The name of Coca Cola. The history of the creation of the Coca Cola company. Why is Coca-Cola such a successful company?

It’s probably impossible to find a person now who hasn’t tried this legendary drink at least once. Coca-Cola is one of the most recognizable and expensive brands in the world. It beats Microsoft, Google and Nokia. Its assets total about $100 billion. The drink is actively consumed in more than 200 countries. The Coca-Cola company changed the worldview of people around the world, imposed its instillations and its ideas on people all over the planet. But it was not always so. The world learned about it only in 1889. Although, the history of the Coca-Cola brand began on May 8, 1886. Pharmacist J. Pemberton demonstrates the medicine he created to investors and receives the necessary investment. These investments help an as yet unknown entrepreneur organize a small production facility to produce an antidepressant, which was also great for relieving fatigue and cost only 5 cents. And this miracle drug was called nothing less than Coca-Cola.

The history of the creation of Coca-Cola

Yes, yes, for the first time, Coca-Cola appeared on the shelves of pharmacies, not stores. Yes, and the name of the medicine was more than justified, because the main active ingredients in the drink were coca leaves (the same thing cocaine is made from) and cola tree nuts (they contain large amounts of caffeine and theobromine). So, the taste of that first Cola was significantly different from the one we know now. But, be that as it may, Coca-Cola began to be sold in pharmacies, and was absolutely not in demand among the population. Nobody wanted to buy it. It seemed that the collapse of the yet unborn brand was inevitable. But then one of the sellers decides to experiment and adds soda water (carbonated water) to the drink. And it is in this incarnation that the product begins to enjoy wild popularity among customers.

In 1889, a resourceful, purposeful and unknown Irish emigrant named Asa Griggs Candler decided to take a risk and bought the rights to produce Coca-Cola from Pemberton for $2,300. And from this moment on, the Coca-Cola brand begins to turn into a transatlantic giant, which will very soon conquer the whole world.

The first thing Candler does is register the Coca-Cola trademark and create The Coca-Cola Company. Essentially, it lays the foundation for the brand's future development strategy, namely, an emphasis on advertising. The tremendous success of the brand is due only to competent and unprecedented advertising. Coca-Cola could not and cannot compete in the market neither in quality nor in taste. Everything that Coca-Cola has now, it has only thanks to advertising.

History of the development of Coca-Cola

But, nevertheless, let's go back to the distant 19th century. Three years have passed since Candler acquired the rights to produce Coca-Cola, and the brand is already becoming the most famous drink in the United States. And after another 7 years, Candler sells the small production facility, purchased for $2,300, to a group of investors for $25 million!

In this regard, it is very interesting to consider what steps Candler used in the development of Coca-Cola, how in just a few years he was able to achieve such success.

History of the Coca-Cola logo

First, he used a sustainable brand in the form of a logo, which, by the way, has never changed since the day of its creation. The history of the Coca-Cola logo began back in the days of Pemberton, it was then that Frank Robinson, Pemberton’s accountant, painted white calligraphic letters on a red background, and the name Coca-Cola itself was also invented by Robinson.

Under Candler’s leadership, the logo was promoted as and where they could: placed on souvenirs, printed on leaflets. As a result, the logo became firmly entrenched in the minds of ordinary people. It got to the point that the logo began to be copied by other, lesser-known soda brands. In 1916 alone, the Coca-Cola Company began more than 150 lawsuits against plagiarism of its logo.

Coca-Cola slogans

Another of Candler's innovations was to play on American sensibilities. Kadler used short and concise slogans, such as "The Nation's Great Soft Drink." We must remember that in those days Prohibition was introduced, so this slogan resonated with the masses as well as possible.

Subsequently, the company more than once resorted to slogans that personified the mood of the time and played on people’s feelings - “America’s Favorite Moment,” “Red, White and You,” “Thirst knows no season.”

Creative approach

Coca-Cola in original bottles(before that, it could only be bought by the glass). In 1915, designer Earl Dean developed a unique bottle that could be distinguished by touch and recognized even when broken.

Free Coke. Kadler came up with an original trick - he sent several free batches of his product to distribution points. In exchange, he received data from regular customers and sent them coupons to purchase a drink, also for free. People came to pharmacies (at that time, Cola, as you remember, was sold there), drank a free glass and bought Cola to take with them. Today this technique is called a “gift certificate”.

