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Grade A EPQ on ‘How Coca-Cola uses design to appeal to consumers’
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This is a high quality, EPQ dissertation responding to the question ‘How does Coca-Cola use design to appeal to consumers?’, awarded a grade A.
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HOW DOES COCA-COLA USE DESIGN TO APPEAL TO CONSUMERS GLOBALLY?Table of Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................1
Historical Background of Coca-Cola.......................................................................................................1
Mission and vision statement of Coca-Cola...........................................................................................2
How Coca-Cola has evolved to fit a more modern society....................................................................3
Interview with a Marketing Operational Excellence Director................................................................7
Legend of Santa and Coca-Cola..............................................................................................................7
Focusing on campaigns..........................................................................................................................8
How Coca-Cola’s sales have changed over time..................................................................................10
Survey overview..................................................................................................................................11
Conclusion...........................................................................................................................................14
References...........................................................................................................................................14
Introduction
How does Coca-Cola use design to appeal to consumers globally? In order to answer this question,
this dissertation discusses and evaluates how the company has evolved to appeal to a more modern
society.
Coca-Cola’s history, mission, and vision statement are investigated to understand how the company
works and where it’s ideas stem from. To look further into the design aspects of the company an
analysis of two marketing campaigns, ‘Share a Coke’ and ‘Always Coca-Cola’, is included. Finally, to
understand their success, the company’s sales figures, and how they have varied over time, are
discussed.
To better understand how well the public recognises Coca-Cola’s designs, a survey was compiled. For
a more detailed insight into the company, a phone interview with a Marketing Operational
Excellence Director at Coca-Cola was undertaken. As a result of the interview, a section was
included, focusing on how Coca-Cola’s design of Santa Claus has influenced the image we have of
him today.
Historical Background of Coca-Cola
With over 2,800 products available in above 200 countries, Coca-Cola’s the largest drink
manufacturer and distributor in the world. (The Coca-Cola Company | History, Products, & Facts |
Britannica, 2020) It’s been around for over 130 years, seeing huge growth throughout.
The concept for Coca-Cola began on May 8th, 1886, by John Pemberton in Jacobs’ pharmacy. Initially,
it was used as a medicine to relive fatigue and headaches, a cocaine infused elixir, hence why it was
so addictive. Pemberton wanted to create a version of the coca wines, which were essentially cola
with alcohol and cocaine. In 1886, Atlanta passed laws forcing beverage manufacturers to develop
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,HOW DOES COCA-COLA USE DESIGN TO APPEAL TO CONSUMERS GLOBALLY?
non-alcoholic versions of their drinks, which led to the creation of the drink without alcohol. (Feloni,
2016) At this time, John Pemberton was selling just 9 drinks a day.
The origins of the name ‘Coca-Cola’ were from a wine and of a coca plant, created by Frank Robinson
– Pemberton’s accountant. Robinson wrote the name Coca-Cola in its distinctive script, which is still
used today. Two years later, Asa Candler transformed Pemberton’s idea into a business. Candler was
amongst the earliest entrepreneurs to use advertising, deciding on a very aggressive marketing
strategy. To promote the brand, he distributed coupons for a free glass of Coca-Cola, as well as items
with the logo on them. Candler created the unique design for the bottle, which has been the
foundation for all their bottles today. (Gunderson, 2009)
The advertising approach shifted as popularity increased. Advertisements with the signature
lettering could be seen in lots of large cities throughout America. In 1920, the company moved to
their current location on North Avenue, Atlanta. In 1929, Coca-Cola began their long-term
association with the Olympic games. They supplied drinks in kiosks near venues in Amsterdam.
Sponsorships, donations, and innovative consumer programs have increased the brand’s growth.
Coca-Cola became an American symbol in the Second World War (1939-1945). It represented good
times through advertisements in many cities around America. At the outbreak of the war it was
bottled in 44 countries, including those on both sides of the conflict. It was distributed to the army to
lift morale. Over 5 billion bottles of Coke were consumed by the military service, excluding the
countless distributions through dispensers and mobile units in the battle areas. It was a symbol of
friendship and refreshment, a huge success during this period. (Coca-colacompany.com, 2012)
By 1943, ‘Coke’ became a registered trademark of Coca-Cola. In 1959, Coca-Cola was being
distributed by 1,700 bottlers, running in more than 100 countries. In the 1980’s, the company lost
customers due to their competitor Pepsi and, as a result, changed their recipe. However, backlash
over this ‘New Coke’, meant that they changed it back after three months to the classic recipe. Other
varieties of Coke have been introduced throughout the years, the most prominent being Diet Coke,
with others including Caffeine-Free, Coke Zero and many more. This range of different products has
made the brand accessible more people and has increased sales over the years.
Although many elements of the brand have changed and evolved over time, the one thing that is
identical throughout the world is the recipe of Coca-Cola, which remains in a safe in Atlanta. There
have been many recipes and experiments that have been published but to this day, the formula
remains a secret. (Pohler, 2017)
Mission and vision statement of Coca-Cola
Mission
Coca-Cola claims they want to ‘bring refreshment, value, joy, and fun to customers so they can
experience happiness and lightness of Coca-Cola’. The company focuses on leaving a legacy and
making a difference wherever it operates, whilst everyone enjoys their products.
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, HOW DOES COCA-COLA USE DESIGN TO APPEAL TO CONSUMERS GLOBALLY?
Their missions declare their purpose as a company and serve as a standard against which they weigh
actions and decisions. These are:
1. To refresh the world – in mind, body, and spirit.
2. To inspire moments of optimism and happiness – through brands and actions.
3. To create value and make a difference. (Coca-cola.com.sg, 2020)
Their campaigns have assisted them in accomplishing their mission to inspire moments of happiness,
their designs are all about introducing the notion of togetherness, as seen in their ‘Share a Coke’
campaign. They use emotional branding, like ‘Open Happiness’, allows consumers to create an
optimistic perception of the brand.
Vision statement
To achieve their missions, they have a collection of visions that they’re constantly working to deliver:
1. People – be a great place to work where people are inspired to be the best they can be. They
want to ensure that they have full support from employees, giving them a good work-life
balance so that they’re motivated to give their best to support the company.
2. Portfolio – bring to the world a portfolio of quality beverage brands that anticipate and
satisfy people's desires and needs.
3. Partners – nurture a winning network of customers and suppliers, together we create
mutual, enduring value.
4. Planet – be a responsible citizen that makes a difference by helping build and support
sustainable communities. They want to reduce packaging, increase efficiency of transport,
and save water during the production of syrup.
5. Profit – maximize long-term return to shareowners while being mindful of our overall
responsibilities.
6. Productivity – be a highly effective and fast-moving organization. (Coca-cola.com.sg, 2020)
Coca-Cola’s visions guide every aspect of the business, describing what’s needed in order to continue
achieving sustainable, quality growth.
How Coca-Cola has evolved to fit a more modern society
Slogans
Coca-Cola has had a number of significant slogans in its many years as a company. Their main effort
for rebranding is as a result of a drop in sales and increased concerns about the effect of the
beverage on consumers health.
The slogan began simple in 1886, with ‘Drink Coca-Cola’. The brand’s best-known slogans came
about in 1969, with ‘It’s the Real Thing’ and in 1971, the ‘I’d like to Buy the World a Coke’ song,
which were both in the same campaign. To create a vision of optimism surrounding the drink the
slogan ‘Open Happiness’ was introduced in 2009. (Ahiza Garcia, 2016)
All of Coca-Cola’s slogans provided a
simple, direct way to communicate the
brand, reflecting the company and the
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