The history of the development and creation of the world famous Coca-Cola brand is very entertaining and interesting: a huge number of facts, interesting events and facts, ups and downs - that's what we'll talk about today.
Successful brands have their own biography: once they were born, they have their founders (parents) and investors, they were also given their name at birth, their history is full of ups and downs, as well as interesting facts. As a rule, success depends on two main factors - this is high-quality advertising and the product itself.
The history of the origin of the Coca-Cola company started back in 1886 on May 8, a little-known owner of a small pharmacological company at that time invented the recipe for Coca-Cola. John Stith Pemberton was convinced of the medicinal properties of his invention, and in anticipation of a big profit, he went to the largest drugstore chain in Atlanta, where he offered to sell Coca-Cola for $ 0.05 per serving. His drink helped patients with stress, fatigue, and nervous disorders. The healing properties of the drink were quite understandable, because the composition of this product included coca extract (i.e., cocaine leaves, a potent drug), and only at the beginning of the 20th century were the harmful properties of cocaine proven.
The second person who immortalized his name with Coca-Cola was Frank Mason Robinson, it was he who came up with the name for this drink. He worked for John Stith, was his accountant. Combining the name of the two main ingredients that were part of the medicinal product (coca leaves and kola tree nuts), he received the world famous brand name - Coca-Cola.
Robertson also had a perfect command of calligraphy, and presented not only the name, but also the company logo - beautiful curly white letters on a bright red background. From that moment on, a thorny and difficult path to success began. The first investment in advertising and production of the drink did not pay off at first, but there are many sharp turns in the history of the life of this company. One of them is the sudden death of its creator, 2 years after the creation of Coca-Cola. John Stith Pemberton never had time to enjoy the success of his offspring.
The history of the creation of the most popular drink Coca Cola
An ordinary Coca-Cola seller, experimenting, diluted Pemberton's syrup not with ordinary water, but with soda. This is an innovation saturated with carbon dioxide. Effervescent Coca Cola was to the taste of the local population, which was used by a novice entrepreneur. As an immigrant from Ireland, Asa Candler buys a syrup recipe and trademarks a new soda. And already in 1893, the history of Coca-Cola takes on a modern look. In the same year, Asa Candler opens The Coca-Cola Company.
It was he who brought a brilliant idea to life, registered, legally issued, invested money and set up the production and marketing of the Coca-Cola drink, he is rightfully considered the father of the company. Already under the clear leadership of Az Candler, modernization and innovations were carried out in the production of Coca-Cola, the main innovative solution was the removal of cocaine from the composition of soda (by replacing fresh coca leaves with squeezed coca leaves).
Just in time, at that time, discussions began in scientific circles about the dangers of cocaine for the human body. A world-famous newspaper published a critical article in which many examples were given of African Americans who, having drunk Coca-Cola, in a state of passion, attacked civilians. Today, coca leaves are no longer used, ordinary caffeine acts as a stimulant. The Coca-Cola recipe is not a secret, but its ingredients are shocking, for example, 9 tablespoons of sugar are needed for 1 glass of Coca-Cola.
The secret behind Coca Cola's historic success
The Coca-Cola Company has achieved worldwide recognition thanks to innovations in advertising and marketing. In order to create a popular and recognizable brand product, we had to resort to non-standard solutions. One of Landler's first ingenious advertising moves was the supply of completely free Coca-Cola to pharmacy customers. In exchange for his product, the businessman only asked for the mailing addresses of customers who had tried (and liked) the free drink at the pharmacy. After that, the owner of the company sent coupons for free Coca-Cola by mail, people willingly came with coupons and bought more (but for money). Thus, giving a couple of bottles of the drink for free, the brand quickly gained a customer base.I would like to note that soda got its colossal success during the dry law, which was introduced in 1886 in Atlanta. Any product produced had to be in demand, people gladly switched from alcohol to fizzy soda. Advertising slogans of those years said: Coca-Cola refreshes, invigorates and heals. It was promoted not only as a pharmaceutical drug, but also as an energy drink, which are so popular in our time.
