home Converter History of the Coca-Cola brand. The Coca-Cola Company: about the creation and development of the history of the legendary drink The history of the Coca-Cola drink

History of the Coca-Cola brand. The Coca-Cola Company: about the creation and development of the history of the legendary drink The history of the Coca-Cola drink

The Coca-Cola drink was invented in Atlanta, Georgia, USA on May 8, 1886. It was invented by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton, a former army officer
American Confederate Army. The name for the new drink was invented by Pemberton's accountant Frank Robinson, who, also skilled in calligraphy, wrote the words “Coca-Cola” in beautiful curly letters, which are still the logo of the drink.

The main ingredients of Coca-Cola were as follows: three parts coca leaves (from the same leaves the drug cocaine was obtained) to one part tropical cola tree nuts. The resulting drink was patented as a medicine “for any nervous disorders” and began to be sold through a vending machine in the largest city pharmacy, Jacob's in Atlanta. Pemberton also claimed that Coca-Cola healed impotence, and that those who were addicted to morphine could switch to it (by the way, Pemberton himself was partial to morphine). It should be noted here that cocaine was not a prohibited substance at that time and nothing was known about its harm to health (for example, in the story “The Sign of Four” by Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes injects himself with cocaine in moments of inactivity that he endures so painfully). Therefore, cocaine was freely sold, and it was often added for pleasure and tone to drinks instead of alcohol - Coca-Cola was not an innovation in this.

At first, an average of only 9 people bought the drink every day. Sales revenue during the first year was only $50. Interestingly, $70 was spent on the production of Coca-Cola, which means that the drink was unprofitable in the first year. But gradually the popularity of Coca-Cola increased, and so did the profits from its sales. In 1888, Pemberton sold the rights to produce the drink. And in 1892, businessman Asa Griggs Candler, who owned the rights to Coca-Cola, founded The Coca-Cola Company, which continues to produce Coca-Cola today.

In 1902, with a turnover of $120 thousand, Coca-Cola became the most famous drink in the United States. [The same year was marked by the emergence of the main competitor of The Pepsi-Cola Company - La belle epoque].

But in the late 1890s, public opinion turned against cocaine, and in 1903 a devastating article appeared in the New York Tribune, claiming that Coca-Cola was to blame for the fact that blacks from the city slums who had drunk on it began to attack white people. After this, they began to add not fresh coca leaves to Coca-Cola, but already “squeezed” ones, from which all the cocaine was removed.

Since then, the popularity of the drink has grown exponentially. And just fifty years after its invention, Coca-Cola has become something of a national icon for Americans. Since 1894, Coca-Cola has been sold in bottles, and since 1955 in cans.

Stages of the long journey:

1886 - invention of the drink
1888 - sale of the business to Irish emigrant Ace Candler, who begins an aggressive advertising campaign
1893 - trademark registration
1894 - bottling
1920 - first plant in Europe
1922 - creation of a 6-bottle pack
1928 - Coca-Cola at the Olympics in Amsterdam
1960 - appearance of the tin can
1977 - appearance of two-liter plastic bottles

Pemberton, John Stith Pemberton (July 8, 1831 - August 16, 1888) - American pharmacist, inventor of Coca-Cola:

It is said that there is a recipe written in Pemberton's own hand. It is stored in a special safe, to which only senior managers have access
companies, and even they can only open the safe together. On the one hand, given the current close attention and strict requirements of various organizations for food and drink, it is strange that the recipe has not yet been revealed.

Here is one of the options for deciphering the composition (based on materials from the magazine “Vlast”):

First, the black elixir is prepared:

Then for 10 liters of water take 42 grams of black elixir, 113 grams of caffeine citrate, 56 grams of phosphoric acid, 28 grams of vanilla extract. Now all that remains is to add sugar - as much as 13.5 kilograms.

The amount of sugar is impressive, of course; there are as many as 9 spoons per glass of drink. It is precisely because of this that perhaps it should have been hidden, because one can only imagine how useful this “miracle remedy” is for our body.

We can say with confidence that neither Coca nor Cola have been there for a long time.

Interesting Facts

If all the Coca-Cola produced over more than a hundred years is poured into bottles, laid out in one line and wrapped around the near-Earth orbit of our planet, then it will wrap around the Earth 4334 times. By the way, such a chain would reach the Moon back and forth 1045 times.

If all the Coca-Cola produced were distributed in bottles to everyone on the planet, each of us would receive 767 bottles.

