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Coca-Cola is the biggest soft drink company in the world, and it has an infinite number of various drinks under its brand starting from water to juices and soft drinks. Coca-Cola has been around since May 8th of 1886, and it was created by John Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States (The Coca-Cola Company). The company has been successful in this field since then with a big market monopoly. Coca-Cola is doing their job perfectly balancing between their strategies; however, some of these strategies need to be improved for them to beat all of their competitors (The Coca-Cola Company). After looking at Coca-Cola various strategies, it should be noted that various changes ought to be carried out. Coca-Cola has grown to one of the world’s biggest and most successful companies. Such a success could only be achieved by a strong and outstanding Marketing Management. Coca - Cola connects with its audience and customers in a way that other companies don’t do. In this regards, this study seeks evaluate the coca cola’s strategy and its effectiveness in ensuring that the goals of the organization is achieved. Furthermore, it seeks to provide analyze its communication, product and price policy.

Today, no beverage brand reaches most of the man-kind than Coca-Cola. Its mission statement is quite straightforward and is based on three main pillars. The company believes it can make the world a better place and to make everyone enjoy the happiness that comes with it. All the company’s aims, objectives, vision, values and mission statements are based on that belief. This mission statement forms the foundation of the enterprise. According to the Coca-Cola Company on Mission, Vision, and Values “Our Roadmap starts with our mission,” this is enduring. It declares our purpose as a company and serves as the standard against which we weigh our actions and decisions.” (The Coca-Cola Company). This roadmap is a long-term plan around which the company’s operations revolve around. Simply put, the three core aims and objectives that form the mission statement are to refresh the world, to inspire moments of optimism and happiness and finally to create value and to make a difference.

But how does the company ensure the mission statement is accomplished? What does it mean to refresh the world according to Coca-Cola? Well, this is not only attributed to stimulating the consumers with the very best of soft drinks brands but also to care for the environment as it is a major source of its ingredients. Highlighted by the recent “Share a Coke” campaign, Coca-Cola has gone a mile ahead to inspire moments of optimism and happiness to all its customers. The commercials and ads have been designed to bring a smile on the audiences’ faces, leave alone the satisfaction that comes from enjoying the various products this company offers. Regarding the last stated mission, the company tries to create value and make a difference by encouraging recycling of their containers as well as partnering with reputable charitable organizations. Among the most known charitable organizations that the company has partnered with include the World Wildlife Fund and the International Foundation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. With the best market strategies today, as well as a good leadership structure in place, Coca-Cola continues to take its place in the Global market today, albeit stiff competition from other world-leading beverage companies, on the top of the list been Pepsi (Coca-Cola Company, 1990).

Coca Cola’s mission statement can be summarized in three broad statements. It works to ensure it offers the best quality service to its customers. Being in service since the late 19th century once can comfortably conclude that the company has already appealed to customers in ways that other soft drink production companies have not. Coca cola is almost a worldwide monopoly (Lopez, 2013). The mission statement is characterized by the following:

· To refresh the world in mind body and spirit: In short, Coca-cola here states its intent of maintaining its status of being the major soft-drink distribution company (Liebowitz, 2011). They want to appeal to the world more than they have already. This is a mission statement one of the reasons why Coca-Cola remains the top beverage distributor in the world. They intend to reach the world in ways that work toward leaving a permanent mark. Using their team of well-trained staff puts a lot of hard work and commitment, they have a potential of achieving the above-stated mission statement (Isdell & Baeley, 2012). Goals such as this one which is human oriented mostly end up succeeding.

· To create value and make a difference: This statement aims to highlight its intent of achieving uniqueness. They thrive to add value to the products in which they produce to make them more appealing to the human consumers (Elmore, 2015). The distinguishing factor in Coca-Cola is that no one can replicate the secret formula that is used to manufacture the drinks. Insight shows that the only two individuals who are well acquainted with the secret formula are not allowed to travel in the same plane least it clashes. By doing so, the company makes a difference by producing what cannot be replicated by other competitors (Butler & Tischler, 2015). This also helps to add value to the drink since it cannot be obtained anywhere else. One can comfortably argue that Coca-cola has made a stepping stone in maintain the value and making a difference (Elmore, 2015). It is one of the reasons as to why it maintains being a globally recognized branch. Missions oriented toward human living are always bound to succeed.

· To inspire moments of happiness: Someone, who is well acquainted with the Coca-Cola Company cannot fail to note that it has been behind various campaigns which govern happiness and togetherness. For example, the Share a Coke campaign. This was a brief period in which Coca-cola introduced the notion of writing people’s name on bottles of the drink. The names used were mainly common names (Butler & Tischler, 2015). One would fail to resist buying a drink that had their friend, family member, loved one or even a colleague at work. These were the basis of moments of happiness inspired by the drink. Other similar campaigns have also been enacted which aim to instill happiness to the individuals purchasing the drink (Coca-Cola Company, 1993).

Company missions and vision statement are more likely to be achieved if they are oriented toward satisfying human wants. A characteristic of a good product is its ability to meet all pillars of human wants that are supposed to be in the overall product. Adding on top of that is the marketing strategy. If one learns to correlate a product with happiness, there is a high chance that consumers will be purchasing that particular product a great deal (Butler & Tischler, 2015). Coca Cola has learned to make consumers associate the drink with family, friends and overall bonding. This may be seen in a lot of their commercials.

The Coca-Cola Company, as already explained, is a soft drink/beverage distribution company (Butler & Tischler, 2015). This means that a significant portion of its products is soft drinks. The secret ingredient to the Coca-cola drink widely remains unknown. Only two people are aware of it (Butler & Tischler, 2015). This might be the secret behind the success of the company since their products cannot be replicated. Each drink/ beverage offered by the company is its unique brand (Butler & Tischler, 2015).

