INTRODUCTION

Coca-Cola history began in 1886 when the curiosity of an Atlanta pharmacist, Dr. John S.
Pemberton, led him to create a distinctive tasting soft drink that could be sold at soda fountains.
He created a flavored syrup, took it to his neighborhood pharmacy, where it was mixed with
carbonated water and deemed excellent by those who sampled it. Dr. Pembertons partner and
bookkeeper, Frank M. Robinson, is credited with naming the beverage Coca-Cola as well as
designing the trademarked, distinct script, still used today.
Did you know? The first servings of Coca-Cola were sold for 5 cents per glass. During the
first year, sales averaged a modest nine servings per day in Atlanta. Today, daily servings
of Coca-Cola beverages are estimated at 1.9 billion globally.
Prior to his death in 1888, just two years after creating what was to become the worlds #1-
selling sparkling beverage, Dr. Pemberton sold portions of his business to various parties, with
the majority of the interest sold to Atlanta businessman, Asa G. Candler. Under Mr. Candlers
leadership, distribution of Coca-Cola expanded to soda fountains beyond Atlanta. In 1894,
impressed by the growing demand for Coca-Cola and the desire to make the beverage portable,
Joseph Biedenharn installed bottling machinery in the rear of his Mississippi soda fountain,
becoming the first to put Coca-Cola in bottles. Large scale bottling was made possible just five
years later, when in 1899, three enterprising businessmen in Chattanooga, Tennessee secured
exclusive rights to bottle and sell Coca-Cola. The three entrepreneurs purchased the bottling
rights from Asa Candler for just $1. Benjamin Thomas, Joseph Whitehead and John Lupton
developed what became the Coca-Cola worldwide bottling system.

Among the biggest challenges for early bottlers, were imitations of the beverage by competitors
coupled with a lack of packaging consistency among the 1,000 bottling plants at the time. The
bottlers agreed that a distinctive beverage needed a standard and distinctive bottle, and in 1916,
the bottlers approved the unique contour bottle. The new Coca-Cola bottle was so distinctive it
could be recognized in the dark and it effectively set the brand apart from competition. The
contoured Coca-Cola bottle was trademarked in 1977. Over the years, the Coca-Cola bottle has
been inspiration for artists across the globe a sampling of which can be viewed at the World
of Coca-Cola in Atlanta. Check out a preview of the latest art exhibit.
The first marketing efforts in Coca-Cola history were executed through coupons promoting free
samples of the beverage. Considered an innovative tactic back in 1887, couponing was followed
by newspaper advertising and the distribution of promotional items bearing the Coca-Cola script
to participating pharmacies.
Fast forward to the 1970s when Coca-Colas advertising started to reflect a brand connected with
fun, friends and good times. Many fondly remember the 1971 Hilltop Singers performing Id
Like to Buy the World a Coke, or the 1979 Have a Coke and a Smile commercial featuring a
young fan giving Pittsburgh Steeler, Mean Joe Greene, a refreshing bottle of Coca-Cola. You
can enjoy these and many more advertising campaigns from around the world in the Perfect
Pauses Theater at the World of Coca-Cola.


EVOLUTION OF THE COCA-COLA BOTTLE

The 1980s featured such memorable slogans as Coke is It!, Catch the Wave and Cant Beat
the Feeling. In 1993, Coca-Cola experimented with computer animation, and the popular
Always Coca-Cola campaign was launched in a series of ads featuring animated polar bears.
Each animated ad in the Always Coca-Cola series took 12 weeks to produce from beginning to
end. The bears were, and still are, a huge hit with consumers because of their embodiment of
characteristics like innocence, mischief and fun. A favorite feature at the World of Coca-Cola is
the ability to have your photo taken with the beloved 7 tall Coca-Cola Polar Bear.
Did you know? One of the most famous advertising slogans in Coca-Cola history The
Pause That Refreshes first appeared in the Saturday Evening Post in 1929. The theme of
pausing with Coca-Cola refreshment is still echoed in todays marketing.

In 2009, the Open Happiness campaign was unveiled globally. The central message of Open
Happiness is an invitation to billions around the world to pause, refresh with a Coca-Cola, and
continue to enjoy one of lifes simple pleasures. The Open Happiness message was seen in
stores, on billboards, in TV spots and printed advertising along with digital and music
components including a single featuring Janelle Monae covering the 1980 song, Are You
Getting Enough Happiness? The happiness theme continued with Open the Games. Open
Happiness featured during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, followed by a 2010
social media extension, Expedition 206 an initiative whereby three happiness ambassadors
travel to 206 countries in 365 days with one mission: determining what makes people happy. The
inspirational year-long journey is being recorded and communicated via blog posts, tweets,
videos and pictures. at the World of Coca-Cola and see the magic that goes into every bottle of
Coca-Cola. Interested in learning even more about Coca-Cola history? Go to www.coca-
colacompany.com and check out the History section.












Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics
Decision making is a key aspect to any business. To pick the best decision for any situation you
would need to know what your goal is, your reason, objectives, strategies and tactics. Objectives,
strategies, and tactics are crucial to a businesss success. The main difference between those
three terms are that objectives are medium-long term targets, strategies are long term objectives,
and tactics are short term objectives.

Objectives give a sense of direction, unity, and purpose. They play a big role in forming the
foundation for companies in the decision making process. Objectives can be communicated
through mission statements. Strategies and tactics both refer to a plan or scheme but strategies
are long term plans that will have significant consequences while tactics are short term and may
be less significant in comparison to strategies.

Mission and Vision Statements
The main difference between mission and vision statements are the mission statements
communicate where a company is now while vision statements communicate where it wishes to
be in the future. Vision statements are often more abstract and less direct than a mission
statements and mission statements can vary from being very simple to very complex.


Coca-Cola Company:

Mission
- To refresh the world
- To inspire moments of happiness and optimism
- To create value and make a difference

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

I thought that the vision statement points were more in depth and detail in comparison to their
mission statement points when it should've been the other way around. The mission statement
was more abstract and broad whereas the vision statement was more clear and direct. Both
statements somewhat communicated what their goal is for the future and where the company is
at now and I thought that both statements together did portray what the company was trying to
achieve.

Objectives
The main objectives for the Coca-Cola Company are to be globally known as a business that
conducts business responsibility and ethically and to accelerate sustainable growth to operate in
tomorrow's world. By having these objectives, it forms the foundation for companies in the
decision making process.

Strategies and Tactics
The Coca-Cola company aims to be globally known, they do this by targeting different areas
across the globe with different products, gaining their brand name and popularity. All the
bottling partners work closely with their customers such as convenience stores, grocery stores,
movie theaters and street vendors to create and use localized strategies developed in partnership
with the Company. Their competition with other beverage companies are also narrowed down as
they own various brands that could be possible competition. For example, the company sells
Coke without the competition of other popular soft drink brands like Sprite and Fanta because
the company owns those brands as well.

HISTORY (WORLDWIDE)

The Coca-Cola Company re-entered India through its wholly owned subsidiary, Coca-Cola India
Private Limited and re-launched Coca-Cola in 1993 after the opening up of the Indian economy
to foreign investments in 1991. Since then its operations have grown rapidly through a model
that supports bottling operations, both company owned as well as locally owned and includes
over 7,000 Indian distributors and more than 2.2 million retailers. Today, our brands are the
leading brands in most beverage segments. The Coca-Cola Company's brands in India include
Coca-Cola, Fanta Orange, Limca, Sprite, Thums Up, Burn, Kinley, Maaza, Minute Maid Pulpy
Orange, Minute Maid Nimbu Fresh and the Georgia Gold range of teas and coffees and Vitingo
(a beverage fortified with micro-nutrients).

In India, the Coca-Cola system comprises of a wholly owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola
Company namely Coca-Cola India Pvt Ltd which manufactures and sells concentrate and
beverage bases and powdered beverage mixes, a Company-owned bottling entity, namely,
Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd; thirteen licensed bottling partners of The Coca-Cola
Company, who are authorized to prepare, package, sell and distribute beverages under certain
specified trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company; and an extensive distribution system
comprising of our customers, distributors and retailers. Coca-Cola India Private Limited sells
concentrate and beverage bases to authorized bottlers who are authorized to use these to produce
our portfolio of beverages.These authorized bottlers independently develop local markets and
distribute beverages to grocers, small retailers, supermarkets, restaurants and numerous other
businesses. In turn, these customers make our beverages available to consumers across India.

