How Coca-Cola Compares to Other Soft Drinks in Terms of Popularity

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The Beginning of Coca-Cola

I’m sure we are all very familiar with the fizzy drink brand Coca-Cola, the brand is quite popular globally and the only serious competition that it has is Pepsi. The brand is so popular it is available in all countries in the world except Cuba and North Korea. The main reason why the drink is not served in Cuba is due to political reasons as its production was halted in 1962 by Fidel Castro the former leader of Cuba. Due to ongoing trade embargoes and sanctions, there are currently no legal avenues to buy Coca-Cola in North Korea and if you are not aware North Korea is an isolated country that has no relations with most countries in the world.

The Beginning of Coca-Cola

In May of 1886, Coca-Cola was created in Atlanta, Georgia by a pharmacist named John S. Pemberton. Initially, he wanted to find a solution to chronic pain but that led him to a morphine addiction. He began to experiment with various painkillers and toxins and the development of an earlier beverage blending alcohol and coke (the white illegal powder) led to the recipe that later was adapted to make Coca-Cola. According to the Coca-Cola website, after John created the syrup, he carried a jug of the new product down the street to Jacobs Pharmacy in Atlanta. There, it was sampled, pronounced "excellent" and placed on sale as a soda fountain drink for five cents a glass.

The Present of Coca-Cola

Today the Coca-Cola company is worth 252.14 billion USD and sells nearly 2 billion beverages per day, that’s about 730 billion drinks per year in over 200 countries. Coca-Cola increased its popularity by using various advertising strategies, expanding its distribution network, entering new markets, innovating its products, and packaging, and creating a positive social impact. There is no doubt that the company has great marketing campaigns, and some have become iconic and unforgettable like the “Share a Coke” campaign.

The Dark Side of Coca-Cola

Besides the positivity that Coca-Cola is known for, the company does have its dark side which I will refer to briefly as I intend to publish a future article talking about the dark side of the company in full. However, in Mexico, San Cristóbal de las Casas is a town of over 150,000 people in the state of Chiapas. This town has a severe water shortage and a massive Coca-Cola bottling plant that consumes a lot of water. The average resident drinks more than two litres of Coca-Cola every day, leading to high rates of diabetes and obesity.

Coca-Cola is very much aware of this but there is a lot of politics that they are involved in that gives them so much freedom. The worst part is they even have a water brand that they sell in this town, yet the residents have very little access to water, but this company controls most of it. Due to how much control they have over the water in this area, they produce a lot of Coca-Cola and in turn, sell more drinks and therefore increase their popularity and sales.

Conclusion

Coca-Cola is a big company and a lovable brand that is generally enjoyed by many people all around the globe. They know how to fit in with the culture and run amazing marketing campaigns that make everyone feel like more than just a consumer of Coca-Cola but a part of a “big happy family.” The company also has its dark side, and it is not something not to overlook especially the bad effects that the brand has caused on its victims and customers.