By Eleni Papageorgiou,
To be recognized in the dark or even from broken pieces was the marketer’s dream for this bottle. I don’t think that recommendations are needed for this company. The most famous and recognizable brand in the world 135 years ago came to shake the waters in the course of industry and marketing. And since we all understood that this is Coca-Cola, let’s look at its history and the success it has raised.
It was founded in 1885 in Atlanta, Georgia, where Dr. John Pemberton sold some bottles at Jacob’s Pharmacy. And we are talking about only 9 bottles, unlike today that the company sells 1.9 billion pieces daily. Its incomparable evolution is due to its special recipe and the myth that has been created around it. The original recipe was initially sold as a patent medicine in soda fountain stores, with the claim that it would be a remedy for ailments including heartburn, nausea, and headaches. The first main businessman investing in the company was Asa G. Candler, who established the recipe, the name, and the appearance of Coca-Cola.
Until 1894, it was served as a bulk drink or, even more properly, as syrup. The growing demand led the businessman Joseph Biedenharn to bottle the beverage. Then Candler, assuming the packaged product would not be profitable, sold the exclusive rights of bottling in 1899 to the lawyers Benjamin Thomas and Joseph Whitehead. After the sales increased a lot worldwide, many imitations appeared, and the company ran campaigns to “demand the genuine”.
Despite the fact that the initial capital for advertising was $11.000 and the advertising media were napkins, calendars, wall signs, pencils, and clocks, the product managed to be famous in all states of America, and, in 1900, the first celebrity to ever include Coca-Cola was music hall performer Hilda Clark. By 1911, the provided budget was 1 million dollars and the famous Coca-Cola advertisement of St. Nicholas drinking the beverage came in 1931. Two important moments that are known until today were the sponsorship of the Olympic Games (1928) and the great demand for soft drinks during World War II by the U.S. soldiers. The culmination of the advertising efforts was the “I’d Like to Buy the World A Coke” campaign, one of the most famous ads until today.
But, beyond the profits and the growth of the company itself, this history has to show us something else, too. It does not matter where you start, how relevant or irrelevant you are to the profession, how difficult the times are, or how much money you can spend for your dream. If you choose to invest and dedicate yourself to what you do, then it will pay off. This company may not have started with the dynamics and knowledge of today’s multinational, but some people always saw its potential beyond the problems.
This might be the sign for anyone to take the risk and fight to build his own career and fortune. Let it be you, the role model for all the others who need a boost in life. And do not be afraid of failure. The rival for Coca-Cola has long been Pepsi and so, in 1985, in an effort to override Pepsi, the company decided to change somehow the original formula and created the then called “New Coke”. But, the reaction of the devoted buyers was overwhelmingly negative, forcing the Coca-Cola company to go back to its original recipe in just 79 days and keep the helm of the beverage market.
