Sunday, September 29, 2013

Chapter 4: The Marketing Environment

Target Market 

Coca-Cola company has been outstanding on their creation of new products with the original coca-cola beverage to be sold worldwide. The target market for Coca-Cola are for teens, young adults, adults and middle aged. This company directly does NOT market the beverage to children under the age of 12, otherwise no more than 35% of children under the age of 12. The audience that more appropriate for the marketing of the product are children 12 and above. 
Social Factors

Reliability: Coca-Cola has consistently been serving their beverages with quality in the product and pricing.  

Durability: Coca-Cola has steadily been economically on top for the beverage market. A strong stock market value, brand revenue and brand value. It has a durable competitive advantage in the management, distribution and the product innovation for numerous years. 

Easy Maintenance: Coca-Cola bottling system has a solid stability throughout the years. The inventions of new machinery, vending and installation. The recycling method, going green, was a success in maintenance of expense and savings of the company. It provided an economic boost and recognition on the company.

Ease of use: Coca-Cola has designed machinery to market the many products conducted. One of the "ease of use" is the Coca-Cola Freestyle machine, provides the products made by Coca-Cola such as Fanta, Sprite, Diet Coke, Coca Cola Zero and many more drinks. It is a touch screen, easy to access and choose from the various beverages in matter of seconds. The sales has excelled within a matter of time introduced to the public, served in multiple restaurants as well.

A trusted brand name: Being one of the top brand names in the world, the consumers are responsive to their new machinery, Coca Cola Freestyle and influenced by the strong mission of creating happiness. 

A low price: Coca-Cola has been selling at certain strategies. The beverage is sold at affordable prices at your convenient stores. There is usually a promotional prices frequently in your grocery stores but depending on the size of the bottles.

Demographic Factors  
Age: Coca-Cola targets teens, young adults, adults and middle aged individuals. It is indirectly marketed to children 12 and under. It is marketed to create happiness and refresh your taste with the idea of you will always be happy when you drink Coca Cola.

Race/Ethnicity: Coca Cola products are sold worldwide in many countries. It has a diverse portfolio, it is branded in countries such as India, Sweden land, Africa, Japan, Brazil, Germany, North American and many more. 

Location: Coca Cola is available in 200 countries worldwide. In different regions such as Eurasia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, Pacific and North America. 
 
Economic Factors 

Inflation: The dollar value are affects the worth of the company by a lot. If the value of foreign currencies are weaken then the goods and services are less in value, with low earnings. If the foreign dollar is strengthen, it more of a loss for the earnings for the company. 

Recession: In 2008-2009 the global economy in the U.S.A downfall into a recession. Coca-Cola internationally sales were affected approximately 75% by the recession.
  
Technological Factors
Coca Cola has diverted the company to use technology to advance their sales. As the new invented machinery such as the Coca Cola Freestyle, Vending machines and the Coca Cola Hug me vending machine. The Hug Me machine was in Singapore, it was a marketing strategy and boost instead of paying money the customers had to squeeze the sides of the machine to receive their drink. The Coca Cola Freestyle is a touch screen machine to has various drinks to choose from. 

The machinery outside to the public is not the only advance the company has, the company factories in Europe a modern equipment to produce the quality, packaging and delivery efficiently. 

Political and Legal Factors 

The following are regulations that Coca Cola standards has to meet:

"1.Changes in Laws and Regulations like; changes in Accounting Standards, taxation requirements (tax rate changes, modified tax law interpretations, entrance of new tax laws), and environmental laws either in domestic or foreign authorities.

2.Changes in Non-Alcoholic business era. These are; competitive product and pricing policy pressures, ability to maintain or earn share of sales in worldwide market compared to rivals.

3. Political Conditions, specifically in international markets, like; civil conflict, governmental changes and restrictions concerning the ability to relocate capital across borders.

4. Ability to penetrate emerging and developing markets, that also relies on economic and political conditions, and also their ability to form effectively strategic business alliances with local bottlers, and to enhance their production amenities, distribution networks, sales equipment, and technology."



Monday, September 16, 2013

Chapter 3- Ethics and Social Responsibility

Ethics


Ethics in a business is a referral to the moral principles or values that generally govern the conduct of an individual or a group.Coca-Cola demonstration of ethics is in the Code of Business Conduct which is entrusted with honesty and integrity in all matters within the workplace and the community. The Code of Business Conduct is monitored by the Ethics and Compliance Committee, which is set to make sure it is running effectively and not being violated within the workplace. If it is not running effectively, it is to be revised to run smoothly just as they did in 2008.

