Chapter 10: Product Concept

Product

A product is everything, both favorable and unfavorable, that a person receives in an exchange.

The Coca-Cola Company has many product brands, including Coca-Cola "Classic." Which is the original Coca Cola beverage. In the eyes of society Coca-Cola seems to be a convenience product but it is in reality a specialty product. Coca-Cola is a loyalty brand whereas you wouldn't just chose Coca-Cola to drink out of the blue but due to the fact that you will look for it in a convenience store or leave it doesn't supply it. You would chose Coca-Cola over other beverages, it famous known competitor Pepsi-cola. It is a specialty product for those particular reasons. Coca-Cola doesn't fit all the aspects of the specialty product, it is not limited to a few outlets Coca-Cola can be bought almost anywhere you travel. It is a specialty based on the consumers decision, customer value of the product.

Product Items, Lines and Mixes

Product Item
The product item of The Coca-Cola Company is The Original/Classic Coca Cola.

Product Mix
The product mix of The Coca-Cola Company is all beverages such as juice, iced tea and water, the product mix is in depth with the type of beverages.
Product Modification
The Coca-Cola Company has had a product modification, the beverage taste was alter. For many years the formula didn't change until 1985 the formula with the amount of sugar changed. It went well for the company.
Product Line Extension
The product line is Coca-Cola Classic. Black Cherry Vanilla, and Coca-Cola Cherry, Coca-Cola with Lime, Coca-Cola C2 and Coca-Cola Blak.                                                 
Brand, Brand Name, Brand Mark, Brand Equity and Brand Loyalty
The Coca-Cola Company has been known for their brand, brand name, brand mark and brand loyalty. The brand mark of Coca-Cola is the red and white colors, but the famous shape of the bottle. If given a picture of the red and white and the unique bottle shape without the brand name, Coca-Cola, it would already be known to the audience as Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola is a brand loyalty, the reason for being a specialty product, it is chosen over other beverages.In 2012, the brand equity has raised 8% with a estimated 77.8 billion value.
Trademark
The Coca-Cola bottle, the unique shape and design.
Packaging
The Coca-Cola Company differentiates itself from other companies not only by the bottle design but the packaging. It is the largest distributor and packager of beverages. Coca-Cola says this is important in their packaging.

• "Designing consumer-preferred, resource-efficient packaging
• Eliminating landfill waste
• Using recycled and/or renewable materials                "

Chapter 17 - Personal Selling and Sales Management

Personal Selling

Personal Selling is the purchase situation involving a personal, paid for communication between two people in an attempt to influence each other.

Selling Process

Step 1: Generating Leads

The Coca-Cola Company brand is almost every part of the world wherever you go, it is a trademark worldwide. The Coca-Cola Company generates leads through advertising and social media, being a part of the region local culture and traditions. The company adapts their product to the norms of the society they will sell their beverage.

Step 2: Qualifying Leads

The Coca-Cola Company the recognition of the need is, the need of a beverage but in reality it is a want. The company uses their web site and social media to qualify their leads, some techniques are surveys, snapshots, news stories, polls and connecting with social networks.

Step 3: Approaching the Customer and Probing Needs

The Coca-Cola Company Some of the social networks are Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube, Instagram and more. The Coca-Cola Company website advertises all the elements of stories, blogs, opinions, news, brands, videos, music and more.

Step 4: Developing and Proposing Solutions

The Coca-Cola Company advertise through social media, a salesperson is more related to the individual carrying out the word of the Coca-Cola beverage. Which does support the loyalty brand, by marketing Coca-Cola through the individual and specifically drinking the beverage. 

Step 5: Handling Objectives

The Coca-Cola loyalty brand are more open to purchasing Coca-Cola beverage but if you have a new customer the steady answer will be yes. There are factors like social culture that can effect the purchasing of the beverage. 

Step 6: Closing the Sale 

The objectives of buying Coca-Cola are meet, it is a sub-product that is minor is sense of purchasing a TV. The sale is most often to be closed in a orderly manner. 

Step 7: Following Up

The Coca-Cola Company on their main site has information and a feedback site to follow up on their selling process, if it was successful in wants and needs or unsuccessful in certain critiques.

Chapter 16 - Advertising, Public Relations and Sales Promotion

The Promotional Mix

Sales Promotion: 

Coca Cola promotional strategy is the size of the liters, the bottles, 6-pack bottles, 6-pack cans and 12-pack cans, they are priced differently. Coca Cola international pricing strategy is different based upon the location, economy, competitive situations and the political laws. Coca-Cola has a strong sales promotion, in your convenient stores the price of the coca cola being sold is listed below the original price for a short period to increase short-run sales. The customer is quicker to purchase the beverage at a lower price than the original.