Coca-Cola invented Santa. Surprisingly, yes, in 1931, Haddon Sundblom drew the painfully familiar Santa and gave him a bottle of Coca-Cola. This is not to say that Santa Claus did not exist before, it’s just that no one knew what he looked like, and therefore they portrayed him as they liked. And the red color of the good-natured old man’s fur coat was needed only to better emphasize the color of the brand.

Sponsorship. Another unique approach is the idea of Coca-Cola to act as sponsors and raise not only the authority of their brand, but also receive enormous free advertising.

Thus, the Coca-Cola company is the oldest sponsor of the Olympic Games. She has been supporting these competitions since 1928.

In addition, the Company supports the World Cup and is an official partner of FIFA. He also supports many humanitarian and social programs.

Learning to drink Cola from childhood. The Coca-Cola Company has opened the Coca-Cola Museum in Atlanta, and admission is absolutely free for children. In this simple way, the company wins the loyalty of its future customer from childhood.

It was these steps in the history of Coca-Cola that made it the most popular and recognizable brand among carbonated drinks. And even despite the fact that the company itself produces many other global brands of soft drinks, such as Fanta, Sprite, Nestea, Schweppes, Pulpy, BonAqua and many others, it is the Coca-Cola brand that brings its main income and fame.

In the modern civilized world, it is difficult to find a person who has not drunk at least one bottle of Coca-Cola.

When everyone mentions this brand (from the American president to the average homeless person, from a first-grader to a doctor of science), they immediately associate it with its logo: rounded white letters on a red background.

This simple logo has actually become a symbol of America.

History of the drink

Coca-Cola is a mega-popular non-alcoholic soft carbonated drink, distributed throughout the world (in more than two hundred countries) and produced by almost the same company “The Coca-Cola Company”, which also owns the brands “Coca-Cola light”, “Bonaqua”, "Sprite", "Fanta" etc.

Its creator is John Pemberton, who initially developed the formula for an alcoholic drink called “French Coca Wine,” which included a mixture of extracts of damiana, coca and kola nut leaves.

This “potion” had a calming effect and helped relieve sometimes very annoying headaches.

There is also a version according to which the drink was created by John as a painkiller and was intended to numb the pain of wounded Confederate soldiers.

A non-alcoholic version was released in 1885 after Prohibition was passed in Atlanta. The main ingredients were coca leaves (the drug cocaine is also extracted from them) and cola nuts (one of the tropical trees) in a 3:1 ratio.

It should be noted that at that time the dangers of cocaine were not yet known, and it was not a prohibited substance, it was freely available and was often added to drinks instead of alcohol, so to speak, for tone. Coca-Cola was not an innovation in this direction.

Pemberton had a morphine addiction, acquired from using the substance in large quantities as a painkiller. The inventor drank Coca-wine to combat his addiction.

The original composition of Coca-Cola included 8.46 mg of cocaine, despite the fact that the average dose of the drug used by addicts is 15-35 mg. It was possible to enhance such a small dose of cocaine, which was part of the drink, thanks to the presence of caffeine contained in cola nuts.

Considering the above fact, Coca-Cola was initially announced as one of the medicines aimed at combating opium and morphine addiction. In addition, Pemberton claimed that his invention could cure impotence.

The drink was patented as a medicine intended to treat “any nervous disorder.”

It was sold through a vending machine, which was located in the building of one of the largest city pharmacies in Atlanta.

The drink became “fizzy” at the end of 1886. History links the same year with the adoption of Prohibition in Atlanta and the automatic increase in demand for Pemberton's drink.

Do you know how to shop in ? Unfortunately, it is not available in Russian, but our article will help you easily understand the interface and order products directly from America without intermediaries.

Read all about Huggis diapers, the official website, the history of the company and the features of its products.

history of the company

Coca-Cola is one of the most recognizable and successful brands, which is valued by experts at a truly fabulous amount of almost 80 billion dollars.

The Coca-Cola Company has a history of more than 120 years. Founded in 1892 by Mr. Candler, a native of the town of Villa Rica (Georgia), who bought the formula for the signature drink from its inventor, John Pemberton.