Similarly, the company also distributes bottled water branded Dasani. This is not found in all countries, however (Butler & Tischler, 2015). Similar to the bottled water, the company also has a range of processed fruit juice referred to as the minute maid brand (Butler & Tischler, 2015). It exists in various flavors, but it is limited to a few countries. The other range of soft drinks includes Fanta and Sprite. Coca-Cola exists in different sub reads and types. For example, there is the Coca-Cola Zero which is low in sugar, and the Coca-Cola light which is low in gas. Distinct sub-variants that exist include the diet coke (Elmore, 2015).

Different flavored variants of the Coke exist, for example, in the Asian region; there is a vanilla flavored variant of the Coca-cola (Elmore, 2015). The company distributes according to the taste preference and culture of the affected region. The packaging is also different in each and every region as a representative of the culture of the regions involved. The standard Coca-cola drink is available in some parts of the world while the other variants are only limited to specific areas alone (Elmore, 2015).

The company is hence well suited to answer the needs of its consumers. The major problem facing the company is the different countries where consumption of Coca-Cola or other soft drinks is completely inhibited. This impedes expansion into these regions (Elmore, 2015). The company has an elaborate plan to work over this. The only real threat to Coca-Cola is rival soft drink manufacturers like Pepsi and alcohol distribution chains. They do not present as much threat however because Coca-cola is a drink that virtually anyone can take while alcohol is restricted to a particular age bracket alone. This flexibility is one of the many reasons as to why the company is continuing with its rising streak. All products manufactured by Coca-cola serve to match the preference of different cultures (Elmore, 2015).

The organizational structure at Coca-Cola is one of its kinds and is one of the key factors that have led to the overall success of the company. This international company organizes itself in a manner that places it comfortably on the world market, while at the same time looking at the particular needs of its regional markets sensitively to address any emerging issues. The company has a separate International Division Structure whose staffs work in isolation from the head office though. There are five continental divisions, each with a president as the head. Some further vice-presidents control the sub-divisions, which can go to as low as individual countries. The operations at the domestic level are very much similar to those at the international level making control quite easy (Brunner, 2010).

At the head office, we have Muhtar Kent, who is the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). At the senior leadership, there is James Quincey who is the overall President and Chief Operating Officer of all the international divisions. At the North America Division, there is J. Alexander Douglas who is the executive president as well as vice president of this region. Following closely is Ceree Eberly who is the Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer. Other in senior leadership includes Chief Technical Officer, Chief Strategy, and Planning, Chief Information Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Legal Counsel as well as Chief Customer and Commercial Leadership Officer among others. The Board of Directors among other duties elects those to hold the offices according to their capabilities. The company continues to enjoy good leadership with one of the best organizational structure which coupled with a corporate sergeant Head Office responsible for giving the company overall direction makes it a leader in the world market for soft drinks. Today, the company has over 700000 system employees and ranks among top ten private employers, thanks to its real leadership.

Remote environment according to the Business Dictionary is the ecological, political, social, and technological factors or forces that affect a form's decision-making abilities and freedom but are beyond its control or influence. Various external factors influence business. The global and local economy is a factor that cannot be changed by companies. It is one of the major factors that influence the business. Availability of markets is affected by politics, wars and terrorism attacks and value varying of currency (Coca-Cola Company, 1993).

Infrastructure is essential in the operation of a business company. The construction of highways and the establishment apartments are essential to retail, manufacturers, restaurants and other businesses that rely on location for success. The local changes in infrastructure might affect your business positively or negatively.

Changes in local or federal laws of a country might affect the operation of your business, that is, if the law is modified in a way that it limits the sale of your product either by being highly regulated or outlawed. For example, in some countries, public smoking is banned. This affected the sales of cigarettes by their manufacturers.

Weather may affect a business firm in such a way that cannon be controlled. No man can control nature forces. Storms, Wildfires, floods are factors that cannot be controlled by a business company. This can hinder the operations of a business activity by your company and can lead to losses.

Competition from counterparts dealing in the same product or a product that performs the same function yours does is another factor. The ability to sell your product is determined by your effort to convince buyers.

Operating factors are those found within the company which has an effect on the operation and success of a company. Unlike the remote factors, the determining factors are in control by the business firm involved. Factors affecting the business internally are important and need to be recognized by a company.

The first factor a company should consider is their financial resources. These include funding, investment opportunities and sources of income. For a business to succeed, they need capital. The primary goal of a business is expansion. This calls for extensive investments. A company should look for and take advantage of opportunities that are presented by other business firms. This should be among the first preferences of the business. The business should also look for reliable income sources.

A business cannot succeed without human resources. These are available in the form of employees, volunteers and most important, the target audiences where all products and services are sold to. A successful business company has access to trademarks, copyrights, and patents. This is crucial in alleviating threats of stealing the authenticity of the company's products that may emerge externally. The company should also have access to natural resources like water and wind energy and any other that is essential for the bettering of the business.

A good company values its employees. It has employee benefits program which assists employees with personal or work-related problems overcome them. This is because it might affect their health, mental and emotional well-being. It might also affect their performance in work. That is why employee program is essential.

Industry analysis is a mechanism that facilitates a firm's understanding of its position about other enterprises in the same business. This is realized by analyzing the conditions in an industry at a given time, including the behavior and relations among competitors, suppliers as well as the customers. A good industrial analysis involves understanding all the forces at work in the overall industry which is a key component to effective strategic planning. By assessing the current business environment, new entrants will be in a better place to know if it is viable to enter into a given business and what they have to do to stay ahead of the competitors. This analysis also helps businesses understand various economic pieces of the marketplace and how to use these pieces can be used to gain a competitive advantage.

Several aspects of the industry are analyzed to determine if it is profitable to sell certain goods or services in the market under the prevailing conditions. There are three major elements that constitute to the success of any technical analysis. These can be grouped into the underlying forces at work in a given industry, the overall attractiveness of the industry and finally the critical factors necessary for the success within the industry.