Marketers resorted to innovative solutions:
We set up the production of souvenirs and toys for children, on which the emblem and slogans of the company were applied. Some were distributed free of charge, others were given as a gift when buying a large amount of a drink, but the main thing is that people took advertising to their homes.
The first advertising company in the history of the company was organized under the slogan “Drink Coca-Cola. Delicious and refreshing." After its successful completion, the slogans changed from patriotic to romantic, the main thing is that this gave its result.
Coca-Cola was actively advertised by famous athletes, actors and public figures. Today, a successful brand does not need the services of these people.
Expanding the boundaries, already in 1902, the Coca-Cola company became the most famous brand of sparkling water in the United States with an annual turnover of 120 thousand US dollars. And in 1989, already an international company, placed its advertisement in Moscow, a huge billboard on Pushkin Square.
The fight against fraudsters was carried out very actively, so in 1916 alone there were more than 150 lawsuits against companies that tried to imitate the famous Coca-Cola brand. It is not strange that goods that are in great demand are always trying to fake or look like them in order to snatch their piece of the delicious pie.
Coca-Cola gained immense popularity after 1894, as it became more affordable. The fact is that until this turning point it was sold only for bottling. Joseph Biedenharn became the first person to pack Coca-Cola in glass containers, making the already beloved drink of many more accessible to everyone.
Why is Coca-Cola such a successful company?
The history of the Coca Cola Company is a prime example of measured strategy and marketing. The Coca-Cola company has long overtaken world leaders such as IBM, Google, Amazon and others.According to the company, over the years they have created the largest structure for the distribution of beverages in the world, built factories on all continents, and consume the company's product in more than 200 countries around the world. To all this, add a multi-billion dollar advertising budget - that's the key to success. And yet, why the Coca-Cola Company is so successful:
1. Well-organized logistics that allows daily delivery of products to all retail outlets in the world.
2. The correct location of commercial refrigerators, a colossal number of sales agents, a verified place on the shelf that most of all attracts the attention of the buyer.
3. Aggressive round-the-clock advertising, every day a huge number of people and their subconscious are affected by advertising.
In the modern civilized world it is difficult to find a person who would not drink at least one bottle of Coca-Cola.
Everyone (from the American president to the average homeless person, from the first grader to the doctor of science) at the mention of this brand immediately associates with its logo: rounded white letters on a red background.
This uncomplicated logo has actually become a symbol of America.
The history of the drink
Coca-Cola is a mega-popular non-alcoholic soft carbonated drink distributed throughout the world (in more than two hundred countries) and produced by the almost eponymous company The Coca-Cola Company, which also owns the brands Coca-Cola Light, Bonaqua, Sprite, Fanta, etc.
Its creator is John Pemberton, who originally developed the formula of an alcoholic drink called “French Coca Wine”, which included a mixture of damiana leaf extract, coca and kola nuts.
This "potion" had a calming effect, helped to relieve sometimes very annoying headaches.
There is also a version according to which the drink was created by John as a painkiller and was intended to anesthetize wounded Confederate soldiers.
A non-alcoholic version was released in 1885 after Prohibition was passed in Atlanta. The main ingredients were coca leaves (they also extract the drug cocaine) and kola nuts (one of the tropical trees) in a ratio of 3:1.
It should be noted that at that time the dangers of cocaine were not yet known, and it was not a prohibited substance, it was freely available and was often added to drinks instead of alcohol, so to speak, for tone. Coca-Cola was not an innovation in this direction.
Pemberton was addicted to morphine, acquired through the use of this substance in large quantities as a painkiller. The inventor drank "coca wine" to fight his addiction.
The original composition of Coca-Cola included 8.46 mg of cocaine, despite the fact that the average dose of the drug used by addicted people is 15-35 mg. To strengthen such a small dose of cocaine, which was part of the drink, it was possible due to the presence of caffeine in it, contained in kola nuts.
Considering the above fact, initially Coca-Cola was declared one of the medicines, the action of which is aimed at combating opium and morphine addiction. In addition, Pemberton claimed that his invention could cure impotence.
The drink was patented as a drug intended to treat "any nervous disorder".
Its implementation was carried out by selling through a vending machine, which was located in the building of one of the largest city pharmacies in Atlanta.