The Coca-Cola system in India has already invested USD 2 Billion till 2011, since its re-entry
into India. The company will be investing another USD 5 Billion till the year 2020. The Coca-
Cola system in India directly employs over 25,000 people including those on contract. The
system has created indirect employment for more than 1,50,000 people in related industries
through its vast procurement, supply and distribution system. We strive to ensure that our work
environment is safe and inclusive and that there are plentiful opportunities for our people in India
and across the world.
The beverage industry is a major driver of economic growth. A National Council of Applied
Economic Research (NCAER) study on the carbonated soft-drink industry indicates that this
industry has an output multiplier effect of 2.1. This means that if one unit of output of beverage
is increased, the direct and indirect effect on the economy will be twice of that. In terms of
employment, the NCAER study notes that "an extra production of 1000 cases generates an extra
employment of 410 man days."

As a Company, our products are an integral part of the micro economy particularly in small
towns and villages, contributing to creation of jobs and growth in GDP. Coca-Cola in India is
amongst the largest domestic buyers of certain agricultural products.

As an industry which has strong backward and forward linkages, our operations catalysis growth
in demand for products like glass, plastic, refrigeration, transportation, and Industrial and
agricultural products. Our operations also lead to incremental growth for enterprises engaged in
post-production activities like merchandising, marketing and sales. In addition, we share best
practices and technological advancements with our suppliers, vendors and allied industries which
often lead to improvement in the overall standards of quality across industries.

The Coca-Cola Company has always placed high value on good citizenship. Our basic
proposition entails that our Company's business should refresh the market; enrich the workplace;
protect and preserve the environment; and strengthen the community. We leverage our unique
strengths to actively support and respond to local needs -- be it the need for education, health,
water or nutrition. We have used our distribution network for disaster relief, our marketing
prowess to raise awareness on issues such as PET recycling, and our presence in communities to
improve access to education and potable water. The Coca-Cola India Foundation is now taking
forward in the community at large, projects and programs of social relevance to carry forward
the message of inclusive growth and development. For more details on activities of the Coca-
Cola India Foundation, please visit the website of the Coca-Cola India Foundation,






History of Coca-Cola in India

Coca-Cola came to India in the year 1956. Since India had not any foreign exchange act, Coca-
Cola made huge money operating under 100% foreign equity. Indian foreign exchange act was
implemented in the year 1974 during Indra Gandhi time. The foreign exchange act stated that
foreign companies selling consumer goods must invest 40% of its equity stake in India in its
Indian associates. Coca-Cola agreed with investing 40% foreign equity but stated that they would
still hold full power in technical and administrative units with no local participation allowed.
This demand was against the foreign exchange act. The government instructed Coca-Cola to
either write up a new plan or to leave the country. In 1976 Indira Gandhi called for elections and
all of the other political parties formed one party in her opposition. They called themselves the
Janta Party (Public Party). The Janata Party came into the power in 1977 and stressed that Coca-
Cola should either accept the foreign exchange act or leave the country. Coke India left that year.
After the departure of Coke company from India, George Fernandez said:-
Coke had 100% equity in India. Their investment was not much. They came into the country
with Rs. 6,00,000, which at the present rate of exchange is less than $20,000. On this
Rs.6,00,000 investment, they had taken out of the country, by a modest estimate, 250 million
rupees (about $ 8 million) as profit in the twenty years they had been in the country. In 1993
Coca-Cola re-entered after government approval, due to the new liberalization policies that were
coming to India. The foreign exchange act which had once prevented companies from keeping
too much equity had now been completely modified.

The modification made it so that companies which exceeded foreign equity by 40% of the total
were to be treated on par with Indian companies. Automatic approval was to be granted for
equity investment of up to 51% and for foreign technology agreements in high priority
industries. Non-Indian residents and companies owned by them abroad were allowed to invest up
to one hundred percent equity in high priority industries, allowing greater freedom for
repatriation of capital.

In 1999, Coca-Cola bought Parle, Indias top soft drink brand, which bottled Thums up, Limca
and Gold Spot. Before Coke and Pepsi re-entered India, more than 50 Indian soft-drink brands
had been developed and 200 production plants set up. As time passed after Coke and Pepsi
entered India, people witnessed the progressive disappearance on indigenous drinks and the
demand for healthier drinks lowered as well.