Analyzing the economic factors, supply and demand, competitors as well as future conditions represent the industry forces. All these collectively will give a picture of the ease with which a new business can make an entry into the market and what to do to stay ahead of the competitors. On the economic factors, things to include are the raw materials, expected profit margins as well as the inference of substitute goods. Costly raw materials, for example, will result in over-priced goods. The presence of cheaper substitute goods will lower the number of potential customers, both of which may not auger well with your business. Supply and demand analysis will help the management understand if there are enough consumers willing to buy the goods at the current prices.

A trend of declining demand, for example, indicates an oversold industry and new business entries will not perform well. The number of competitors is also very key in any industry analysis. With very many competitors, existing companies have to lower their prices to maintain the current market share. Also, it is worth noting that as industries contract, inefficient producers are forced out. Regarding future conditions, determining the business cycle for a particular industry is very important to ensure the inventory is running on time as required and never forfeit customer orders. All in all, the forces at work are best covered in Porter’s Five Forces Model, discussed here as well (Brunner, 2010).

The industry attractiveness largely depends on the presence or absence of threats exhibited by the industry forces. Simply put, the greater threat posed by any industry force, the less attractive the business becomes. Small and start-up businesses should attempt to seek out markets in which the treats are low while the attractiveness is high. Success factors as the last component in industry analysis are those elements that determine whether a business succeeds or fails in a given industry.

An important aspect of industry analysis is the political environment surrounding the industry been examined. The government regulations, such as taxes vary from one industry to the other. While incentives from the government may boost the growth of a given industry, taxes, on the other hand, eat into the profits earned by the company. All in all, industry analysis is an important aspect especially for anyone wishing to join a given business. The success of the same will, however, depend on how various tools available are implemented in conducting the analysis. The time frame is of the essence as well. Sometimes, it may be important for small business owners to seek outside help while conducting the same (Brunner, 2010).

Michael Porter introduced a model that defines five forces that influence the industry. It’s a strategic business tool to analyze your competitive environment, and it improves the understanding of your business and the industry context in which a company operates. According to Porter, the five forces are the threat of new entrants, the threat of substitutes, supplier power, rivalry and buyer power.

The first step in performing an industry analysis is maybe to assess the impact of Porter’s five forces. This standard industry analysis tool helps individuals use a time-tested management procedure to generate an intelligent business analysis that among other things will help determine the ultimate profit potential in the industry as well as find a position in the industry where the company can best defend itself against competitive forces or influence them in its favor. In the porter’s model, the five forces that shape industry competition are:

· Bargaining power of suppliers. This force is used to analyze how much power a business supplier has and how much control they have the potential to raise prices which consequently leads to reduced business profitability. It also explores the availability of suppliers. The higher the number of suppliers, the better the business is placed in that industry.

· Bargaining power of the buyers. This force explores the power that the consumer has to affect pricing as well as quality. Powerful buyers can actually exert pressure on small businesses by demanding lower prices, higher quality or additional services or even playing competitors off one another.

· Threat of new entrants. This force examines the ease or difficulty with which a competitor can join the marketplace in the industry under question. Barriers to entry could include economies of scale, access to inputs, absolute cost advantages as well as well-organized brands. Usually, the easier it is for competitor to join the marketplace, the greater the risk of the business market share been depleted (Brunner, 2010).

· Threat of substitute products or services. This force looks into how easy it is for consumers to switch from a business’s product to that of its competitors. It examines how many competitors there are and how their prices and quality of products compare to those of the business under examination (Puravankara, 2007).

· Competitive rivalry. This force studies the intensity of competition that is currently in the marketplace, which is determined by the number of existing competitors and what each is capable of doing. With high rivalry competition, advertisement and price wars ensue, which are not good for any business. This rivalry is quantitatively measured by the concentration ratio (CR), which usually refers to the market share owned by the four largest firms in the industry.

The Coca-Cola Company remains one of the biggest and most successful beverage companies in the entire world. This company focuses on the production of non-alcoholic beverage and is among one of the largest corporations in the US today. Here is a SWOT analysis of the company that examines its current activities to determine its Strengths and Weaknesses and then using that coupled with external research to set out the Opportunities and Threats that exist for this famous company.

· A strong brand image. Coca cola is an enormously familiar company and recognition is one of the strengths that it enjoys. With its vast global presence and unique brand identity, Coca cola remains one of the company with a very high brand equity.

· Large market share. With Pepsi as the major competitor in the beverage section, Coca cola has a very large market share with Coke, Fanta and Sprite as the growth drivers for the company.

· Vast global presence. Coca cola is present in over 200 countries across the world and chances are, in every country you go, you will get Coca cola present in the market.

· Marketing and distribution network. Coca cola has an extensive marketing and distribution network because of the demand for its products in the market.

· Competition. Pepsi remains one of the greatest competitors for Coca cola in the market today.

· Water management. Coca cola has faced flak from experts who constantly criticize its water consumption policy in regions that experience water scarcity.

· Absence in health beverages. With the business environment changing and people advocating for energy as well as health drinks, carbonated beverages which have been associated with problems like obesity are on the decline as people go for a healthier alternative.

· Lack of product diversification. While Pepsi, its main competitor has diversified in both food and beverages, Coca cola has only concentrated on soft drinks.

· Diversification. Entry into health drinks as well as fast foods will increase the market share owned by the company while increasing the revenues raised from selling these products.

· Tapping into developing countries. While developed countries are slowly moving into healthier beverages, consumption of the same in third world countries is projected to grow every year.

· Engagement in acquisitions. A significant way in which the company can expand its market is to acquire other companies, especially those in the third world countries.

· Marketing the less selling products. Popularizing the products which have not yet found acceptance in the market will raise its consumer base which will ultimately raise the revenues.

· Raw material sourcing. Water resources continue to be a big problem for the company.

· Perception battle on sugar based drinks. Health consciousness among people avoiding aerated drinks and believe that sugar-based drinks lead to obesity can adversely affected Coca cola. Indirect competition. This comes from coffee chains such as Starbucks who offer a healthy competition to Coca cola’s carbonated drinks.