If all the Coca-Cola produced were to fill a pool 180 centimeters deep, its length would be 33 kilometers and its width would reach almost 15 kilometers. Such a pool can simultaneously accommodate 512 million people.

Every second, 8,000 glasses of drinks produced by the Company are drunk around the world.

The huge Coca-Cola sign, located above the World of Coca-Cola pavilion in Atlanta, consists of 1,407 regular light bulbs and 1,906 linear neon bulbs. The height of the sign is 9 meters, width - 8, weight - 12.5 tons.

The largest Coca-Cola sign is located in the Chilean city of Arica. It is installed on the top of a hill. The width of the sign is 122 meters, the height is 40 meters. This sign is made from 70 thousand Coca-Cola bottles.

In 1989, Coca-Cola was the first foreign company to advertise its brand on Pushkinskaya Square in Moscow.

The two countries that have the highest percentage of Coca-Cola consumption per capita in the world have absolutely nothing in common. These are the huge continental subtropical Mexico and the tiny island subpolar Iceland.

The longest delivery route for Coca-Cola is in Australia. Truck drivers travel 1,803 kilometers to deliver products from Perth, South Australia, to Karratha and Port Hedland.

Books on the topic
(to see the description of the book, click on the picture)

Tell me, is there at least one person on the planet who doesn’t know what Coca-Cola is? Who doesn’t know the history of this world-famous brand, founded more than 100 years ago? Everyone has heard at least something about such a refreshing drink as Cola. The history of Coca-Cola is the topic of today's article.

What is Coca-Cola?

This is the name of the best non-alcoholic drink in the world, which has been perfected and presented to us by professionals for hundreds of years. Today we will discuss the Coca-Cola drink in detail. The history of the creation of the brand will also not pass us by.

We will begin, perhaps, by reminding everyone of one very interesting fact related to the manufacturing company. Few people know that from 2005 to 2011, the soft drink Coca-Cola was the main component of the most expensive brand in the whole world.

If about 100 years ago someone could buy a brand, spending pennies, now this certainly won’t work: the value of the Coca-Cola company today exceeds 75 billion dollars. Did you know that the corporation employs more than 150 thousand people?!

Coca-Cola recipe

Unfortunately, the recipe for this drink is one of the most protected in the world. More than 100 years have passed since the beginning of the production of Cola, and only the main ingredients are still known, but, alas, the method of preparing the drink is not.

Let's talk now about the ingredients of Coca-Cola:

regular sugar (in the United States of America, experts use cheaper corn syrup);
sugar color (special dye);
energizing caffeine;
carbon dioxide;
orthophosphoric acid;
unique natural flavors (the main secret of this magical drink).

The complete list of all necessary ingredients is still a secret.

Now, having learned the basic ingredients needed to create a carbonated product, we can discuss such an important point as the history of Coca-Cola. In English, the name of the drink looks like Coca-Cola.

History of the global brand

Many people drink Coca-Cola every day, but they don’t even know what it is, who invented it and other interesting points related to the Coca-Cola company. Now we will finally fully immerse ourselves in the history of the world's best brand, which is impressive.

Founder of the legendary drink

The Coca-Cola drink was invented by an excellent pharmacist who lived in Atlanta. John Pemberton loved various chemical experiments from childhood. Are you interested to know that it turns out that there is an exact date for the creation of this wonderful product? The Coca-Cola drink was first made on May 8, 1886. If you do the math, it turns out that this thirst-quenching soda is already 129 years old! This is truly an incredible figure, which proves that the Coca-Cola company has developed and continues to do so.

The name "Coca-Cola" was coined by accountant Frank Robinson, who was working for John Pemberton at the time. As you can see, the brand name has not changed until now, even moreover, the inscription has been completely preserved, no changes have occurred.

Brand development in 1888-1898

At the beginning of 1888, John dies, being a penniless man, since his brainchild, unfortunately, did not achieve any commercial success at that time. The man was buried in a small cemetery among poor people, and 70 years later a beautiful stone tombstone was erected in memory of John.

After some time, the famous and wealthy Irishman Asa Candler decides to purchase the recipe for this drink from Pemberton’s widow. A woman sells a recipe to an Irishman for $2,300 (a lot of money at that time).

Candler decides not to change the name of the drink; already in 1892, he and his brother created an enterprise called The Coca-Cola Company, which is still producing Coca-Cola.

It is interesting to know that the company's initial budget was exactly 100 thousand US dollars.

In 1894, the legendary drink began to be sold in beautiful glass bottles.

