Coca-Cola Case Study: Internal Communication, Diversity, Marketing Strategy, & More

Is there any company associated with the American lifestyle more than Coca-Cola? Created in 1886, the Coca-Cola Company has endured numerous ups and downs but remains a legendary brand. To learn many valuable business lessons, consider doing a Coca-Cola case study with the help of our top questions and answers.

🤯 Coca-Cola – Shocking Facts about Your Favorite Drink

1. When Coca-Cola was launched in 1886, it was marketed as a nerve tonic that relieved exhaustion and headache. The pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented the original Coca-Cola drink.
2. On average, more than 10,000 Coca-Cola soft drinks are consumed every second worldwide.
3. Surprisingly, Americans are not the biggest drinkers of Coke in the world. The top country is Mexico, where, on average, people consume 745 Coke beverages yearly.
4. Coca-Cola came up with the image of Santa Claus that we have today. This Christmas advertising started in the 1920s and soon became the most effective marketing technique ever: selling happiness.
5. Did you know that Coca-Cola was the first soft drink consumed in outer space? In 1985, the astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger tested Coca-Cola’s space can.

🥤 Coca-Cola Case Study – TOP Ideas

Numerous external and internal factors led to Coca-Cola’s success in the international beverage market. Here are some topic ideas for your Coca-Cola case study:

• The history of the company.
• The history of Coca-Cola’s acquisitions.
• Mission and values.
• Corporate values.
• Financial management.
• Staff management.
• HR practices.
• Coca-Cola’s supply chain.
• Coca-Cola’s global presence.
• Advertising campaigns.
• Coca-Cola’s brands and products.
• Environmental initiatives.
• Coca-Cola’s sponsorship.
• Key market competitors.
• Criticism of Coca-Cola.
• Coca-Cola’s marketing strategy.
• The company’s CSR.
• Strengths and weaknesses of Coca-Cola.
• Sustainability principles.
• Coca-Cola’s main consumer groups.

✍️ Coca-Cola Diversity Case Study – Idea #1

1. Coca-Cola’s diverse workforce
   Coca-Cola aims to build a diverse and inclusive workplace that enriches the brand’s decision-making and provides innovative solutions. To fight for gender equality, the company promised that by 2030, women would hold 50% of senior leadership roles. Coca-Cola runs the Global Women’s Leadership program to achieve such an ambitious goal.
2. Coca-Cola’s employees’ networks
   Each Coca-Cola worker can join a network of employees with common interests or backgrounds. The list of networks includes the Black employee network, Asian Inclusion Network, Hispanic + Leadership Inclusion Network, and many others. The existence of these groups allows communities to be heard within the Coca-Cola system.
3. Coca-Cola’s racial equity plan
   In memory of George Floyd and the widespread civil unrest, Coca-Cola’s CEO James Quincey hosted a virtual employee meeting to develop a racial equity plan. This plan states that the company will concentrate on recruiting and working with people of color for the next ten years.

🍏 Coca-Cola Marketing Strategy Case Study – Idea #2

1. The “Always Coca-Cola” campaign
   One of the most well-known marketing campaigns is the “Always Coca-Cola” campaign, which began in 1933. The company experimented with a recent computer animation technology and produced 27 commercials. The one that stood out was the “Northern Lights” commercial, which created a heartwarming connection between Coca-Cola and polar bears.
2. The “Share A Coke” campaign
   In 2011, Coke launched its “Share A Coke,” using the most common names to market its product to individual consumers. Different countries adopted this campaign with their unique twists. For example, in 2015, the company also added nicknames such as “bro,” “better half,” and “sidekick” to the inventory of names.
3. “The World’s Cup” campaign
   Coca-Cola officially sponsored the FIFA World Cup in Brazil in 2014. “The World’s Cup” campaign was created to celebrate the unifying good that can come from many people’s love for football. Coke brought more than 1 million fans from over 90 countries to the World Cup to make a powerful campaign.

🛒 Coca-Cola Branding Strategy – Case Study Idea #3

1. Coca-Cola’s visual identity
   Coca-Cola’s visual identity begins with a red logo. The red color increases confidence in the person who drinks a Coke, making the experience even more enjoyable. Coca-Cola also prints its logo on a uniquely shaped bottle, making the customers feel that they’re not getting an imitation — this is the real thing.
2. Coca-Cola’s focus on people
   When you watch Coca-Cola’s advertising campaigns, you might notice that they evoke emotions. For example, Coke had a ‘not-so-wide’ market in Australia, creating a video ad to let Australians know they were essential to the company.
3. Coca-Cola’s feeling of ‘happiness.’
   Coca-Cola’s slogan ‘delicious and refreshing’ has been sharing happiness from the beginning. Moreover, Coca-Cola is deeply associated with the Christmas season, which integrates perfectly with the branding strategy of sharing joy.
4. Coca-Cola’s brands
   Coca-Cola Company owns 27 brands of beverages you might know very well or maybe haven’t even heard of. The list of brands includes Sprite, Fanta, Smartwater, Minute Maid, and many others.