What do you say when an individual as just been hired to the Coca-Cola company does not know the Code of Business Conduct? Well Coca-Cola itself makes sure the newly hired associates are acquried with the conduct are trained upon hired. To guarantee the conduct is being followed, an online training is available to the associates and recieve a training once for every 3 years.

 

Social Responsibility

Social Responsibility is the business's concern for society's welfare, it is the best interests of the company and the relationship with society. Coca-Cola decides what is best for society and it is the beverage. It is marketed to provide sustainability, an idea that companies will focus on world social problems and see it as an opportunity to build profits and help the world at the same time.

Coca-Cola social responsibility falls under the concept of doing good for the community. Coca-Cola has the motto of "give it back. recycle" This is to recycle the cans that customers has drank to help the environment which is an ethic of helping the community and the environment. It is to benefit the company by increasing the profits and renewable resources. The bottling system won't be a high cost if it is recycled and the packaging, the company is saving as well as society enviroment is becoming healthy.
 

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Chapter 2 - Strategic Planning for Competitive Advantage

Strategic Planning for Competitive Advantage
Coca-Cola company mission statement was to refresh the world with their beverage. The idea to create happiness, enjoyable memories and put a value to Coca-Cola. A customer sets the value of the product depending on whether they like it enough or not to buy it at whatever cost. The cost of the Coca-Cola beverage is the competitive advantage. Cola-Cola has made a change as well as the society changes their beverage, the society drinks more water instead of sparkling beverages.






Competitive Advantage 
Unlike other sparkling beverages Coca-Cola has been able to develop a worldwide system in regions that other companies won't sell their product. Profit is made anywhere the Coca-Cola company plants its market, which is an enormous 200 market. The 200 market has 400 brands that is unlike most brands. Coca-Cola competitive advantage is the reason for its ability to stay in business for many years.

Coca-Cola differentiation itself from other companies by its diverse taste. Coca-Cola company has more than one product other than the original to be marketed. Its sub-products of Coca-Cola light, zero, cherry coke, vanilla coke lemon coke and so on. The company has a built customer loyalty brand, it is a steady base. Coca-Cola does a lot of advertising to the public eye based on what they like or enjoy at that moment. Advertisement is the differentiation strategy the company  markets.


Strength
Coca-Cola currently has the largest market share in the beverages. It has a strong marketing and advertising which can lead to their development of customer loyalty. The serving of 200 countries of the coca cola beverage. It has a strong corporate social responsibility which their productive recycling, packaging, energy conservation and many more.

Weaknesses
The weakness of the company is the carbonated drinks being marketed. Mostly carbonated drinks are sold whereas currently the society is trying decrease obesity rates and consume healthy food and drinks.

Opportunities
As the academic to consume healthy drinks, bottled water is more demand than carbonated drinks. It is still an opportunity for the company to expand their products to a bottled water or low sugar/calories drinks.

Threats
The major threat that the company is facing is the change in the customers choice to go healthy rather than drink carbonated drinks. Coca-cola serves drinks with large amounts of sugar, fat and calories but the public tastes are changing to healthier consumption. It also gives a scare of water becoming an increase in dominance in the drinks production and the carbonated drinks decrease in dominance.










Saturday, September 7, 2013

History and Mission Statement of Coca-Cola

History 



Coca-Cola has been the manufacturer of a sparkling beverage sold variously worldwide that began in 1886. Coca-Cola started with an Atlantic pharmacist Dr. John S. Pemberton who experimented with soft drinks and carbonated water which developed into the Coca-cola beverage that was sold for only $.5 per serving. Along with Dr. Pemberton death in 1888 the Coca-Cola business was sold to Asa G. Candler an Atlantic businessman. Mr. Candler expanded this business into other states and the development of bottling the beverage started to change. Three entrepreneurs paid Mr. Candler $1 for the bottling rights, their system is what came to be the worldwide bottling system. The bottling of the beverage had become diverse it had multiple bottles in machines or soda fountains it came to a point where there was 1,000 packaging of bottles. Until 1916 a new distinctive contour bottle was settled, it was unique and differentiated itself from its competitors. Coca-Cola is still the #1 sparkling water worldwide. 

Mission Statement 

"Our Mission

Our Roadmap starts with our mission, which is enduring. It declares our purpose as a company and serves as the standard against which we weigh our actions and decisions.
  • To refresh the world...
  • To inspire moments of optimism and happiness....
  • To create value and make a difference.      "