The drink became "poppy" at the end of 1886. History connects the adoption of Prohibition in Atlanta with the automatic increase in demand for Pemberton's drink with the same year.
Do you know how to shop at? Unfortunately, it is not available in Russian, but our article will help you easily understand the interface and order products directly from America without intermediaries.
Read everything about Haggis diapers, the official website, the history of the company and the features of its products.
history of the company
Coca-Cola is one of the most recognizable and successful brands, estimated by experts at a truly fabulous amount of almost 80 billion dollars.
The Coca-Cola Company has over 120 years of history. Founded in 1892 by Mr. Candler, a native of the town of Villa Rica (Georgia), who bought the signature drink formula from its inventor, John Pemberton.
The inventory list, which the latter compiled before selling the business, reveals the secret of the Coca-Cola recipe:
- lime oil;
- nutmeg oil;
- lemon oil;
- neroli oil;
- coca leaf extract;
- muscat extract;
- orange elixir;
- caffeine;
- vanillin;
- citrus acid.
In the late 1890s, after the negative effects of cocaine on the body were revealed, “squeezed” ones, in which cocaine was no longer contained, were added to the drink instead of fresh coca leaves.
That is, by the time Aza Kandel bought the formula, founded the company and registered a trademark, opened the first Coca-Cola plant, there was no cocaine in it.
The name of the drink and subsequently the brand came up with Frank Robinson. He also had a hand in creating the corporate logo of the company, and in the truest sense of the word: having calligraphic handwriting, he brought curly letters, which later formed the basis of the logo.
All essential elements of the company's corporate identity, along with the red color, on which beautiful curly letters are inscribed, are registered as a trademark by the US Planetary Bureau.
This means that any infringement on the use of one of these elements by competitors is illegal and will be immediately suppressed by the trademark owner, which the company actually does, and with enviable regularity.
A significant increase in the popularity of the brand is associated with the appearance of the original bottle "with a waist" in 1916. Its shape was unmistakably guessed by consumers among hundreds of other representatives of bottled products, which helped to increase brand awareness and increase the effectiveness of advertising campaigns conducted by the manufacturer.
The bottle is solemnly "handed over" to Santa Claus, who has become a frequent guest of the Christmas advertising of this "pop".
New Year's decorated bottle of the drink loved by millions and Santa Claus created such a well-coordinated image that many Americans firmly believe that the image of Santa came up with the above trademark.
This opinion is due to the fact that the company really had a hand in creating today's image of Santa, commissioning the design of a red and white suit for him from the artist Haddon Sundlbom in 1931.
Prior to this, the “good Santa Claus of American origin” walked around in anything and everything, putting on variegated clothes, which did not look quite personable.
Watch a video about the brand:
What is Coca-Cola made of today?
We already know that the original formula of the drink included cocaine, but the recipe has undergone changes and improvements over time and, of course, no longer contains any drugs.
The detailed formula, taking into account all the components, is kept in the strictest confidence and is a trade secret.
Of course, the manufacturer is obliged to notify consumers about the ingredients included in the composition, indicating them on the label, but only a part of them is indicated on the bottle or can.
The original formula, which is used in production today, is stored in the main vault of the Sum Trust bank in a special safe, access to which is open only to the top management of the company.
Given the close attention to food and drink, the stringent requirements placed on them, it is even surprising that the recipe for Cola has not yet been disclosed. Below is one of the existing options for decoding the composition.
To prepare the black elixir, essential oils are used:
- orange - 80 drops;
- lemon - 120 drops;
- coriander - 20 drops;
- cinnamon - 40 drops;
- lime - to taste.
In addition to the above essential oils, 40 drops of nutmeg and neroli oils are added to the black elixir.
- black elixir - 42 gr.;
- caffeine citrate - 113 gr.;
- phosphoric acid - 56 gr;
- vanilla extract - 28 gr.;
- sugar - 13.5 kg;
- water - 10 l.
It seems that none of the presented ingredients should cause confusion among consumers (everything is natural, there are no chemical additives), but just think about it: 13.5 kg of sugar per 10 liters of water!
Have you ever sweetened a glass of tea with nine tablespoons of sugar? There are still doubts that Coca-Cola is harmful?