Advertising:

Coca Cola has a massive advertisement market worldwide, it markets through the locations language, culture and customer needs. A strong advertising with celebrities, companies and holiday campaigns. Coca-Cola is known for the holiday of Christmas campaigns, the Santa Claus ad, and launched a Indian holiday of Diwali campaign in 2011.


Public Relations:
Coca Cola has been donating to the community where its beverage is located. The company has worldwide campaigns that supports the locations it is marketing to such as India. India youths does not get education if you are not wealthy, it has been a debate and problem for a ongoing period of time.



 
Direct Marketing

Coca-Cola uses the strategy of direct marketing. Coca Cola has a target market of 12 and up. Those who are most likely to buy coca cola are in there teens to adults of any ethnicity. Coca Cola wants to strengthen the target market of families, by targeting the mothers of the family. The mother most of the time purchases from supermarkets and grocery stores, coca cola persuades to purchase the coca cola brand.

Chapter 14: Marketing Channels and Retailing

Retailing 

Retailing is all the activities directly related to the sale of goods and services to the ultimate consumer for personal, non business use. The Coca Cola company retails are divided into ownership, level of service, product assortment and price.

The ownership of the coca cola company is a franchise, owned and operated by individuals but are licensed by a larger supporting organization.  The level of service for coca cola is a full service depending on the vending machine and if you want an installation of the vending machine it is a delivery by the company. The product assortment is based upon the location of the coca cola beverage being sold. The price of coca cola depends on the location and ounces of the bottle or can.  Coca Cola uses promotional pricing strategy, the price is below the listed price for a temporary period to increase the sales.

The Coca-Cola company retail operation are supermarkets, specialty stores (Burlington Coat Factory), and department stores (Macy's).

Marketing Channels

Coca Cola has various marketing channels, it has been successfully producing around the world. Some of the marketing channels are your convenient stores such as CVS pharmacy, Rite Aid, Walgreen's and Duane Reade. Other types of Coca Cola channel are the vending machines or self service slot machines, hotels, cafes, restaurants and entertainment zones (theme parks). The famous Coca Cola Store in Las Vegas is the main marketing channel for the coca cola brand.

The Coca Cola company is a spatial discrepancy, it has a numerous European bottlers. The market of Coca Cola is scattered worldwide which contributes to its intensive distribution. Coca Cola has the product available at any location worldwide, you can buy coca cola in vending machines, deli stores, supermarkets, the food stands and populated areas, shopping malls or food centers.

Chapter 6: Consumer Decision Making

Consumer Behavior 

Consumer Behavior is the process a consumer uses to make purchase decisions, as well as to use and dispose of purchased goods or services; also includes factors that influence purchase decisions and product use.

The Consumer Decision-Making Process

There are five steps used to study how the consumers make their decisions. These steps are in various orders and the order can change depending on the purchaser or the period of time. The five steps are need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase and post-purchase behavior. Coca Cola need recognition is seen has a want rather than a need, people do not need to drink the beverage, its their consumption of wanting to drink it. Coca Cola information search is known worldwide, the product is a non marketing-controlled information source and a marketing-controlled information source. The beverage is marketed through family, friends and acquaintances and through media such as television, magazines and promotions. Coca cola evaluation of alternatives is the back to need recognition which is desired, its what you want so you are more likely to choose it. Purchasing coca cola is a want, it can not always evoke the need of something. Post-purchasing behavior of coca cola is satisfying the thirst, you are buying the beverage and disposing of it in a short period of time. 

Chapter 5: Developing a Global Vision

Global Marketing 

Management

Politics

Communications

Technology

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

The total market value of all final goods and services produced in a country for a given time period, within a year or quarter of a year is the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The Coca Cola Company has had a major impact on the GDP of other countries outside of the USA. Rather than having a major impact in the USA Coca Cola hasn't given the USA an advantage but rising the percentages of other countries 40% and higher. In the USA the Coca Cola GDP is slow steady rate of rises and drops but still is a boost to the GDP. It may seem the GDP is low but its value is still in the billions and remaining as one of the top beverage company in the world.

Multinational Corporation

A multinational corporation moves resources, goods and services and skills across national boundaries without regard to the country in which its headquarters is located.

Coca Cola being the a multinational beverage corporation, the top beverage corporation in the world. Coca Cola manufactures, exports its goods and services to many regions worldwide that is considered affordable. The multinational company has only one headquarter, it is in Atlantic, Georgia USA but own plants overseas. Coca Cola has been "going green" by recycling. The company makes the best use of renewable, reusable and recycling resources.

The global marketing standardization is a uniform production that Coca Cola presents. Coca Cola does not do this with every product but increases its profits. As in some countries may use a different strategy to get the consumers attention.