4 years after this, another company known to this day appears, called The Pepsi-Cola Company. Now Pepsi-Cola is the main competitor of the Coca-Cola drink. The history of the creation of this brand is indeed very interesting; more about this is written a little higher.

"Coca-Cola" in 1902-1906

The entire year of 1902 is considered successful for the brand and the delicious drink. This year, Coca-Cola becomes the most famous soft drink in America. The corporation's cash turnover exceeds 120 thousand US dollars.

A year later, the famous American newspaper New-York Tribune publishes another article about The Coca-Cola Company. The author of the article writes terrible things about Coca-Cola, for example, black guys, after drinking the drink, began to attack white citizens of America. However, this is far from the most interesting, because, as stated in the article, they were under the influence of a narcotic substance - cocaine.

The article did contain some truth, because at that time the recipe for the drink included special coca leaves, which were later replaced with squeezed ones; they did not contain cocaine.

Already in 1906, the company completely won the sympathy of American citizens, thanks to which it opened production abroad - in Panama and Cuba.

While the story of Coca-Cola makes you smile and laugh, what will happen next? Let's get a look.

Development of the brand in 1907-1914

During all this time, nothing important or new happened. The promotion of the company continued, but nothing remarkable happened between 1907 and 1914. Active work was underway at the enterprise, Coca-Cola was produced in new bottles and cans, each new design was better than the previous one.

The Coca-Cola Company - The “name” of our today’s hero is known to everyone.

The stories of successful organizations are very similar to the biographies of great people. The largest companies were also once “born” - they were founded, they also had “father and mother” - founders and investors, they were also given a name at birth, and their lives were filled with both ups and downs.

The Coca-Cola brand is the most popular on the planet; 6.5 billion people are familiar with it, which is equal to 94% of the world's population. Thanks to the world's largest distribution system, the legendary soda is consumed in more than 200 countries.

The company employs more than 146,000 people worldwide. Now Coca-Cola is supplier No. 1 drinking water, carbonated and non-carbonated drinks, juices, nectars, as well as ready-to-drink teas and coffee.

In addition to widespread recognition, the Coca-Cola brand is also a leader in financial indicators. The company's net profit is calculated in billions of dollars.

Coca-Cola shares are a tasty morsel, with major investment funds such as Berkshire Hathaway holding a stake in the company. In the rankings of the most valuable brands over the past decade, Coca-Cola has firmly occupied first place, pushing aside corporations such as Microsoft, IBM, Google and Nokia.

The Coca-Cola Company achieved such success thanks to the drink of the same name, which is its most famous product.

Do not rush to run away from the monitors if you drink exclusively natural juices and look disapprovingly in the direction of “sweet water”. As popular wisdom says, “there are no comrades according to taste.” I admit honestly that I myself do not drink Coca-Cola. Not only does it not quench your thirst, because it is sweet and it makes you want to drink even more, but it is also harmful.

That's what I admire most! How we managed to create such a successful business that helped the Coca-Cola brand become the most recognizable. I also want to say that I even managed to work for this company for a whole day. This is not a typo, I worked at this company all day, but I’ll tell you about it next time...

The world empire for the production of soda was organized not even in the past, but in the century before last - in 1892 in Atlanta.

Now the company, which began with sales of a dozen bottles a day, sells more than 1.5 billion servings of drinks every day. If you divide all the Coca-Cola produced among the world's population, then there will be 767 bottles for each of us!

How did Coca-Cola manage to achieve such impressive results?

The success of an enterprise depends on two main components - the product produced and its advertising. Let's take a closer look at these important components.

Coca-Cola celebrates its “birthday” May 8, 1886 when an American, the owner of a small pharmaceutical company, invented his recipe.

He did not limit the circle of consumers of the drink to his relatives, but went straight to the largest pharmacy in Atlanta, where he offered to sell his invention for 5 cents per serving.

Pemberton was convinced of the healing properties of cola, which helped cope with nervous disorders, fatigue and stress. The “medicinal” benefits of “cola” were quite understandable, because the syrup included an extract of coca leaves, i.e. cocaine, the harm of which was proven only at the beginning of the 20th century.

Pemberton's entrepreneurial spirit was the beginning of a long journey for cola. Pemberton's accountant came up with the name for the drink.

He put together the names of the main ingredients of the drink, which, in addition to coca leaves, included cola tree nuts. Proficient in calligraphy, Robinson also donated his logo to the drink.– beautiful curly letters on a red background.

One of the cola sellers, Mr. Venable, once diluted Pemberton's syrup not with plain water, but with soda. The carbon dioxide-saturated “fizzy drink” was very popular among the population.