Even despite the fact that neither coca leaves nor kola nuts have been in the composition for a long time, there is no need to talk about the usefulness of the drink, although it was originally positioned as a remedy and was sold in pharmacies.
Today, some even manage to cook soup from Coca-Cola with the addition of chips, nuts and crackers. A step-by-step recipe for preparing this extravagant dish can be found on the video:
Certainly, this is a joke recipe, do not try this! The consequences can be unpredictable, especially for people who have a weak stomach. Better not experiment.
In general, it is surprising that only a baby does not know about the dangers of a drink, or at least about the lack of benefit from drinking it, but at the same time, the company continues to flourish and has been among the most expensive brands in the world for a long time.
TM, in an effort to keep up with its competitors that produce products that do not contain either sugar or caffeine, began to produce products without these ingredients: New Coke, Classic Coke, Cherry Coke, Caffeine-Free New Coke, Tab, Caffeine-Free Diet Coke , Caffeine-Free Tab, Coca-Cola Light and others.
However, excessive consumption of them will not lead to anything good, as well as excessive consumption of any lemonade.
Today, a lot is said about the dangers of Coca-Cola products, but similar products from other brands are no more useful.
As experienced nutritionists say, everything is possible, but little by little. If you drink a glass of sweet carbonated drink once a year for a holiday, nothing terrible will happen.
The situation is quite different with daily use in uncontrolled quantities. But in the same way, you should not eat a lot of fatty, fried and sweet things, drink a lot of alcohol, etc.
There are many variations of the brand's official website: a number of countries have developed their own resource with a unique domain name, usually corresponding to the domain zone of a particular country.
For example, the site http://www.coca-cola.ru/ was developed for the Russian-speaking audience, and http://www.coca-cola.ua/ for the Ukrainian-speaking audience.
There are also resources in Bulgarian, Croatian, Estonian, German, Polish, Turkish and other languages, but all of them are uninformative and contain limited data. Their main purpose is to inform consumers about what promotions are valid in a particular period of time.
In particular, bears, Coca-Cola bears, which could be obtained by participating in a campaign specially proclaimed by the company for the Sochi 2014 Olympics, are very popular today.
The official site also offers visitors to download an application that allows them to see the Coca-Cola Olympic flame directly from their phone, and join the Vkontakte and Facebook groups.
It will not be possible to find out where the Coca-Cola prize distribution center is located, whether there are vacancies in the company, on these resources. To be honest, it is not entirely clear why they were created at all, since they do not carry any useful value in themselves.
You can learn much more from the official Vkontakte group: You can ask questions here. It is even strange that the company's management has not yet guessed to post the most requested, analyzed information that interests consumers on regional sites, or at least make a FAQ section on the site, for example.
It is impossible not to mention the universal, so to speak, main site http://www.coca-colacompany.com/. It is here that the user can find comprehensive information about the company and its activities, interesting articles, however, in English.
At the address you can find the address of the official website of Yves Saint Laurent, the history of the creation of the brand and information about its extravagant founder.
Pictures of Coca-Cola
The drink is sold in different containers, the bottles have repeatedly experienced the redesign procedure, for example, here are some variations:
The history of the company, the producer of the Coca-Cola drink, is a chain of competent management decisions in the field of production technology, marketing, and advertising for over 100 years.
The product of The Coca-Cola Company is sold officially in more than 200 countries of the world. It is known today to 94% of the world's population. Every day, customers around the world purchase just under a billion units of the company's products.
We offer you a brief history of the creation of the legendary drink and the success story of the world-famous company.
Creating a drink
The history of the drink began with the pharmacist Pemberton. He, in search of a recipe for a good tonic, decided to combine two powerful stimulants: he added cola nut extract to the coca drink. The result was a mixture that has a really strong tonic property. Having finalized the technology for preparing the drug, he demonstrated it in May 1886 to local investors. The money received went to the organization of production.
Frank Robinson
The syrup was patented as a drug to restore the nervous system. They began to sell it in the pharmacies of the city. In the summer, in one of them, the seller Willie Venable decided, at the request of the visitor, to dilute the medicinal concentrate not with water, but with soda. The guest liked the sizzling mixture very much, since then the drink was consumed in carbonated form.