Coca-cola Company has grown over time to become one of the world’s most popular beverage-producing companies. Here are some of the key capabilities that are disposable for the company to use and grow its business bigger.

Coca-Cola has built a brand for itself over the years. Brand reputation has been established in over one century of the company’s existence. In fact, brand building has become Coca cola’s core competency (Coca-Cola Company, 1990). Thus, the company has gained a lot of loyal customers. From the stable profits earned from these customers, the company can use this to grow itself bigger. The brand name awareness is also higher than that of its competitors which give it a clear competitive advantage over Pepsi, the biggest rivalry for Coca-Cola Company.

The company has strong financial resources. With such finance, they can invest in new markets on a large scale in third world countries. Such money can be used to build infrastructure, staff training as well as the development of distribution networks. They can bear present losses to invest into potential markets that will offer returns in future.

The company has strived over time to build a positive and open working environment where employees can share ideas as well as give candid comments. With such a supportive environment, the company can easily get new business ideas while promoting talent in the workplace. The creativity is enhanced, and more effective solutions to various problems can be generated.

The company has an efficient organizational structure. Offering over 100 brands of soft drinks in nearly 200 countries around the world exhibits a great organizational capability. The distribution channel can be made quite simple to meet demands while cutting on production costs. All these core capabilities show the competitive advantage that Coca-cola has over its competitors.

Comparison

The Coca-Cola Company has been in operation for more than a century, specializing in manufacturing and selling beverages to over 200 countries. The comparison will forecast Company’s past performance including its operations, financials, human resource, and marketing and compare them with those of the competitors and in this case, the main competitor and threat to the company are mostly the Pepsi.

The Coca-Cola Company has gradually seen growth in its operations that has made it be successful and exist in almost every country. Having operated in seven segments which are geographically based namely Eurasia and Africa; Europe; Latin America; North America; Asia Pacific; Bottling Investments; and Corporate. The company forecasts to increase its operations outside the America to maximize the efficiency of its production, distribution, and marketing efforts. The Coca-Cola Company supports the biggest beverage distribution system in the whole world surpassing the competitors by a large margin. Worldwide, the company is serving its beverages to approximately 57 million people a day with a 1.9 billion trademarks (www.vault.com, 2017). It aims at increasing the same annually by gradually increasing advertisements costs to promote its sales

An elaborate and well defined strategy/ goal are the key behind the success of any well know successful company (Isdell & Baeley, 2012). The rate of success is measured by the number of goals which were previously set but are now achieved. Coca-Cola has an elaborate strategy that would continue adding on to its relatively successful sales and establishment across the world. Other companies should employ similar strategies and gain some insight from the way the company does its operations. This way, they may adjust their plans and strategies for expansion in such a way that they reflect those used by coca cola (Isdell & Baeley, 2012). In turn, they may realize large extensive profits. Coca Cola’s strategies may be attributed as follows:

· Focusing on driving revenue and profit growth: The Company reported to be using a segmented business strategy that depends on the type and current situation of the market (Lopez, 2013). They have focused on increasing volume of product sold to be in line with keeping them affordable to many groups of individuals with high to medium social statuses. It is important to note that it serves to correlate pricing and volume in already established markets (Lopez, 2013). In countries where the market is less developed, it focuses on volume as an advertisement trope. As people begin to become aware of their goods, they slowly resort to the pricing/ volume strategy which was elaborated above. Following on that information, it hence establishes is market at a place where previously there was none.

· Investing in brands and businesses: Coca-Cola has made the initiative to focus more on improving the overall brand and the business (Butler & Tischler, 2015). It does this by using the profit generated and how the profit can later lead to extensive business practices. A good example where the company invests in itself is through the marking campaign. Countless advertisements of Coca cola are aired in the 200 countries which the brand recedes in. Coca cola advertisements contain content that appeal to the whole family, hence they are an important marketing trope (Butler & Tischler, 2015).

· Increased Efficiency: Coca cola has increased the efficiency with which it carries out business activities. One such way is the reset of the organizational budget to zero which must be justified annually. The increased efficiency strategy also cuts down on non-media advertising. A good example is store promotions (Butler & Tischler, 2015). The amount of money saved by cutting on the cost is large and can be used for a variety of purposes which in turn leads to a great deal of profit generation.

· Company Simplification: Another elaborate strategy employed by the company is the act of simplifying the company (Liebowitz, 2011). Given the recent evolution of other companies when compared to the beverage and soft drink companies, it became paramount for the company to establish a set of well-rounded employees to carry them to the next level (Liebowitz, 2011). Simplifying the company basically revolves around fostering efficiency by reducing or merging the number of active units in a company. This, in turn, leads to better innovation and more work done in a relatively smaller time frame. Simplification also enables easier tracking of profits and losses made by various departments. The simplification strategy employed by Coca-cola, therefore, has an elaborate and well-defined plan that serves to ensure nothing but profits to the company (Liebowitz, 2011).

These strategies are well planned out, and each of them serves to take the company to the next level. Following them will guarantee no losses for the company but the generation of profits only. Companies should consider enacting and following a strategic plan such as the one elaborated above (Lopez, 2013).

The company has a set of unique goals and visions in which it strives to achieve (Lopez, 2013). They provide the framework and guidance which it needs to progress forward. As stated previously, the company’s goals and visions act as guidelines to show which way overall, the company is progressing (Butler & Tischler, 2015). For example, if a company was progressing forward, it will be characterized by an achievement of more goals and missions and vice versa. Coca cola’s goals include

· Fostering unity: One of Coca Cola company mission is to foster unity by providing a healthy working environment where people can work alongside each other with peace and harmony (Butler & Tischler, 2015). This in turn leads to inspiration of each other and hence raises working efficiencies in the long run (Butler & Tischler, 2015),

· Build Image and Variety: Coca Cola Company wants to supply drinks of different varieties to all parts of the globe when demand is needed (Butler & Tischler, 2015). Considering the fact that there are different cultures all around the world with different tastes and preferences, Coca Cola can appeal to all of them by providing drinks which match their cultural preferences. By appealing to all audiences, the company builds its image and continues to be the preferred choice for a wide variety of audiences (Butler & Tischler, 2015).