Unfortunately, the creator of cola died 2 years after its invention, and did not have time to reap the benefits of his success.

Pemberton's syrup recipe is purchased by an aspiring entrepreneur (Asa Griggs Candler, 1851 - 1929), an immigrant from Ireland, and thus the business is in very good hands. Mr. Candler was the model of an enterprising and assertive business man. In 1893, he registered the Coca-Cola trademark and founded the company of the same name, The Coca-Cola Company.

Under Candler's leadership, both the product and the way it was marketed underwent innovation. The businessman set out to improve the recipe for the drink to improve the taste and increase its shelf life.

By replacing fresh coca leaves with “squeezed” ones, cocaine is removed from the composition of soda, the dangers of which have been talked about in scientific circles. In the press, cola was even cited as a reason for the aggressive behavior of African Americans from poor neighborhoods. A devastating article appeared in the then popular New York Tribune newspaper, which said that “blacks” who got drunk on Coca-Cola became crazy and attacked “whites.”

Nowadays caffeine is used as a stimulant, and the detailed recipe for modern “cola” is no longer a big secret. True, some of the ingredients are impressive - the amount of sugar per glass of drink is 9 spoons!

Candler was one of the first entrepreneurs to understand the benefits of a “trademark.” To create a popular and easily recognizable product, the businessman used non-standard solutions.

Now they are the ABC of marketing, but then they belonged to the class of innovations.

For example, Candler supplied pharmacies with a batch of free cola in exchange for the addresses of visitors to the establishment, to whom he sent free coupons for the purchase of the drink by mail. People were happy to “sip a glass” for nothing and buy the supplement themselves.

I would like to note that Coca-Cola owes much of its success to Prohibition, which was introduced in Atlanta in 1886. People then switched from alcohol to sweet soda. That is, if you intend to create a successful business, then you should take this aspect into account.

The product must be in demand. Coca-Cola has become a good alternative to alcohol. By the way, look at the advertisements above, did you notice what the bet was placed on?

In fact, at that time, Coca-Cola was promoted not only as a medicine, but also as an energy drink, which are so popular now. Coca-Cola was refreshing and invigorating – that’s what the advertising slogans of those years said.

The release of various souvenirs with the Cola emblem also increased the distribution of the brand. In 1902, with sales of $120,000, Coca-Cola became the most famous drink in the USA.

The resourceful Irishman also organized the first ever advertising campaign for Coke. Her first motto was: “Drink Coca-Cola. Delicious and refreshing." Since those distant times, Coca-Cola has changed dozens of slogans, among which there are not only those calling to quench thirst (1922: “Thirst knows no season,” 1929: “A respite that refreshes”), but also patriotic ones (1906: “The Great Non-Alcoholic the drink of the nation,” 1937: “America’s Favorite Moment,” 1943: “Universal Symbol of the American Way of Life”) and even romantic (1932: “The Light of the Sun with the Cool of Ice,” 1949: “COCA… on the Road That Leads Anywhere” , 1986: “Red, White and You”).

The “Coke” slogans played on the deepest strings of the American soul, touching a sense of pride in their nation.

Coca-Cola was advertised by the most famous and beautiful actors, the most beloved and popular athletes. Now the Coca-Cola brand is so successful that it no longer needs advertising from celebrities, whose fame is already much less than the fame of the brand itself. I remember an anecdote about this:

“A representative of the Coca-Cola company calls President Putin:

– Do you want to change the Russian flag to red and white, the color of Coca-Cola, for 10 billion dollars?

– It’s difficult to answer right away, you have to think about it. Calls Medvedev back: - Dima, when does our contract with Aquafresh end? »

In 1989, Coca-Cola became the first foreign company to place its advertising in Moscow on Pushkinskaya Square.

It's no secret that a product that is in great demand becomes a victim of counterfeits. To combat the counterfeiting of the drink, the company even hired the famous Pinkerton detective agency.

In addition to obvious fraud, the corporate identity of “Cola” was subjected to “harassment” - its name, color, and logo font were borrowed. Such attempts to bask in the rays of someone else's glory were stopped quickly and categorically - the court recognized the company's exclusive right to the patented Coca-Cola brand.

In 1916 alone, it was initiated more than 150 lawsuits against imitation brands, such as Fig Cola, Candy Cola, Cold Cola, etc. Relations with the main competitor Pepsi were also difficult. The battle of “stakes” saw both court proceedings and peace agreements; some marketing moves in this “Cold War” of soda generally deserve a separate article.