COCA COLA SYSTEM WORLDWIDE AND IN INDIA

At the core of our business in India, as in the rest of the world is our production and distribution
network, which we call the Coca-Cola system. Globally, the Coca-Cola system includes our
Company and more than 300 bottling partners. The Coca-Cola Company manufactures and sells
concentrate and beverage bases. Our authorized bottlers combine our concentrate or beverage
bases as the case may be with sweetener (depending on the product), water or carbonated water
to produce finished beverages. These finished beverages are packaged in authorized containers
bearing our trademarks -- such as cans, refillable glass bottles, non-refillable PET bottles and
tetra packs -- and are then sold to wholesalers or retailers. In India, additionally, the Company
also sells certain powdered beverage mixes such as Vitingo.
Our beverages reach our ultimate consumers through our customers: the grocers, small retailers,
hypermarkets, restaurants, convenience stores and millions of other businesses that are the final
points of distribution in the Coca-Cola system. What truly defines the Coca-Cola system, and
indeed what makes it unique among businesses, is our ability to create value for our customers
and consumers.
In India, the Coca-Cola system comprises of a wholly owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola
Company namely Coca-Cola India Pvt Ltd which manufactures and sells concentrate and
beverage bases and powdered beverage mixes, a Company-owned bottling entity, namely,
Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd; thirteen licensed bottling partners of The Coca-Cola
Company, who are authorized to prepare, package, sell and distribute beverages under certain
specified trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company; and an extensive distribution system
comprising of our customers, distributors and retailers. Coca-Cola India Private Limited sells
concentrate and beverage bases to authorized bottlers who use these to produce our portfolio of
beverages.These authorized bottlers independently develop local markets and distribute
beverages to grocers, small retailers, supermarkets, restaurants and numerous other businesses.
In turn, these customers make our beverages available to consumers across India.









SWOT
ANALYSIS.



Coca Cola SWOT analysis 2013
Strengths Weaknesses
1. The best global brand in the
world in terms of value ($77,839
billion)
2. Worlds largest market share in
beverage
3. Strong marketing and advertising
4. Most extensive beverage
distribution channel
5. Customer loyalty
6. Bargaining power over suppliers
7. Corporate social responsibility
1. Significant focus on carbonated
drinks
2. Undiversified product portfolio
3. High debt level due to acquisitions
4. Negative publicity
5. Brand failures or many brands
with insignificant amount of
revenues
Opportunities Threats
1. Bottled water consumption
growth
2. Increasing demand for healthy
food and beverage
3. Growing beverages consumption
in emerging markets (especially
BRIC)
4. Growth through acquisitions
1. Changes in consumer preferences
2. Water scarcity
3. Strong dollar
4. Legal requirements to disclose
negative information on product
labels
5. Decreasing gross profit and net
profit margins
6. Competition from PepsiCo
7. Saturated carbonated drinks
market




STRENGHTS

The company has been in business for 125 years, is valued at $166.31 billion,
and operates in nearly every country in the world, and is as stable and
established as it gets
Coca-Cola operates in some of the fastest growing markets in the world, and
with a growing middle class in these regions, more people will have the funds
to purchase Coca-Colas products (Case Volume Growth- Latin America: 6%
Eurasia & Africa: 6% Pacific: 5%)
The company pays out quarterly dividends of $0.255, which annualized puts
the dividend as yielding 2.75%
The company has paid out dividends since 1987, and has consistently paid
out and raised its dividends since implementing their dividend
The companys stock is relatively un-volatile, with a Beta of 0.51

The Coca-Cola Company has a number of different strengths. First of all, Coca-Cola is one of
the most widely recognized soft drink brands around the world. You can find Coca-Cola
products in many countries worldwide. This is an obvious strength because consumers are more
inclined to purchase products from a company they are more familiar with. The more people that
know about the product being sold, the more likely sales are going to increase. Another strength
that the Coca-Cola Company has is its continued devotion to producing high quality products
that can be purchased internationally. The same soft drinks you enjoy in America can be found in
other countries such as Canada or India without a loss of quality. Another major strength of the
Coca-Cola Company is their product development. In addition to making products of the highest
quality, Coca-Cola has been known to introduce some dramatically new flavors to its line of soft
drinks. Flavors such as Vanilla or Cherry Coke have gained wide popularity and are still in high
demand for sales. Coca-Colas dedication to experimenting with and making new and exciting
products is what differentiates this soft drink company from its competitors. Another advantage
that Coca-Cola has that differentiates it from its competitors would their powerful advertising
campaigns. Coca-Cola is well known for having some of the best advertisements. These
advertisements reflect the companys vision of Coca-Cola as a means of connecting people,
instead of just being used as a mere soft drink. Popular Coca-Cola advertisements throughout
history continue to be a hit with consumers today. Coca-Colas mission statement is to refresh
the world, to inspire moments of optimism, to create value and make a difference everywhere we
engage.