· Establishing Partnerships: The Company also aims to establish a wide network of partnerships with well-established companies. The partnerships will allow the company to thrive in an all rounded situation. Partnering with some of the most common distributors such as Walmart is also advantageous to both of the company’s (Elmore, 2015). Partnerships may also be established with local schools and universities, i.e. sponsoring football and basketball teams

· Profit: Another one of the company’s goals is to ensure their respective shareholders and stakeholders are assured of long term profits. This is while being mindful of other responsibilities in which the company has to undertake. These incentives ensure maximum stakeholder support and coordination when partaking a major project which is in need of some financial input from them.

· Productivity: The Company’s final goal is to be productive (Elmore, 2015). This is through employing a highly productive team which is fast moving and quick to make decisions. This puts the company under a strategic advantage over other competitors (Elmore, 2015). Achieving this goal is the stepping stone for the company. This is due to the fact that most companies strive to be productive in nature. This ensures much profit realized and hence the company prospers.

Goals as explained above are the pillars which define the direction where the company is trailing. Goals create a major media for comparison between two different entities (Kepos & Cengage Learning (Firm), 2007). The one with the most elaborate and well-defined goals characterized by the achievement of a great deal of them is likely to be more successful than the other one. Effective goal creation and achievement is the best way to ensure that the company is moving forward or that it is moving backward (Elmore, 2015). Companies should, therefore, sport an elaborate goal setting technique if it wants to thrive in many different places (Elmore, 2015).

They are the business products which usually bring a significant amount of income to the company. The products can be able to generate enough sales which are capable of gaining a significant share in the market that it specializes. The Coca-Cola Company has a particular line of products, and these are beverages, and this industry has significantly matured over time and various companies who are now selling their brand of cola. The Coca-Cola brand has been operating as a cash cow because this brand is being sold in 200 countries in a mature beverage company (Arnett, 2016). The industry is mature, and the company requires just little effort to keep sales high

Star products have a high market value than the other products produced by the same company. Star products are in a market that is in the development phase, and further addition of market share is possible. Bottled water produced by the Coca-Cola Company is the star because mineral water industry is evolving all over the world attracting more customers (Arnett, 2016).

Question marks products have a dubious future market, and they cannot be easily evaluated and understood. These types of products are already in the market although they have not established themselves like the star products and therefore they aren’t recognizable as stars. Although the market has their growth opportunities, these products have not yet taken the benefits of these opportunities in an efficient manner. Minute Maid product from the company is one of such products (Arnett, 2016). Although in some places it has high sales volumes it is not widely spread like coke.

This category of products consists of products that are part of the mature industry, but they have a small feasibility to the company because they generate very minimal revenues. The company is forced to take minimum efforts towards their sales and Coca-Cola’s product in this category is Coca-Cola life which has not yet gained the expected market share (Arnett, 20116).

The Coca-Cola Company is the leading global producer and distributor of non-alcoholic beverages, including concentrates. The company, which was founded in 1886 in Georgia, Atlanta, has significantly expanded its operations across more than 200 countries globally. It's popular product brand, Coca-Cola, emerges as an innovative beverage that has contributed to the company’s increased market growth over the years. It also supplies at least 400 brands, including Sprite, Fanta, Diet Coke, fountain syrups, energy drinks, and fruit juices. The company commands a market share of 47 percent, followed by Pepsi Cola with a 21 percent market share. Other companies, including Cott and Cadbury Schweppes, account for the remainder of the beverages market share (Karnani, 2014). Despite having a widespread presence in the global market, Coca-Cola faces significant challenges that require an improvement in its business strategy with the aim of maintaining a stronger competitive advantage.

An investigation into the Coca-Cola Company’s current strategy indicates its strong focus on attaining its guiding vision and mission statements. For instance, the company’s vision encompasses six core aspects. Firstly, the vision covers the aspect of people by indicating the need to develop inspiring organizational settings for the optimal growth of its human capital. Secondly, the vision covers the portfolio aspect, which is geared toward offering the global market with quality beverages to meet consumer needs, preferences, and desires (Arnold, 2015).

Thirdly, vision covers the aspect of partners in which it focuses on developing an efficient network involving suppliers and customers with the objective of attaining sustainable value. Fourthly, the planet aspect is covered in the vision based on the need to foster corporate social responsibility for sustainable communities. Fifthly, the vision focuses profit maximization for improved return on investment (ROI). Lastly, the vision covers the productivity aspect in which it focuses on developing effective and lean organizational processes. In spite of such vision, the company needs to implement new strategies that can meet the emerging consumer needs, such as the preference for low-calorie or sugar-free beverages (Barkay, 2013).

Also, the current strategy involves the use of differentiation approaches to developing significant value for the consumers. Such differentiation is based on the mission of refreshing the world. To foster growth, the company has adopted several strategies, including the expansion of the carbonated beverage brands, the growth of other key brands, and development of wellness platforms. For instance, Coca-Cola capitalizes on the opportunities created by immediate consumption to attain improved margins, revenues, and consumer loyalty. Moreover, the current strategy covers the system improvement characterized by revenue growth from bottling operations and cost management. The focus on customer value creation also allows the company to identify and address the needs of target consumers (Hassan, Amos, & Abubakar, 2014). Although such strategic approaches have produced substantive growth outcomes for Coca-Cola, the company should consider implementing other strategies to achieve optimal market growth in the ever-changing global consumer market (Pangarkar, 2013).