The general availability of the drink, when it began to be produced in glass bottles, also played a big role in the company’s success. Before 1894 "Cola" was sold on tap, and Joseph Biedenharn, a Mississippi businessman, became the first person packed cola in glass containers.

He sent 12 bottles personally to Mr. Candler, but he was not enthusiastic about the innovation. Possessing a brilliant entrepreneurial spirit, he somehow failed to see the great future of cola packaging. In 1899, two lawyers, Benjamin Thomas and Joseph Whitehead, bought from Candler for a nominal fee of $1 the exclusive rights to bottle and sell Coca-Cola.

In 1915, Benjamin Thomas approached designer Earl Dean to came up with an original shape for the cola bottle. With the task set – to make glass containers recognizable “to the touch, in the dark and even when broken” – the creative did an excellent job.

The drop-waist bottle shape, reminiscent of a cocoa fruit, was introduced to the public in 1916 and added another distinctive feature to the Coke image. At an auction in California, a Dean bottle, which is a prototype of the following models, was sold for $240,000!

1919 – new owner of Coca-Cola

In 1919, The Coca-Cola Company changes its owner. This was preceded by the appointment of Asa Candler as mayor of Atlanta in 1916. With the transition to a new position, Candler had to relinquish his powers as the chief executive officer of the Coca-Cola company.

At that time, he was already a very rich man, and all this was thanks to timely investments in cola. By the way, do you know that Asa Candler bought the patent for Coca-Cola from Pemberton's widow for only $2,300(!). This subsequently brought him hundreds of millions of dollars.

Thanks to the sweet pop, Candler subsequently established the Central Bank and Trust Company, owned a large amount of real estate, was famous for donating millions of dollars to the Methodist Church, and bought and donated a large tract of land for Emory University's move from Oxford to Atlanta.

He subsequently showed his brilliant entrepreneurial talent as mayor of Atlanta. He inherited most of The Coca-Cola Company to his children, who later sold them for 25 million dollars group of bankers led by Ernest Woodruff, who four years later handed over the reins of the company to his 33-year-old son Robert.

The emergence of Woodruff at the head of the company is associated with Coca-Cola's entry into foreign markets. This is how cola factories appear in France, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Guam

Soda has firmly entered the lives of Americans and has become “the guy” at celebrations of various events, when playing sports and even on the battlefield.

During World War II, the company's president since 1923 set a goal for employees that "every man in uniform could buy 5 cent bottle of cola wherever it is, and no matter what it costs us.”

By the way, before the start of World War II, Coca-Cola was sold in 44 countries. It was Woodruff who 60 years of his reign had the greatest influence on the development of the company and, in particular, on the expansion of the drink around the world.

Could Robert Woodruff then imagine that in the 21st century the company's products would be produced in more than 200 countries around the world?!

Under the leadership of this marketing genius, the first cola vending machines were launched, a standard six-bottle package was developed, the assortment was replenished with Sprite and Diet Coke, and plastic Coca-Cola bottles appeared.

With Woodruff, Coca-Cola began its collaboration with the Olympic movement, in 1928, sponsoring the IX Olympic Games in Amsterdam. Since then, Coca-Cola has gone hand in hand and even runs with sports - since 1992, the company has been one of the organizers and sponsors of the Olympic torch relay.

The Coca-Cola Company currently cooperates with more than 190 national Olympic committees and is an official partner of FIFA, the NBA and a sponsor of the FIFA World Cup.

In 1931, another turning point in the history of the company took place. Artist Haddon Sundblom painted Santa Claus for a Coca-Cola advertising campaign.

The image he came up with of a good-natured old man dressed in a red and white suit was so successful that now the people of the United States imagine Santa this way.

But before Sundblom, the main character of American New Year holidays was portrayed in any way, even as an elf, and dressed in costumes of various colors.

Nowadays, Santa Claus is “one color in winter and summer,” and his bright “Coca-Cola” coloring in itself serves as a good advertisement for the drink.

But the story of Coca-Cola is not entirely reminiscent of a Christmas tale. The Internet is full of “horror stories” that describe alternative methods of using the drink - removing rust, cleaning car windows, etc.

The height of cruelty to soda is the claim that American cops use it to wash away blood at crime scenes. Is this really how representatives of the law understand the advertising slogan of 1993 “ always Coca-Cola»?)

In program releases "MythBusters" on the Discovery Channel many of these legends have been tried and dispelled. The efficiency of cleaning with a drink is higher than cleaning with ordinary water, but significantly lower than that of special products.

