Ch. 11 - Developing and Managing Products

     Since Coca-Cola has been around for well over a century, and at times it may seem that Coke has not changed at all in recent years. However, it is quite the opposite. Coca-Cola is long into the maturity phase of it's product life cycle, and cannot maintain it's 50% soft drink market share without research and developing their products to better fit consumer needs.

     Currently, Coca-Cola is developing miniature shops called Ekocenters that they will construct in the town centers of underdeveloped countries. These shops are currently in the pilot phase and cost around $100,000 to develop and will provide vital resources, such as clean water, food, vaccines, and of course Coke products, to the communities that they serve. These services will be provided either for free, or at a low cost. Setting up these centers have numerous advantages for the Coca-Cola company. Firstly, they will increase the market share of the company in the communities they are placed in. Also, when these markets further develop, the people who got their clean water and hot food from these shops will possess a high level of brand loyalty to Coke. Lastly these shops are generating good press for Coke.

Ch. 18 -Social Media and Marketing

     Coca-Cola's Facebook page currently has over 75,000,000 likes, and over two million people follow the company on Twitter. So it's quite easy to understand why social media is such a valuable marketing tool for Coca-Cola. Just on these two websites alone Coke can reach out to 78 million people daily, reminding them what a great product Coke is, and do so at a relatively low cost compared to traditional advertising. In addition, Coca-Cola frequently responds to peoples posts on they're website, to handle their concerns with the company, and in doing so gaining valuable feedback on the product.

     One way Coca-Cola engages people through social media is by allowing Coca-Cola consumers to support causes that they care about, and connect with friends. Recently, Coca-Cola has launched a campaign called CokeREDMoves. People can participate by uploading of themselves dancing online, and for every video uploaded, Coke will donate a 60 day supply of HIV medicine to those in need of it. Also, in 2006 Coca-Cola launched a campaign in England where Soccer fans could enter codes fan on bottle caps online. Each day, Coke would choose one entry at random and donate ₤250,000 to their favorite team.

     Participating in social media allows consumers to feel closer to Coca-Cola, gives the company a better image, and helps them relate to a younger generation. As the world is increasingly participating in social media, Coke and many other companies will rely more heavily on social media marketing to attract potential customers, and to keep current ones.

Ch. 10 - Product Concepts

     Part of what makes Coca-Cola such a special product is it's extensive branding. A recent study showed that 94% of the worlds population recognized the Coca-Cola logo, and it was recognized as the worlds most valuable brand by Forbes magazine for 13 years straight, until this September when they lost the top spot to apple.

     Coca-Cola is both a convenience product and a business product. Coke sells it's syrup to bottling plants and restaurants, who then sell it to individuals. The Coca-Cola company does not have much product width. It only sells beverages, but it offers a great depth of them. The Coca-Cola company sells over 300 products, the most common ones being Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Minute Maid, and Dasani water. However, classic Coke far outsells any other Coca-Cola product.

     Possibly the biggest part of Coke's brand, is it's packaging. No other packaging in the world is as recognizable.  In 1977 the Coca-Cola company even received a patent on the shape of the bottle alone. However in recent years the bottle has been changing. In 1994 the company made the switch to plastic bottles, and in 2007, started selling Coke in an aluminum bottle. Also, since 1990 the company has been required by federal law to display detailed nutritional information on their bottles. While the materials used to make the bottle,  the contents of the bottle, and information on it will eventually change over time, one thing will not. It's shape. 

Ch. 17 - Personal Selling and Sales Management

     Relationship selling is a sales practice that involves building, maintaining, and enhancing interactions with customers in order to develop long-term satisfaction through mutually beneficial relationships. Coca-Cola does not need to personally sell to it''s consumers. Coke is a low value, highly standardized, simple product. The only retail environment where it might occur would be a restaurant, and even then, it is not done by Coca-Cola employees.

     However, Coca-Cola does heavily engage in personal selling when selling it's syrup to local bottling plants. Typically, an investor will supply all the necessary capital required for running the business, and Coca-Cola will send them the syrup required for manufacturing Coke. But the relationship does not end there. Coke often provides managerial advice, to help ensure that the franchisee runs a profitable business. The advice will usually consist of marketing, quality control, and personnel training.