Related Blog Entry II: Andre`s It is deja vu all over again or has coke learned its lessons

Pleasing every taste! Coca- Cola world`s most valuable brand, a company with an excellent position to grow in every non-alcoholic in beverage category by extending established brands, providing new innovative products, packages and experiences. Last year, Coca-Cola reported revenues of $6,643 millions in North America. Despite of an incident occurred in UK with the Dasani Water, Dasani reported a unit case volume grotwh up to 10% in North America according with Coca-Cola`s 2004 report.

Coca-Cola has become such a giant that even a successful new product doesn’t have much impact on sales (like Coke with Lime and C2). Entering new markets is currently the only way to grow. Major acquisitions (those large enough to make Coca-Cola larger) are being denied by regulators under monopolistic laws. So what does Coca-Cola do in the meantime? It continues to advertise its world-leading brand.

People assume that Coca-Cola is certain to succeed indefinitely, and due to an incredible distribution channel, a strong Coca-Cola business should indeed be present for a long time. However it may have to re-think its major product: sodas. What if 50 years from now Coca-Cola's leading product was healthy? The company already had to make a major change to its leading product at the beginning of the century.

“Coca-cola was originally promoted as a drink "offering the virtues of coca without the vices of alcohol." Until 1903, a typical serving contained 60mg of cocaine. Today, it still contains an extract of coca leaves. The Coca Cola Company imports eight tons of coca leaf from South America each year” Source: Cocaine.org.

Tastes change. Over the past 10 years, American culture has become more health-conscious about the effects of soft drink consumption. So what all of us will be drinking as we grow older, and what we will want our children to drink? This is the “billion dollar” question that Coca Cola is trying to answer by launching new products.