The inventory, which the latter compiled before selling the business, reveals the secret of the Coca-Cola recipe:

lime oil;
nutmeg oil;
lemon oil;
neroli oil;
coca leaf extract;
nutmeg extract;
orange elixir;
caffeine;
vanillin;
citrus acid.

In the late 1890s, after the negative effects of cocaine on the body were discovered, “squeezed” coca leaves, which no longer contained cocaine, were added to the drink instead of fresh coca leaves.

That is, by the time Asa Kandel bought the formula, founded the company and registered the trademark, opened the first Coca-Cola plant, it no longer contained cocaine.

The name of the drink and subsequently the brand was invented by Frank Robinson. He also had a hand in creating the company’s corporate logo, and in the literal sense of the word: possessing calligraphic handwriting, he drew curly letters, which later formed the basis of the logo.

All integral elements of the company's corporate identity, along with the red color, on which beautiful curly letters are inscribed, are registered by the US Planetary Bureau as a trademark.

This means that any encroachment on the use of one of these elements by competitors is illegal and will be immediately stopped by the owner of the trademark, which is what the company actually does, and with enviable regularity.

A significant increase in the popularity of the brand is associated with the appearance of the original “waisted” bottle in 1916. Its shape was unmistakably recognized by consumers among hundreds of other representatives of bottled products, which contributed to increasing brand recognition and increasing the effectiveness of advertising campaigns conducted by the manufacturer.

The bottle is solemnly “handed over” to Santa Claus, who has become a frequent guest in the Christmas advertising of this “fizzy drink”.

A New Year's designed bottle of the drink beloved by millions and Santa Claus created such a harmonious image that many Americans firmly believe that the image of Santa was invented by the above brand.

This is due to the fact that the company actually had a hand in creating today's image of Santa, commissioning the design of his red and white suit from artist Haddon Sundlbom in 1931.

Before this, the “good Santa Claus of American origin” walked around in anything, putting on mismatched clothes, which did not look entirely flattering.

Watch a video about the brand:

What is Coca-Cola made from today?

We already know that the original formula of the drink included cocaine, but the recipe has been subject to changes and improvements over time and, naturally, no longer contains any drugs.

The detailed formula, taking into account all the components, is kept in the strictest confidence and is a trade secret.

Of course, the manufacturer is obliged to notify consumers about the ingredients included in the composition, indicating them on the label, but only part of them is indicated on the bottle or can.

The original formula, which is used in production today, is stored in the main vault of the Sum Trust bank in a special safe, access to which is open only to the top management of the company.

Considering the close attention to food and drink, the stringent requirements placed on them, it is even surprising that the recipe for Cola has not yet been revealed. Below is one of the existing options for decoding the composition.

Essential oils are used to prepare the black elixir:

orange – 80 drops;
lemon – 120 drops;
coriander – 20 drops;
cinnamon – 40 drops;
lime - to taste.

In addition to the above essential oils, 40 drops of nutmeg and neroli oil are added to the black elixir.

black elixir – 42 g;
caffeine citrate – 113 g;
orthophosphoric acid – 56 g;
vanilla extract – 28 g;
sugar – 13.5 kg;
water – 10 l.

It seems that none of the presented ingredients should cause confusion among consumers (all natural, no chemical additives), but just think: 13.5 kg of sugar per 10 liters of water!

Have you ever sweetened a glass of tea with nine spoons of sugar? Do you still have doubts that Coca-Cola is harmful?

Even though there have been no coca leaves or cola nuts in the composition for a long time, there is no talk about the usefulness of the drink, although it was initially positioned as a medicinal product and was sold in pharmacies.

Today, some even manage to cook Coca-Cola soup with the addition of chips, nuts and crackers. The step-by-step recipe for preparing this extravagant dish can be found in the video:

Certainly, This is a joke recipe, don't try it! The consequences can be unpredictable, especially for people who have a weak stomach. Better not experiment.

In general, it’s surprising that only a baby doesn’t know about the dangers of the drink, or at least the lack of benefits from drinking it, but at the same time the company continues to flourish and has long been one of the most expensive brands in the world.

TM, trying to keep up with its competitors who produce products that do not contain either sugar or caffeine, began to produce products without these components: New Coke, Classic Coke, Cherry Coke, Caffeine-Free New Coke, Tab, Caffeine-Free Diet Coke , Caffeine-Free Tab, Coca-Cola Light and others.