However, Coca-Cola did not bring Pemberton a decent income. He was forced to sell part of his share to the pharmacist Venable, the first seller of carbonated cola. The author of the legendary sweet water recipe died in poverty in August 1888.
Birth of a company
A few months later, the patented prescription was purchased from the pharmacist's widow by Irish-born Kendler. The transaction amount was $2300. For comparison: the average annual salary of an American worker at that time was $570.
Asa Kendler, Founder of The Coca-Cola Company
The Irishman Kendler immediately believed in Coca Cola. He saw in it a drink that could cure many diseases and bring profit to its creators. With the help of Robinson, he develops a more perfect composition, using the original, improves its taste.
Together with three partners, Kendler in January 1893 registers an enterprise for the production of this product. Thus began the history of The Coca-Cola Company. If Pemberton is considered to be the author of the drink, then Aza Candler is the founder of the company.
Kendler's contribution
Under Kendler, the company grew into a successful $120,000 corporation in nine years, and Coca-Cola became the national soft drink.
The first thing the 42-year-old Kendler took up was organizing advertising. A simple, well-remembered and catchy logo began to accompany Americans, and then residents of other countries, everywhere. He could be found on the titles of fashion publications, seen on large billboards. Visual propaganda was accompanied by well-chosen appeals, slogans, and laconic formulations. Coca-Cola's advertising plots featured bright and conspicuous images, well-known actors and sportsmen participated in them. All this was positively and enthusiastically perceived by the public.
A trading department is being created in the company, where intelligent and energetic people are recruited. New and unknown for that time forms of product promotion are used.
So, by agreement, pharmacies were supplied with a certain amount of syrup for free, and in return they received addresses of regular customers. Each of them was sent coupons in the mail, which could be used to purchase a free serving of cola. People came to the institution, drank a glass, then, as a rule, ordered a second portion, and also bought home.
The drink was sold on tap
The popularity of tonic grew every day. Since 1895, it has already been sold in all states of the country, and since March 1894, not only in bottling, but also in bottles.
The affairs of the company and its shareholders were on the rise. Annually board paid decent dividends. A factory built by franchise partners went into operation in Tennessee. Activities outside the States began to unfold. The first countries of foreign expansion were Cuba, and then Panama.
The popular drink began to be counterfeited by competitors. The firm had to make a lot of effort in the war against manufacturers of fake products: a total of 153 lawsuits were filed against them.
An important event in strengthening and developing the image of the company and its product was the appearance in 1916 of a branded bottle. It contributed to further growth in sales of Cola.
The evolution of the signature Cola bottle
Woodroffe era
The public of Atlanta insisted on the election of Kendler mayor of the city. He gradually retires, and in 1919 his offspring is bought by an Atlanta banker, Ernest Woodroof, for $25 million. He enlists his son to work, and four years later, Robert Woodroffe is elected president of the corporation. Under him, the corporation reached its current heights in its development.
Robert Woodroof
The new manager immediately introduced standards in all labor processes, up to the sale of a drink. Buyers began to offer six-packs, special packaging boxes of 6 bottles, which subsequently enjoyed popularity for several decades. The company was the first to use bottled Coca-Cola vending machines, remote refrigeration units, which were installed in various stores.
Standard pack of six bottles
We sell not a drink, but a way of life
Woodroof radically revised the strategy for large-scale sales of finished products. Since Coca-Cola did not surpass its analogues in terms of its consumer qualities, he proposed to sell not so much a product as a way of life. The drink acquired a special image, it became not so much a means of quenching thirst, but, as it were, involved its owner in the circle of prosperous lucky ones, or in the circle of strong and courageous heroes.
Like a real psychologist and marketer, Woodroof persistently pursued the line that with your product you must definitely follow the client. A bottle of cola should accompany an American everywhere: at work, on vacation, in hours of difficult trials. The drink is distributed at gas stations that are multiplying across the country. He comes to the cinema, appears on the screens of cinemas and becomes inseparable from the American way of life.
During the period of American participation in the World War, Woodroffe took out billions in loans to build a network of factories for the production and bottling of Cola into bottles for American soldiers in Europe, North Africa, China, and the Pacific region. The first of 64 factories was opened in Algiers.