No specific negative effect of cola on the human body has been officially established. So “to drink or not to drink” is a personal matter for every adult. I emphasize, an adult, because... Children themselves cannot refuse temptation, so it is the responsibility of parents to monitor their health.

The company's marketing management says it does not target children in its strategy. That’s true, but at the only Coca-Cola Museum in the world in Atlanta, admission for schoolchildren is free and they are brought on excursions by busloads. Here are the next sweet soda lovers growing up.

The continuity of generations is obvious - just think about it, Coca-Cola, which has already managed to fly into space and win the love of the NEXT generation, was also drunk by the great-great-grandmothers and great-great-grandfathers of our contemporaries.

Coca-Cola is terrible!

In 1955, Coca-Cola tries to dress in new clothes. The drink began to be poured into aluminum cans, which were originally invented during the war for the convenience of soldiers.

The late 50s and early 60s were characterized by the expansion of The Coca-Cola Company's product range. In 1958, Fanta appeared, and in 1961, Sprite.

Currently, the world empire produces more than 200 types of drinks, of which Coca-Cola, Fanta and Sprite owns 80% of total sales. By the way, this fact once again confirms the effectiveness of the Parreto principle, according to which in retail outlets 20% of the products presented on retail shelves make 80% of the turnover.

Or in another way they say that 80% of all goods are needed only so that the main 20% sell well.

In the 70-80s of the last century, the company continued to increase its presence in the world. New factories were built, new quality standards were introduced, distribution channels were improved, new advertising and marketing “tricks” were developed, which immediately affected the company’s results.

Thus, in 1988, according to the results of a survey conducted by various independent agencies, Coca-Cola became the most famous and preferred brand in the whole world. By the way, the company firmly held this title from 2000 to 2012.

Rapid growth in the 90s...

The nineties of the 20th century turned out to be very successful for the company. So, by 1997, the company’s sales increased so much that the volume of beverage sales for twelve months of 1997 was comparable to the sales of all the company’s drinks over the past 75 years (!). Just think about these crazy numbers!

Innovative 2000s...

The two thousand years are characterized as innovative for the company. Coca-Cola is introducing new production standards. For example, the legendary figurative cola bottle is changing. No, it did not change visually; production technologies changed, thanks to which it was possible to increase the strength of the bottle by 40% and reduce the weight by 20%.

The company is also starting to fight against waste recycling and improving the environmental situation in the world. In 2007, the company introduced equipment into production with which used PET bottles can be used to create new packaging.

And in 2009, The Coca-Cola Company received a special award for the invention of new packaging, which is 100% recyclable and also contains a third of plant ingredients.

From 2008 to the present, the company is headed by Mukhtar Kent. This American of Turkish origin began his career at Coca-Cola from the very bottom. He was able to work for companies all over the world.

So in 1985, he headed the Coca-Cola department in Turkey and Central Asia. Later he was appointed vice president of Coca-Cola International, which is responsible for 23 countries. In 1995, Mukhtar Kent headed Coca-Cola Europe. where he managed to increase turnover by 50%.

What makes the Coca-Cola company so successful?

As the company itself states, they are using the world's largest beverage distribution system. Add to this billion-dollar budgets for advertising and competent marketing - here you have a recipe for success.

Year after year, grain by grain, the company was busy building competent sales. I'm a little familiar with how Coca-Cola works. I was able to study her sales system from the inside. True, it was a very short moment, which I will talk about in one of the following issues, but it was enough for me to appreciate the genius of the “sales people” of this company.

Firstly, the company has built factories for the production of its drinks in all major countries and cities.
Secondly, has clearly proven logistics, which allows it to deliver its products daily to all retail outlets where the company’s drinks are sold.
Third, the company has entangled with its sales representatives all cities and regions not only in Russia, but throughout the world. Thanks to this, the company’s refrigerators are located not only in large shopping centers and megamarkets, but also in neighborhood stores and stalls. Moreover, these refrigerators are located in the most advantageous places, which most attract the attention of buyers and, accordingly, make the greatest sales.
Fourth, aggressive advertising that influences our consciousness from all possible media ROUND THE CLOCK!

The company's mission in the 3rd millennium is not only to refresh the world, body, mind and spirit, but also to bring meaning to everything it does.

The Coca-Cola Company is improving water use, replacing refrigeration equipment with environmentally friendly ones, and investing millions of dollars to build plastic bottle recycling plants.

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The history of the company, the manufacturer of the Coca-Cola drink, is a chain of competent management decisions in the field of production technology, marketing, and advertising for more than 100 years.