🌎 Coca-Cola Global Strategy – Case Study Idea #4

1. Coca-Cola’s global reach
   While Coca-Cola has a headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, the company and its bottling partners hire people worldwide for various positions. Coca-Cola employs locally in its communities, allowing employees to gain valuable international experience and work closely with people from different countries.
2. Coca-Cola’s global production
   Coca-Cola operates in a dynamic business environment, having plants in 28 countries with state-of-the-art local production and distribution systems. In 59 plants, the company produces more than 12.5 billion liters of beverages annually.
3. Countries that sell Coca-Cola
   There are more than 200 countries that sell Coca-Cola’s soft drinks. It’s challenging to think of a country where Coke isn’t available. Even in countries where the company doesn’t manufacture Coca‑Cola, many entrepreneurs import the drinks from neighboring countries.

🚀 Coca-Cola Vs. Pepsi Case Study – Idea #5

1. Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi: an overview
   Both Coca-Cola and Pepsi are internationally recognizable brands. However, Coca-Cola is the international beverage leader, while PepsiCo has a more substantial presence in the food industry.
2. Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi: product line
   Instead of diversifying across food, snacks, and beverages, Coca-Cola has concentrated on building an empire of soft drinks. Cola’s product line includes primarily sparkling beverages and still beverages. As for PepsiCo, the company has 23 different brands, including snacks. For example, PepsiCo owns Lays, Doritos, and Cheetos.
3. Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi: market presence
   Coca-Cola competes with PepsiCo internationally, though Coca-Cola approaches its market segmentation differently. Coca-Cola has four global divisions, while Pepsi has seven. To compete with Pepsi’s more segmented approach of geographical divisions, Coca-Cola created a Global Ventures segment to support the new brands.
4. Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi: pricing strategy
   Coca-Cola’s pricing strategy is known as “meet-the-competition pricing.” The company analyzes the pricing strategies of its competitors and then sets its prices around the same level. As for Pepsi, the company offers various sizes of bottles to fulfill the demands of all customers.

🥻 Coca-Cola in India Case Study – Idea #6

1. The origin of Coca-Cola India
   Coca-Cola India is the version of the famous Coca-Cola company. The Coca-Cola Company started operating in India in 1956 and became the largest beverage manufacturer. Coca-Cola India has around 40% share of the country’s branded beverages market.
2. Coca-Cola India’s logo and its meaning
   The logo’s history began when John Stith Pemberton, the inventor of the Coke, turned to his accountant, Frank Robinson, to help him brand his creation. Frank came up with the first logo, the handwritten name of the company. The original logo has been modified in numerous marketing campaigns. However, in the case of Coca-Cola India, the emblem remained the same.
3. The controversy around Coca-Cola India
   In 1999, Coca-Cola set up a factory in the tribal village of Plachimada in Kerala. Unfortunately, the groundwater was soon contaminated by the factory’s operations, leading to health issues among the town’s residents. The plant stopped production in March 2004. After a legal battle in the Supreme Court, Coca-Cola stated that it would not restart production in the plant.

💬 Coca-Cola Internal Communication Strategy – Case Study #7

1. Coca-Cola’s effective message strategy
   Coca-Cola’s management ensures that a message communicated from any corner of the organization is spread across employees of all ranks. A special administrator manages the news through the intranet and controls people who can access and comment on them.
2. Coca-Cola’s communication channels
   Coca-Cola’s communication channels include mechanisms like:
   • Telephones extensions
   • Intranets
   • Emailing systems
   • Meetings
   All those systems are protected with special cybersecurity measures. When communicating across borders, the company ensures that branch managers get the information at the most appropriate time and can understand the information.
3. Coca-Cola’s organizational culture and behavior
   Coca-Cola has invested mainly in organizational culture, supporting free interaction among the management and all ranks of employees. When something happens in the office, there are various channels for letting the administration know.

✅ Coca-Cola Internal Communication Strategy Topics & More

1. Social responsibility program of The Coca-Cola Company.
2. The Coca-Cola Company’s technology and future.
3. Coca-Cola Company’s marketing management.
4. Coca-Cola Company: product reassessment.
5. The Coca-Cola Company’s international drink market.
6. Coca-Cola Company’s quality management control.
7. Coca-Cola Company’s management decisions.
8. The Coca-Cola Company’s international management.
9. The Coca-Cola Company’s communication aspect.
10. The Coca-Cola Company’s strategic suitability.
11. Coca-Cola Company’s external and internal analysis.
12. Coca-Cola Company transformation plan.
13. The Coca-Cola Company’s marketing plan in China.
14. The Coca-Cola supply chain & operations management.
15. Coca-Cola & Keurig’s new product design.
16. The Coca-Cola Company’s grand strategy.
17. The Coca-Cola Company’s purpose and strategy.
18. Coca-Cola Company’s corporate social responsibility in India.
19. Coca-Cola Company’s entry strategies into the Indian market.
20. The Coca-Cola Company’s human resource system.
21. Coca-Cola Company’s sustainability initiative.
22. Coca-Cola and Pepsi: companies’ different strategies.
23. Coca-Cola Company total quality management.
24. The Coca-Cola Company’s operations framework.
25. Coca-Cola Company business ethics challenges.
26. Coke vs. Pepsi: a case study.
27. Management in the Coca-Cola Company.
28. Coca-Cola’s strategic plans.
29. Coca-Cola operations management.
30. Stock market analysis: PepsiCo vs. Coca-Cola.

🔗 References

1. The Birth of a Refreshing Idea. Coca-Cola History
2. Racial Equity Plan | The Coca-Cola Company
3. Coca-Cola Ads | Audio Network UK
4. Visual Identity and Why It’s Important | wix
5. Best Practices for Effective Internal Communications