After the war, Cola's popularity grew even more. The constructed foreign enterprises have become a springboard for conquering foreign markets. In 1968, half of the company's profits came from overseas deals.
Woodroof stepped down as CEO in 1954, but remained on the board of directors until 1984.
Where did the name come from
The history of the Coca-Cola brand is very simple and ordinary. When in 1886 Pemberton began to prepare for a patent for an invention, the question arose about the name of the liquid. His partner Frank Robinson suggested composing it from the names of the two components of the syrup: coca drink and cola nuts. It turned out Coca-Cola. The name took root and was liked by everyone: both sellers and buyers.
Today, the phrase Coca-Cola, according to the results of marketing research, is considered the second most famous after the word "okay".
Logo options
The Coca-Cola logo, like the name, was invented by the same Frank Robinson.
The history of the logo has more than 130 years, but despite such a long period, the general style of the inscription emblem has remained unchanged. Over time, the style of the letters changed slightly, it became brighter.
Logo evolution
For the first time, they tried to portray the logo in a different way already in 1890. The attempt was considered unsuccessful, the bizarre style did not attract the attention of visitors. Three years later, Kendler brought back the old look.
During the Second World War, the style of the inscription approached the modern one. In 1958, the background of the emblem was red. After 11 years, a white wave was added to the inscription. In 1980, the wave began to slightly intersect with the inscription. The word CLASSIC appeared on the image. After 23 years, three waves of white and yellow have already appeared. All of them are placed to the bottom of the inscription.
The current image was made in 2007. Instead of three waves, one again appeared, it is located under the title text. There are also specially prepared versions of the logo made for the 125th anniversary of the birth of the drink and the 100th anniversary of the first glass bottle.
The Coca-Cola formula was officially classified by the company. On Candler's orders, the original copy of the recipe was deposited with the Trust Company bank. Since 1925, it was kept in another bank in the city of Atlanta. In 2011, the classified material was transferred to a special corporation vault built next to the main office.
In 1980 Cola was the official drink of the Moscow Olympics.
1982 Diet Coke developed and launched.
1988 For the first time in the USSR, the production of Coca-Cola began at the Moskvoretsky brewery.
Hong Kong residents drink hot cola to treat colds.
Notable advertising campaigns
Since 1928, when Coca-Cola provided 1,000 cases of its water at the Amsterdam Olympics, the company has been a permanent sponsor of the Olympic Movement. Coca-Cola sponsors all major sporting events, including football and hockey world championships, top-level tennis tournaments.
Coca-Cola was the first Western company to place its advertisement in Moscow on Pushkin Square in 1989.
In 1931, Coca-Cola came up with its own image of Santa Claus for Americans. The image of an elf was replaced by a good-natured, cheerful old man with a thick white beard. He was depicted wearing a red fur coat, emphasizing the colors of the brand, and holding a bottle of incendiary drink in his hands. Everyone liked the image and became a symbol of the Christmas and New Year holidays.
How the company works
Currently, the Coca-Cola company has secret recipes for three thousand types of drinks, has the rights to hundreds of brands.
The strategy of the corporation is based on the promotion of the product to all countries of the world with the aim of occupying a dominant position in the global industry. In this, the company has excelled, and its history is a classic example for the study of marketing.
The activity of the giant is based on the organization of a system of work with partner bottlers.
Bottlers are regional firms that bottle and sell the product directly to the consumer.
The company supplies them with concentrates, provides support in setting up production, training staff, purchasing commercial equipment, provides advertising materials and performs quality control.
Now the company employs about 300 bottlers around the world, among which there are both large international companies and small enterprises.
Coca-Cola has been operating in Russia for 36 years. The Kola system has 12 factories employing 11,000 people. More than 65,000 work in related fields, supplying the company with sugar and other components of production.
Coca-Cola plant in Moscow
In general, the position of the corporation can be called stable. However, in the past 2017, sales of the drink decreased by 4.3%. In the US, there is a drop in demand for carbonated sweet drinks, some experts speculate about a decrease in the value of the company's shares in 2018.