The first recommended strategy involves the need for the company to focus on driving the growth of revenues and profits. This strategy should not only be implemented in the domestic market but also across the more than 200 countries where the company operates. For instance, the company should drive its revenue growth depending on the type of the market in which it operates. To execute the revenue growth strategy, the Coca-Cola Company should focus on increasing its product volumes in different markets, with a greater emphasis on the emerging markets. Additionally, the company should consider making its product brands more affordable based on the understanding that market segments are characterized by customers with different levels of disposable income. The capacity to remain consistent in supplying affordable products is central to allowing the company to develop a strong foundation for its continued growth in the future (Karnani, 2014).

The strategy of driving revenues and profit growth should be accompanied an adequate balance between product pricing and volumes in the developing markets. The focus on revenue growth across different market contexts will allow the company to improve its financial performance over the next several years. For instance, in 2015, Coca-Cola had reported revenues amounting to US$ 44.3 billion. However, such value was a 3.7 percent decline from the revenues amounting to US$ 45.6 billion that was reported in 2014. Similarly, in 2016, Coca-Cola reported total revenues amounting to US$ 41.86 billion, thereby indicating a further decline in the revenues generated. This means that without implementing a strategy that can drive income and margin, Coca-Cola is likely to experience further fluctuations or declines in its revenues (Banks, 2016).

The data on the company’s revenue generation over the last three years indicates the need for it to develop a price/mix strategy geared toward enhancing profitability. For instance, by adopting small, premium-packaging designs, Coca-Cola will report improved performance in the emerging and developed markets. Given that more than 80 percent of the company’s revenues are generated from foreign markets, an improvement of the volumes and pricing mix strategies used in such markets will allow the company to register higher margins. For instance, such strategies are likely to improve the revenues by 10.5 percent, thereby allowing the company to register revenues amounting to over US$ 46 billion within a period of two years.

Current revenues= US$ 41.86 billion

Based on the projected increase in market coverage in line with improved packaging and product affordability, the forecasted revenues= US$ 46 billion

This indicates an increase of US$(46-41.86) = US$ 4.4 billion

This means that the rate will be 4.4/41.86*100= 10.5%

As a result, the implementation of the strategy for driving revenues and profit margin will result in an increase in the company’s market base, thereby leading to the revenue growth by 10.5 percent as illustrated above.

A stronger focus on the drivers of revenues and margins is critical toward streamlining the company’s operations to attain significant growth in the global market settings. For instance, the company needs to align its workforces with appropriate incentive techniques geared toward improving their capacity to implement the drivers of revenues and profits. An effective workforce is central is to fostering the company’s realization of its mission objectives. For instance, Coca-Cola should create substantive value for its consumers across different nations. Such customer value helps in driving sales for the company, thereby allowing it to register the desired levels of revenues and margins. For instance, the creation of value will improve the company’s price/mix by 4 percent globally, thereby increasing its organic revenues by more than 7 percent (Boyd & Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government, 1996).

The use of the price/mix technique as a driver of revenues and margin involves an improved management and control of product development costs to minimize wastage while focusing on maximum returns. Additionally, the price/mix technique can allow the company to examine different pricing strategies and policies existing in the market with the view of mitigating the effects of the competitors. Based on the knowledge obtained from a closer observation of the rivals’ pricing approaches, Coca-Cola can develop its pricing approach to ensure continued revenue generation while targeting a particular level of profit margins. Therefore, based on the different market’s needs, the company should improve its price/mix strategy by considering several factors, including product lifecycle and costs, which are likely to affect prices. The setting of market-sensitive prices is critical to fostering optimal revenue and profits growth across the different market contexts of operation (Reilly & Hynan, 2014).

The strategy of continuous investment in the brand portfolio is aligned to the objective of maintaining good business operations in the company. The company should recognize that changes in the global market indicate the necessity for consistent innovation of the company products and operations. For instance, based on comprehensive market research and development activities, Coca-Cola should reinvent and position itself as a leader in brand innovation. This indicates the need for the company to invest more funds in the improvement of product quality and quantity. For example, an improvement in product quality should cover product features aligned to global consumer trends. Although the company has responded to changes in consumer preferences by developing low-sugar products, such as Coke Zero, it should expand its investment to improve other product brands. For instance, changes in market needs indicate that consumers are interested in purchasing healthy options of product brands for their wellbeing. As a result, Coca-Cola should improve its portfolio, including coffee and tea, based on the use of quality inputs to attract more consumers (Reilly & Hynan, 2014).

An investment of US$ 7 billion on brand portfolio development and expansion is critical toward improving the capacity of the company to improve its market share from 47 percent to around 52 percent. The promotional investments should include the major stakeholders involved in the Coca-Cola supply chain. For instance, the company should engage its bottling firms, retailers, and consumers in the development of responsive promotional strategies expand the market share. Such projected improvement in market share is aligned to the potential of the company to attract the customers consuming products of the rival companies. For example, the production and sale of affordable, high-quality coffee and tea product brands will be essential toward influencing consumers to shift from companies such as Cadbury, which supply substitute products at very high prices. As a result, an investment in the product portfolio expansion has a significant potential for improving the company’s capacity to venture into new markets, especially in the developing countries, thereby increasing the opportunities for revenue growth and high profitability (Shelley, Ogedegbe, & Elbel, 2014).

The investment in the brand portfolio requires the company to improve its market promotional strategies. For instance, Coca-Cola should expand its presence online besides exploiting the common advertisement platforms. An analysis of the current promotional strategies indicates a stronger inclination toward television advertising. Although such strategy is essential in reaching a wider market base, the company should consider that a significant portion of the global market is moving online. This demonstrates the need for Coca-Cola to invest in the expansion of its online media advertisements. It should expand its presence across social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The company should also improve its website to serve both the sales and promotional activities. For instance, by simplifying its website, Coca-Cola will allow its customers to access the information about product brands and on how to access them. Consumers should be allowed to order Coca-Cola products online and have them delivered to their homes. Such promotional strategies are essential toward improving consumer perception of the company’s products, thereby contributing to continued market growth.