Weaknesses:
The company is exposed to fast-growth markets and slow-growth markets
alike (Case Volume Growth- Europe: 2% North America: 1%), and these
markets weigh on the companys overall growth as 37% of the companys
business is split between these two markets
The company is relatively established in the markets it operates in, as not a lot
of people are unaware of the Coca-Cola brand
The company produces products that are not considered healthy, the large
portion of their beverages are high in sugar content, and as the worlds
waistline keeps growing, people are going to eventually look towards healthier
alternatives
The company owns or licenses more than 500 brands of beverages, and there
are not a huge amount of sub-industries in the beverage market that Coca-
Cola does not operate in.

Coca-Cola is not without its weaknesses however. Even though product development is
considered a strength for the company because of the diversity of soft drink flavors offered, it
can also be viewed as a weakness. The reason for this is that the products that Coca-Cola
produced are not necessarily healthy. The sodas and drinks produced by the company are high in
sugar and can be harmful if consumed in excess. With obesity becoming a growing problem in
our world today, people may look to other healthier products as an alternative to drinking Coca-
Cola products. Even with healthier options such as Diet Coke, Coca-Cola can lose sales as
consumers move toward a healthier lifestyle. Another weakness Coca-Cola has is that although it
is a leading soft drink company, it is not without its competitors. The biggest competitor for
Coca-Cola would be PepsiCo. PepsiCos basic Pepsi soft drink is very similar if not identical to
the basic Coke soft drink offered by Coca-Cola. Since there really isnt anything that sets the two
formulas apart, Coca-Cola has to work hard to differentiate their products from PepsiCo.


Opportunities:
The company recently acquired its 15
th
billion dollar brand, Del Valle, and
other acquisitions are always an opportunity for the company
The companys revolutionary twist on the fountain dispenser, the Freestyle,
has drawn customers across state lines just to get in line to fill their cup with
their favorite beverage, and this machine should prove to be a valuable
investment into the future
Their extensive and effective distribution network allows the company to take
any product and have it in nearly every store around the world in days
The energy-drink market has for years been labeled as a fast-growing market,
and an acquisition of Monster or another company is not probable at the time,
due to the recent allegations against Monster, however is possible

There are a lot of other companies that sell soft drinks that can be comparable to those sold by
Coca-Cola. Coca-Colas biggest rival is probably the PepsiCo Company. These two companies
have been competing for the soft drink industry since they began, and they are still the two
biggest companies is soft drink sales. The Pepsi drink sold by PepsiCo can be considered a
substitution for Coca-Cola for consumers. In order to get people to buy their products, Coca-Cola
needs to differentiate them from Pepsi. As mentioned before, one way they do this is by creating
new Coca-Cola flavors, which in turn offers products to consumers that they cant get from
PepsiCo. This is a great way to differentiate from PepsiCo and makes customers more inclined to
buy Coca-Cola products. Another way that Coca-Cola stays ahead of the competition is by
forming partnerships with various sporting events such as the Olympics, Special Olympics,
tennis, football, etc. Coca-Cola and sport are closely linked. Coca-Cola is a product that is found
in places where people gather to have fun and socialize, which definitely fits the description of
any sporting event. By connecting sports and Coca-Cola, the company can gain recognition and
support, something its competitors may not have access to. If Coca-Cola continues to maintain
its high level of quality around the world and introduces new innovations in soft drink flavor,
technology, and advertising, they will continue to be the highest selling brand of soft drink on the
market.



Threats:
PepsiCo has for decades been battling with Coca-Cola for the money of the
consumer, and this threat will not disappear anytime in the near future
Recently some select states have imposed taxes on the sale of soft drinks,
and have banned the sale of drinks larger than a certain size, trying to battle
obesity
A rise in ingredient prices could squeeze the margins of the company, as the
historic drought of this year has already caused food prices to rise
considerably
Coca-Cola sells products in countries all around the world, so they face the
threat of weak currency conversion rates that could hurt margins.

Major publically-traded competitors of Coca-Cola include PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) and Dr.
Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS). PepsiCo has been competing with Coca-Cola since their
birth, and offer similar to near identical products. These two companies will continue to battle
each other into the future. Dr. Pepper Snapple, while significantly smaller than Pepsi and Coca-
Cola, poses a significant threat to Coca-Cola because of the wide popularity of their products and
difference between the different brands. Their main brand, Dr. Pepper is relatively unlike
anything Coca-Cola offers.




















BIBLIOGRAPHY.

www.google.com
www.wikipedia.com
www.encyclopedia.com
www.cocacola.com.