The Coca-Cola Company's product is officially sold in more than 200 countries around the world. It is known today by 94% of the world's population. Every day, customers around the world purchase just under a billion units of the company's products.

We bring to your attention a brief history of the creation of the legendary drink and the success story of the world-famous company.

Making 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 is a mixture that has truly strong tonic properties. Having finalized the technology for preparing the drug, he demonstrated it to local investors in May 1886. The money received was used to organize production.

Frank Robinson

The syrup was patented as a medicine to restore the nervous system. They began selling it in pharmacies in the city. In the summer, in one of them, salesman Willie Venable decided, at the request of a visitor, to dilute the medicinal concentrate not with water, but with soda. The guest really liked the spicy mixture, and from then on the drink was consumed in carbonated form.

However, the Coca-Cola drink never brought a decent income to Pemberton. He was forced to sell part of his share to the pharmacist Venable, the first seller of carbonated cola. The author of the recipe for the legendary sweet water died in poverty in August 1888.

Birth of the company

A few months later, the patented recipe was purchased from the widow of a pharmacist by an Irish native, Candler. The transaction amount was $2,300. By comparison, the average annual salary for an American worker at the time was $570.

Asa Kendler - founder of The Coca-Cola Company

Irishman Candler immediately believed in Coca-Cola. He saw in it a drink that could cure many diseases and bring profit to its creators. With Robinson's help, he develops a more advanced composition using the original and improves its taste.

Together with three partners, Candler registered an enterprise for the production of this product in January 1893. This is how the history of TheCoca-Cola Company began. If Pemberton is considered to be the author of the drink, then Az Candler is the founder of the company.

Candler's contribution

Under Kendler, the company in 9 years turned into a successful corporation with a turnover of $120 thousand, and Coca-Cola became the national soft drink.

The first thing 42-year-old Candler did was organize advertising. A simple, memorable and catchy logo began to accompany Americans, and then residents of other countries, everywhere. It could be found on the titles of fashion publications, seen on large billboards. Visual propaganda was accompanied by well-chosen appeals, slogans, and laconic wording. Coca-Cola advertising stories featured bright and noticeable images; famous actors and athletes participated in them. All this was received positively and enthusiastically by the public.

The company is creating a sales department that recruits smart and energetic people. New and unknown for that time forms of product promotion are used.

Thus, by agreement, pharmacies were supplied with a certain volume of syrup for free, and in return they received the addresses of regular customers. Each of them was sent coupons by mail, which could be used to purchase a free portion of cola. People came to the establishment, drank a glass, then, as a rule, ordered a second serving, and bought more for home.

The drink was sold by the glass

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 on tap, but also in bottles.

Things were going well for the company and its shareholders. The board paid out decent dividends every year. A plant built by partners under a franchise agreement went into operation in Tennessee. Activities outside the States began to unfold. The first countries of foreign expansion were Cuba and then Panama.

Competitors began to counterfeit the popular drink. The company had to make a lot of efforts in the war with manufacturers of counterfeit products: a total of 153 lawsuits were brought against them.

An important event in strengthening and developing the image of the company and its product was the appearance of a branded bottle in 1916. It contributed to the further growth of Cola sales.

The evolution of the signature Cola bottle

Woodroffe era

The Atlanta public insisted on electing Candler as mayor of the city. He gradually retired from business, and in 1919 his brainchild was bought by Atlanta banker Ernest Woodroffe for $25 million. He recruits his son to work, and four years later Robert Woodroffe is elected president of the corporation. It was under him that the corporation reached its current heights in its development.

Robert Woodroffe

The new manager immediately introduced standards in all work processes, right down to the sale of the drink. Buyers began to be offered six-packs, special packaging boxes of 6 bottles, which subsequently enjoyed popularity for several decades. The company was the first to use vending machines for Coca-Cola bottles and remote refrigeration units, which were installed in various stores.

Standard pack of six bottles

We sell not a drink, but a lifestyle

Woodroffe radically revised the strategy for large-scale sales of finished products. Since Coca-Cola did not surpass its analogues in its consumer qualities, he proposed selling 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 seemed to involve its owner in the circle of prosperous lucky people, or in the circle of strong and courageous heroes.

As a true psychologist and marketer, Woodroffe insistently emphasized that with your product you must follow the customer. A bottle of cola should accompany an American everywhere: at work, on vacation, during difficult times. The drink is distributed at gas stations, which are proliferating throughout the country. It comes to cinema, appears on movie screens and becomes inseparable from the American way of life.