Besides an investment in the portfolio promotion, Coca-Cola should improve its investment in the energy products category. For instance, the company should consider forming strategic new partnerships with other beverage companies, such the Monster Beverage Company, to improve its line of products. Such strategic partnerships are central toward the development of a portfolio that appeals to the wider market. For instance, with the increased portfolio investment, Coca-Cola can develop an innovative, premium organic products brand to meet the emerging consumer needs. Additionally, an investment in portfolio expansion should include plant-based beverage products, cold-pressed fruit juices, and ultra-filtered low-fat milk. The investment in product portfolio expansion should focus on the wider markets across the globe rather than the domestic markets in the US and other developed regions of the world. With the expanded brand portfolio, Coca-Cola will increase its market coverage, thereby improving its sales volumes by 12 percent. Currently, the company’s profit earnings are stated below US$ 10 billion. However, with the market expansion attributed to the expansion of the brand line to include the identified products, the company will increase its profit earnings to US$ 12.5 billion over the next financial year (Wang, 2015).

An investment in the brand promotional activities must be oriented toward serving the health preferences and other concerns in the market. For instance, Coca-Cola needs to develop and implement global campaign strategies geared toward enhancing the market positioning of its entire products. This means that besides emphasizing on the popular products such as Diet Coke or Coca-Coca Life, the company should enhance customer perception of its other product categories. The campaign messages should cover the relevant product features that can appeal to the market needs. For instance, the company should promote its products based on their capacity to refresh the consumers with their great taste. This indicates the need for a strategy that can allow the consumers to develop a closer connection with the product.

Although Coca-Cola has adopted the one brand strategy to market its core product, Coke, it has failed to foster the market reception of its other products, including Fanta, bottled water, energy drinks, Sprite, milk, isotonic, coffee, tea, and fruit juices. As a result, the company needs to expand its one brand strategy to cover the other product lines with the intention of creating improved market awareness for them. The failure to campaign for the entire product portfolio will hinder Coca-Cola from achieving its desired rates of revenue generation and margin growth. Nonetheless, with proper investment in the portfolio-wide campaigns, the company will improve its sales revenues by 24 percent to yield a profit margin of over US$ 10 billion in the coming year.

However, to ensure efficiency in the development of a strong portfolio, the Coca-Cola Company should initiate cost control in its operations. Cost control encompasses the strategies used to minimize the costs incurred in the development of products for market supply. For instance, the company should consider outsourcing its product development operations to scale down its operational costs. Additionally, cost control requires the utilization of the economies of scale to benefit from reduced costs of inputs. As a result, Coca-Cola should source its raw materials in bulk to benefit from the economies of scale, thereby reducing the costs of market operations. A reduction in the cost of operations by 12 percent will allow the company to attain a profit margin growth of more than 11 percent.

Figure 1: Graph showing the Coca-Cola Company’s trend in portfolio investment (Wang, 2015)

Based on the improved investment in the company’s product portfolio, the growth in customer base is likely to produce a 24 percent profit in sales revenue growth

As a result, the profit margin will be 24/100 * 41.86= US$ 10 billion

Similarly, Coca-Cola’s current operational costs = US$ 17.95 billion

A reduction of the costs by 12 percent = 12/100 * 17.95= US$ 2.154 billion

The company’s current earnings=US$ 24.76 billion

This means that the reduction in costs will provide a 2.154/24.76*100= 8.7% increase in profit margin.

Currently, the Coca-Cola Company does not use market segmentation as part of its business strategies. The company has not developed any effective marketing approaches targeted toward a particular segment. The lack of segmentation indicates the company’s focus on the entire market without considering the specific segment characteristics that are likely to influence sales performance and revenue creation. The market segmentation strategy is recommended for Coca-Cola to improve the company’s capacity to address specific needs emerging across different consumer groups. Segmentation allows a company to engage in market research targeting particular groups of individuals with the primary objective of developing products that can appeal to their preferences (Mohamed & Omwenga, 2015).

With market segmentation, Coca-Cola can differentiate its products, services, and marketing strategies to improve its growth rate. Also, the segmentation is crucial toward developing a niche market for the company’s products, thereby improving its competitive advantage. For example, the company should consider the customer segments associated with different age groups, including teenagers, college students, and adult populations. Besides, the differentiation strategy may also cover the packaging aspect to develop designs that appeal to different genders and ages. The focus on market segmentation will allow the company to use technology with the aim of introducing product innovations based on the needs of each group. For instance, information technology is crucial for developing efficient customer relationship management (CRM) structures for the improved involvement of customers in the designing of products aimed at serving their needs (Australian Taxation Office, 1992).

The effective management of customer relationships through a collaborative approach will allow the company to capitalize on the shared values to position itself competitively in the market. For example, by customizing its product portfolios and packaging designs for specific segments, the company will improve the capacity to sell its products to customers from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Such approach will be central toward improving market consumption rates of the products, thereby enhancing market growth and profitability. By tailoring the products into specific consumer segments, Coca-Cola will improve its sales revenues by 12 percent, thereby improving its margins and revenues.

The market segmentation strategy is recommended with the core objective of solving the challenges linked to the Coca-Cola Company’s pricing strategy. For instance, the company’s view that a single price is suitable for all customers is detrimental to its growth. This indicates the necessity for the company to adopt an innovative revenue management strategy aligned with comprehensive consumer segmentation to improve sales. Through such revenue management strategy, the company should acknowledge that not all its customer's groups have equal or similar purchasing powers (Grant, 2002).

The customization of the pricing strategy is critical toward serving other customer groups. For example, the pricing of a can of Coca-Cola at US$1 should not be applied across the entire markets where the company operates. The price should be tailored to reflect the status of the consumer segments. The loss of profits attributed to the lowering of prices in the emerging or developing markets can be offset based on packaging. For instance, instead of selling the expensive premium Coca-Cola can at US$1 across all markets, the company should package the products in cheaper cans to reduce the prices. The reduced prices will lead to a projected increase in the market share by 25 percent within a period of one financial year, thereby contributing to the company’s optimal sales growth for better margins (van Rensburg, 2015).