The phrase Coca-Cola is heard by any inhabitant of the planet. Even if the soda bearing this name is not included in the daily diet, almost everyone has heard of it, at least once in their life they tried it. For more than 100 years of existence of the Coca-Cola brand, the popularity of the soft drink has been growing every year. Even tales and speculation that Cola "corrodes us from the inside" contains a narcotic substance - cocaine does not stop citizens from drinking an invigorating liquid, and the company from systematically moving forward. But at the very beginning of development, the manufacturer suffered losses, this circumstance did not stop far-sighted businessmen. Now the Coca-Cola Corporation has a truly expensive global brand, and the company's value exceeds $75 billion. What is the secret of the stunning success of the brand? To understand, you need to plunge into the history of business.
How it all began
The drink originated in 1886 with the filing of pharmaceutical chemist John Stith Pemberton, who brewed it in the form of a syrup "for nerves." The first taster was an accountant, part-time friend of the inventor Frank Robinson. The drink impressed him greatly, which prompted him to advise John to patent the recipe, enter into a sales contract with the largest pharmacy at that time, Jacobs' Pharmacy. The composition was estimated at only 5 cents for a standard bottle of 200 g. Buyers were offered to purchase a “panacea for all nervous disorders”, the inventor assured that the Coca-Cola syrup was able to get rid of morphine drug addiction, and also helps to cope with impotence.
The name, and later the logo, the drink is obliged to the same accountant Frank Robinson. It was he who recommended christening the syrup according to the name of its ingredients (the composition included coca leaves, cola tree nuts). He, being the owner of calligraphic handwriting, brought out a record with curlicues of Coca-Cola. This is where it all started. The recipe of the drink has undergone significant changes over the course of a century, the name and logo remain the same for many years. For many years, the company has kept the exact composition, the method of preparing the drink in the strictest confidence, and also protects the logo and corporate identity of the Coca-Cola brand from "assassination attempts" in every possible way.
History of the Coca-Cola logo
Founding of the Coca-Cola Company
For some time after its creation, Coca-Cola was sold exclusively in pharmacies as a medicine, and did not attract much attention. This was until laziness prompted pharmacist Willie Venable to mix syrup with soda and get a truly magical "pop". The discovery prompted the idea of creating an enterprise for the production of soda. The introduction of Prohibition at the same time was an undoubted advantage for the development of the soft drinks business.
It was difficult for John Pemberton to organize his own business. The result was shaky health, the financial situation left much to be desired. The decision to sell most of the business turned out to be the only right one. John won 2 thousand dollars, but this did not work to improve his position. Willy Venable became a partner, the owner of 2/3 of the beverage production company, who made a wonderful discovery of "pop". Things were not going well at the initial stage, the development of the business was difficult, and the activity brought only losses.
2 years after founding the invigorating Cola company, John Pemberton died without having achieved the success of his business. The recipe for making a drink from a widowed wife was bought by an enterprising Irish immigrant Asa Candler. A few years later, he registered The Coca-Cola Company, a trademark of the brand familiar to many. The authorized capital of the newly created company was equal to 100 thousand dollars, the development went at a rapid pace. At the end of the year, the company's shareholders already received small dividends. From this moment, the gradual ascent of the brand to the heights of Olympus begins.
Steps to success
The new owner turned out to be an excellent leader. Together with Frank Robinson, who stood at the origins, Asa Kendler improves the recipe of the drink, takes the first steps in advertising and product promotion. Many marketing moves (tasting, distribution of souvenirs) turned out to be a turning point in doing business. Innovations used in the promotion of goods gave impetus to the development of the brand, and also formed the basis of the art of selling, which is still used in modern times.
Important! By the beginning of the 20th century, the Coca-Cola brand is recognized as the most famous brand that produces soft drinks, and the cash turnover exceeds 120 thousand dollars. In 1906, the company's position is so strong that a decision is made to open production facilities in Cuba and Panama. This event served as the basis for the birth of the global promotion of the drink.
In 1915, the introduction of the unique “waisted” bottle brought Cola to a new level of development. The original container attracted much more attention, allowing the brand to gain mass interest. Now the Coca-Cola brand is recognized against the background of similar products not only by the original logo, but also by a special container.
