Brand Positioning of Coca-Cola

13 June 2015.

Brand positioning : COCA COLA

Giant soft drink company Coca Cola has come under intense scrutiny by investors due to its inability to effectively carry out its marketing program. Consequently it is seeking the help of Pollinates Marketing Company Pty Ltd to develop a professional marketing plan which will help the business achieve it’s objectives more effectively and efficiently, and inevitably regain there iron fist reign on the soft drink industry.

The Coca-Cola Company has, on occasion, introduced other cola drinks under the Coke brand name. The most common of these is Diet Coke, with others including  Diet Coke Caffeine-Free. Coke products could be found in over 200 countries worldwide, with consumers downing more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings each day .

Once a business has decided which segments of the market it will compete in, developed a clear picture of its target market and defined its product, the positioning strategy can be developed. Positioning is the process of creating, the image the product holds in the mind of consumers, relative to competing products. Coca Cola and Franklins both make soft drinks, although Franklins may try to compete they will still be seen as down market from Coca Cola. Positioning helps customers understand what is unique about the products when compared with the competition. Coca Cola plan to further create positions that will give their products the greatest advantage in their target markets. Coca Cola has been positioned based on the process of positioning by direct comparison and have positioned their products to benefit their target market. Most people create an image of a product by comparing it to another product, thus evident through the famous battles between Coca-Cola and Pepsi products.

                

                                                         

It is often hard to say exactly why we buy one company’s product over another. Companies such as Nike and Adidas spend large amounts of money trying to win consumers away from their competitors who make products that are very similar. The popularity of the brand is often the deciding factor. Over the time Coca Cola has spent millions of dollars developing and promoting their brand name, resulting in world wide recognition. ‘Coca-Cola’ is the most recognized trademark, recognized by 94% of the world’s population and is the most widely recognized word after “OK”. Coca Cola’s red and white colors and special writing are all examples of world-wide trademarks.
There are a number of branding strategies: Generic brand strategy, Individual brand strategy, Family brand strategy, Manufacturer’s brand strategy, Private brand strategy and Hybrid brand strategy. Coca Cola utilizes the Individual brand strategy as Coca Cola’s major products are given their own brand names e.g  Fanta , Sprite, Coca Cola etc although they may be presented as different lines they operate under the name of Coca Cola.

According to 2014 most valuable brand list COCA COLA is at 6^th. They are already in the top list of global brands 2014 . So Coca Cola is one of the leading soft drinks company globally .

Brand recognition is the significant factor affecting Coke’s competitive position. Coca-Cola’s brand name is known well throughout 94% of the world today. The primary concern over the past few years has been to get this name brand to be even better known. Packaging changes have also affected sales and industry positioning, but in general, the public has tended not to be affected by new products. Coca-Cola’s bottling system also allows the company to take advantage of infinite growth opportunities around the world. This strategy gives Coke the opportunity to service a large geographic, diverse area.

Referencing: 

 http://www.academia.edu/389600/The_Strategic_Positioning_of_Coca-

 Cola_in_their_Global_Marketing_Operation 

 Most valuable brand list Retrieved from : http://www.forbes.com/powerful-brands/list/

 Others information Retrieved from : WIKIPIDIA