancing our global leadership in the fast growing ready to drink coffee category."