New milestone in development
In 1919, Asa Kendler decides to sell the already successful company for $25 million. The banker Ernest Woodruff becomes the main owner, with the arrival of which the Coca-Cola brand begins its promotion to the world market. After 4 years, Robert Woodruff is already at the head, whose name is associated with a 60-year improvement in the drink, brand, production level.
The young, energetic manager is happy to innovate. The packaging is being improved - a cardboard box of 6 cells, a can, a plastic bottle appear. Active promotion continues, strengthening the status of the trademark. Since 1928, the Coca-Cola Company has been invariably present at all the Olympic Games and other large-scale sporting events as a sponsor. New brand products are being developed - Fanta, Sprite. These circumstances allow the brand to securely gain a foothold among the masses, and drinks can be tasted by a large number of citizens, including foreign ones.
Since 1979, the post of head of the corporation for 16 years was taken by Roberto Gisueta. The manager is rightfully recognized as the most successful leader on a global scale. During his tenure, the value of the Coca-Cola Company increased by $15 billion. The legendary manager was a master at creating formulas for success, and not having achieved the desired results in the shortest possible time, easily change course. That is why the history of his leadership is marked by the development of the product line. The clearest example is Diet Coke, which suffered a collapse in consumer demand. The special merit of Roberto Gisueta is recognized that the brand's drinks began to be sold in almost every country in the world.
Competitive fight
Coca-Cola paid special attention to the struggle for the brand throughout its development. The individual right to bear a sonorous name and use a recognizable logo was carefully defended. Numerous lawsuits sometimes reached the point of absurdity - the company demanded to prohibit competitors from using curls in writing a name or a color scheme that repeats the style of a famous brand.
A particularly tense situation developed on the battlefields with the main enemy - the Pepsi-Cola brand. From the moment the competitor appeared to this day, the battles do not stop.
Another clash with PepsiCo in 1939 becomes the largest trial in the history of fierce battles for the Coca-Cola brand. The event was the beginning of the cold war between the giants. Even given the documentary reconciliation, the companies continue to support the struggle for leadership.
Despite competitive battles throughout history, Coca-Cola has consistently held the palm. Definitely say what the secret of success is not taken even by experts. Perhaps this is a well-chosen niche. The Coca-Cola brand has always supported traditions, family values, which won over the vast majority of consumers. Far-sighted leaders and a well-planned marketing policy of the company helped to go to the top of the championship, to develop confidently.
Coca-Cola in Russia
Photo: Pixabay 1979 was marked by the appearance of an invigorating drink in the vastness of the USSR. This is due to the conclusion of the contract on the eve of the Olympic Games. According to the agreement, Cola production was set up at Soviet factories, vending machines were brought from Germany, but the famous figured bottle did not reach Russian consumers at that time.
The next stage of the introduction of Kola into the Russian masses is associated with the general democratization of the perestroika period. 1989 was marked not only by the appearance of the drink on sale, but also by the placement of foreign advertising on Pushkinskaya Square in Moscow. A luminous sign with the name of the brand stood proudly in the very center of the capital.
Since 1991, a representative office of the corporation has appeared on the territory of Russia. Gradually, the development of a new territory, the construction of factories, the introduction of the usual schemes of work. Only since 2001, Coca-Cola has completely switched to a well-established system of activity.
Since 2005, the company has been actively working to “capture” the territory. The largest producers of juices, water, kvass are acquired. Investments in the Russian economy are equal to $4 billion. In the near future, it is planned to increase this figure by $1.4 billion.
Company development today
The company is growing and developing every year. The manufacturer's arsenal includes more than 200 items: carbonated drinks, juices, iced teas, energy mixes. The brand's products are sold in more than 200 countries around the world, and are the most in demand. Daily sales exceed 1 billion units. The Coca-Cola brand is recognized as one of the most expensive in the world; the corporation's net profit exceeds $8 billion. The giant has wide prospects for further development, on which he does not think to stop.
The enterprise grows, develops, never ceases to amaze with its uniqueness, social orientation, and scale of activity. Drinks under the Coca Cola brand are familiar to 95% of the world's population and this is far from the limit.
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