During the period of American participation in the World War, Woodroffe took out billions of loans to build a network of factories for the production and bottling of Cola for American soldiers in Europe, North Africa, China, and the Pacific region. The first of 64 factories was opened in Algeria.

After the war, Coke's popularity grew even more. The constructed foreign enterprises became a springboard for conquering foreign markets. In 1968, the company received half of its profits from foreign transactions.

Woodroffe left his post as head of the company 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 Pemberton began preparing to patent his invention in 1886, the question of the name of the liquid arose. His partner Frank Robinson proposed to compose it from the names of the two components of the syrup: coca drink and cola nuts. It turned out to be Coca-Cola. The name took root and was liked by everyone: both sellers and buyers.

Today, according to marketing research, the phrase Coca-Cola 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 goes back more than 130 years, but despite such a long period, the general style of the logo-inscription has remained unchanged. Over time, the lettering changed slightly and became brighter.

Logo evolution

For the first time they tried to depict the logo differently already in 1890. The attempt was considered unsuccessful; the bizarre design did not attract the attention of visitors. Three years later, Candler returned to the old image.

During the Second World War, the style of the inscription came closer to the modern one. In 1958, the emblem received a red background. 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 appeared. All of them are placed to the bottom of the inscription.

The modern image was made in 2007. Instead of three waves, one appeared again, 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 company officially classified the Coca-Cola formula. At Kendler's orders, the original copy of the recipe was deposited in the Trust Company bank. Since 1925, it was kept in another bank in Atlanta. In 2011, the classified material was transported to a special corporate storage facility built next to the main office.

In 1980, Cola was the official drink of the Moscow Olympics.

1982 Diet Coke was developed and launched.

1988 For the first time in the USSR, production of Coca-Cola began at the Moskvoretsky brewery.

Hong Kong residents drink hot cola to treat colds.

Famous advertising campaigns

Since 1928, when Coca-Cola donated 1,000 cases of its water to the Amsterdam Olympics, the company has been a consistent sponsor of the Olympic Movement. Coca-Cola sponsors all major sporting events, including football and hockey world championships, and top-level tennis tournaments.

Coca-Cola was the first Western company to place its advertising in Moscow on Pushkinskaya Square in 1989.

In 1931, Coca-Cola created its own image of Santa Claus for Americans. The image of the 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 and has the rights to hundreds of brands.

The corporation's strategy is based on promoting the product to all countries of the world in order to occupy a dominant position in the global industry. In this the company achieved outstanding results, and its history is a classic example for the study of marketing.

The giant's activities are based on organizing 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 carries out quality control.

Now the company employs about 300 bottlers around the world, including both large international companies and small enterprises.

The Coca-Cola company has been operating in Russia for 36 years. There are 12 factories in the Kola system, employing 11 thousand people. More than 65 thousand work in related areas that supply the company with sugar and other production components.

Coca-Cola plant in Moscow

In general, the corporation's position can be called stable. However, in 2017, sales of the drink decreased by 4.3%. In the United States, there is a decline in demand for carbonated sweet drinks; some experts suggest a decrease in the value of the company’s shares in 2018.

Pharmacist John Stith Pemberton, who brewed a caramel-colored syrup in May 1886, was busy searching for a cure for headaches and indigestion. The new product, which soon appeared at Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta under the name Coca-Cola, instantly gained popularity - not as a medicine, but as a refreshing drink

The beginning of great success

Pemberton composed a viscous syrup from medicinal plants, phosphoric acid, tropical cola nuts, coca leaves and sugar, which was diluted with water before use. The beautiful curly letters on the label, which still serve as the company’s logo, were written by Pemberton’s accountant Frank Robinson, who knew calligraphy. But real success came to Coca-Cola only after Asa Candler purchased the syrup recipe for $2,300, which now remains a company secret, along with the name written in calligraphy. In 1893, he patented a new drink and began selling it throughout the country. In 1906, changes had to be made to the recipe because the use of cocaine was banned in America. From now on, caffeine provided the invigorating effect of Coca-Cola. In 1915, the shape of the signature bottle was developed, which remains almost unchanged to this day.

Symbol of the American way of life

The standardized appearance of the products - uniform bottles, glasses and labels, intelligible advertising campaigns, including a plump Santa Claus in a suit of corporate colors - red and white, which became the prototype of Santa Claus, as well as a franchising system - ensured Coca-Cola's global triumph. In the 1980s Even the bastions of communism—the USSR and China—fell before it.