Coca Cola, also know as Coke, began in America, 1886 due to the utter intrigue of an Atlanta pharmacist, Dr. John S. Pemberton. This flavoured syrup in carbonated water is now an iconic brand and the number one selling sparkling beverage.

Coke’s success comes down to their forward thinking, innovative product design, and business practices, marketing in particular. The consistent and distinctive packaging and brand logo including its shape, size, colour and label are at the forefront of Coke’s brand prosperity.

Coke noticed a demand for beverages to be more portable and accessible. So they were the first to put sparkling beverages into bottles, rather than just from soda fountains. Pioneers from the start, large scaled bottling was made possible five years later.

A campaign which acknowledges its health implications yet educates consumer how to still drink Coke yet in moderation would also be recommended to brand managers as it would shed a positive, truthful light on the brand.

Unlawful labour, environmental and marketing practices, and highly detrimental allegations such as violations of intellectual property rights and allegations of involvement with paramilitary organisations in suppression of trade unions.

Over the years the Coca Cola company have been ridiculed for their cost-cutting practices which have guised them as unlawful, and detrimentally influential marketing campaigns targeted towards impressionable young consumers. These negative allegations are highly detrimental to the brand image and difficult for brand managers as this behaviour has proven to spur consumers away from purchasing this product. The roll on effect includes Coke losing sales, potential customers and overall market share, threatening their future prospects and narrowing the gap from their competitors. Potentially losing their number one position in the market. This is why currently brand managers have strategically created new product brands within the Coca Cola company such as Pump, Schweppes and Powerade, to ensure their business longevity as consumers are unaware they are buying a Coca Cola product. This follows into another issue for managers- Coca Cola’s monopolistic brand association.

As a highly lucrative company with high levels of disposable income the Coca Cola company is recommended to use these funds to promote the brands ethical practices, potentially forgoing profit margin. Consumers nowadays are brand savvy and lay an interest on the companies operations in which they are investing in. An example could include banning sweat shop practices and paying employees above minimum wage. In the long term this would have profitable effects as it would gain a broader, ethically aware customer base, increasing market share.

The Coca Cola company’s extreme brand success has allowed for business expansion into new products and brands. Yet this expansion has allowed for a highly monopolistic nature in Coca Cola’s business operations. Currently with a 42.8% market share, it is nearly impossible for other companies to enter the market. Also 1.7 billion servings of Coke products are consumed every day and 3.1% of all beverages consumed around the world are Coca-Cola products, because they own 112 brands. This highly competitive stance is the foundation to the companies success and positive for brand managers yet does not allow for healthy competition, detrimental to the marketplace, especially from a consumers perspective.

The Coca Cola company’s success cannot be denied yet it is recommended that their huge market share and profits are used to increase their donations and participation in humanitarian appeals. Giving back is new world phenomenon for brand managers to adopt as consumers lay high acknowledgment and choose the brands who give. An example include giving half of one months profits to the “Save the Children” foundation. These initiatives would be tailored to specific countries and their favourite foundations.