Customer segmentation has a potential of driving additional revenue of more than US$900 million in the form of sales and profit earnings for the Coca-Cola Company within the next two financial years. Such improved revenue creation will position the company as a profitable business, thereby attracting more investments from current and potential investors. The specific customer segmentation approaches that Coca-Cola should adopt include analysis, performance appraisal, and the control of business gain.

In the analysis component, Coca-Cola should evaluate the data needed to attain efficient customer segmentation. For instance, the company should gather information and arrange it into relevant market segments. Such data arrangement activities should encompass the entire meaningful business intelligence strategies. Also, the company should use predictive mechanisms to ensure accurate forecasts of its sales. Such mechanisms will ensure that effective decisions are developed about the marketing, operations, and pricing processes adopted across the global markets where it operates. The failure to conduct a comprehensive analysis of all consumer segments will result in the company selling too many products to a particular segment while distributing few products to other segments.

Based on the analysis of customer segmentation, Coca-Cola will improve its capacity to eliminate the problem of promoting a product to a segment that does not need the product. Such unnecessary promotions are associated with the dilution of revenues, thereby hindering the company from registering the desired levels of margin profits. Similarly, with the analysis, the market segmentation is conducted efficiently to avoid an overestimation of the demand responsiveness within a particular segment. Demand overestimation may contribute to the decrease of product prices irregularly, thereby diluting revenues. As a result, Coca-Cola should integrate an efficient consumer segmentation analysis to determine the appropriate marketing strategies needed to address the specific needs of particular customer groups.

Based on the analysis of the market segments, the projected values indicate that the company will improve its sales by 15 percent to the two segments of college students and workers. These segments tend to prefer purchasing fast foods, which they consume alongside soft drinks. As a result, by analyzing their preferences, including the need for sugar-free beverages, the company will initiate necessary product innovations to serve their needs. The two segments are projected to account for revenue amounting to 35 percent of the company’s total earnings. This means that Coca-Cola is likely to improve its total revenues to US$48.9 billion if it implements the customer segmentation strategy effectively.

The second area covered under the customer segmentation strategy involves the need for the company to maintain control over its products sales volumes and prices. The failure of the company to maintain such control is likely to subject it to a stronger customer bargaining power, thereby leading to the fluctuation of the prices depending on consumer demands and desires. As a result, Coca-Cola should execute a solid revenue management strategy that can allow it to control the sale of its product brands to specific market segments. With an appropriate revenue management approach, the company will develop the capability to supply the products to the right consumer groups at the right pricing level.

However, a lack of adequate control over the pricing strategies used in the company may contribute to the sale of minimal products to some customers with other market segments being flooded by the product. To attain the desired level of pricing control, Coca-Cola should undertake urgent actions characterized by organizational changes. Such changes are based on the need to modify the business processes and practices in line with the forecasted or predicted demand and pricing responses evidenced within each customer segment. By exercising the necessary control over the pricing of its products, the company will ensure that premium products are sold at higher prices compared to those supplied to low-income consumer segments. For instance, based on pricing control, Coca-Cola will improve its projected revenues to US$52 billion, thereby indicating a significant potential for continued future growth.

Figure 2: Graph comparing segmentation strategies for Coca-Coca and Pepsi (Wang, 2015)

Increase in market share by 25%

This means 25/100* 41.86 = US$ 10.465 billion

Therefore, the company will register a total revenue of 41.86+10.465= US$ 52.325 billion

The last component covered under the customer segmentation strategy involves performance appraisals. The Coca-Cola Company should conduct regular measurements of the customer segments’ performance to ensure consistent revenue management. Although such measurements may be challenging to perform efficiently, the company should develop benchmarks against which to determine market performance. Such consumer segmentation measurements are geared toward understanding the effect of segmentation on revenue generation and profit margins. Based on the performance measurement outcomes, the company should enhance accountability within its internal organizational structures to improve its efficiency toward meeting consumer preferences. The effective implementation of the customer segmentation strategy is central to improving the company’s market coverage globally. For example, a consumer segmentation that encompasses consumers from different socioeconomic statuses is essential toward allowing the company to tap into new market opportunities. Such increased market coverage will allow the Coca-Cola Company to improve its market share from the current 47 percent to 59 percent based on the acquisition of new consumer groups. With a market share of 59 percent, the company will experience a significant improvement in revenue growth, thereby leading to a competitive advantage. Competitiveness will allow the company to maintain a leading market position in the beverages and soft drinks consumer sector (Wang, 2015).

Based on the above discussion, the Coca-Cola Company has a market share of 47 percent, while its leading competitor, Pepsi Cola has a 21 percent market share. Other companies, including Cott and Cadbury Schweppes, account for the remainder of the market share. Despite having a strong presence in the global market, Coca-Cola faces diverse challenges that indicate the need to its strategy with the objective of maintaining a better competitive advantage in the market. As a result, three core strategies have been recommended for the company’s market growth and expansion. The first strategy requires the company to focus on driving the growth of revenues and profits across the more than 200 countries where it operates. To execute such strategy, the Coca-Cola Company should concentrate on improving its product volumes in markets while focusing on the emerging markets. Additionally, the company should make its product brands more affordable to serve customers with different levels of disposable income. The second strategy involves the continuous investment in the brand portfolio based on the objective of maintaining good business operations. Coca-Cola should acknowledge that changes in the global market require consistent innovation of products and business process to ensure relevance. The last strategy involves customer segmentation. Currently, the company has not developed any effective marketing approaches targeted toward specific segments. As a result, the segmentation strategy is recommended for Coca-Cola to improve its potential to meet the specific needs emerging in different consumer groups. Therefore, an effective implementation of the proposed strategies will contribute to the company’s increased market share and revenue creation, thereby enhancing its continued growth in the future.

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