However, excessive consumption of them will not lead to anything good, just like excessive consumption of any lemonade.

Today there is a lot of talk about the dangers of Coca-Cola products, but similar products from other brands are no healthier.

As experienced nutritionists say, you can do everything, but a little bit. If you drink a glass of sweet carbonated drink once a year on holiday, nothing bad will happen.

The situation is completely different with daily consumption in uncontrolled quantities. But you also shouldn’t eat a lot of fatty, fried and sweet foods, drink a lot of alcohol, etc.

There are many variations of the brand’s official website: a number of countries have developed their own resource with a unique domain name, usually corresponding to the domain zone of a particular state.

For example, the website http://www.coca-cola.ru/ was developed for the Russian-speaking audience, and http://www.coca-cola.ua/ for the Ukrainian-speaking audience.

There are also resources in Bulgarian, Croatian, Estonian, German, Polish, Turkish and other languages, but all of them are uninformative and contain limited data. Their main purpose is to inform consumers about what promotions are in effect during a specific period of time.

In particular, bears, Coca-Cola bears, which could be obtained by participating in a promotion specially proclaimed by the company for the Sochi 2014 Olympics, are very popular today.

The official website also invites visitors to download an application that allows them to view the Coca-Cola Olympic flame directly from their phone, and join the VKontakte and Facebook groups.

You will not be able to find out where the Coca-Cola prize distribution center is located or whether there are vacancies in the company on these resources. To be honest, it is not entirely clear why they were created at all, since they do not carry any useful value.

You can find out more from the official VKontakte group: Here you can ask questions. It’s even strange that the company’s management still hasn’t thought of posting on regional websites the most popular, analyzed information that interests consumers, or at least creating a FAQ section on the website, for example.

It is impossible not to mention the universal, so to speak, main site http://www.coca-colacompany.com/. It is here that the user can find comprehensive information about the company and its activities, interesting articles, albeit in English.

At the address you can find the address of the official website of Yves Saint Laurent, the history of the creation of the brand and information about its extravagant founder.

Pictures of Coca-Cola

The drink is sold in different containers; the bottles have been redesigned several times; for example, here are some variations:

Coca-Cola is one of the most popular non-alcoholic drinks around the world. This brand has been recognized as the best and most expensive for many years, from 2005 to 2015.

The history of the creation and development of Coca-Cola dates back to 1886. The founder of the drink is considered to be American pharmacist John Pemberton. However, there is information that the original recipe for making Coca-Cola was invented by an ordinary farmer who sold it to John for $250. The name of the product was invented by Pemberton's accountant, who was fluent in calligraphy. The logo that we are used to seeing was written by the hands of that same accountant, becoming the calling card of Coca-Cola, and remains so to this day.

The drink received this name due to the ingredients that were part of it. The first Coca-Cola was made from coca leaves, as well as from the nuts of the tropical cola plant. An interesting fact is that the drink was initially positioned as a medicine for the treatment of nervous disorders.

At first, Coca-Cola did not gain much popularity among consumers, and the first year of its production brought more losses than profits. Two years later, the rights to produce the drink were sold to an American businessman, who became the founder of The Coca-Cola Company, known to many. In 1892, a large number of factories and enterprises began to appear, selling the drink through special machines. A couple of years later, Coca-Cola began to be sold in glass bottles, and by 1902 it received the status of the most popular drink in the United States. Today, Coca-Cola is produced in cans, as well as glass and plastic bottles. The volume of the drink can vary from 0.33 or 0.5 to one and two liters.

Many buyers are interested in the question: “What is Coca-Cola made from?” The exact composition of the ingredients is a trade secret, but the main ingredients used to make this delicious carbonated drink are known. These include:

caffeine;
sugar;
water saturated with carbon dioxide;
natural flavoring agents;
natural dyes;
orthophosphoric acid.

Coca-Cola producers have kept the secret of its preparation a secret for many years. At the same time, the company has filed lawsuits more than once for competitors’ attempts to repeat the unique recipe and release similar drinks.

Despite the fact that Coca-Cola is the most popular drink in European countries, its fame has reached Russia, where in 1980 the product became the official drink of the Moscow Olympic Games.

The cost of Coca-Cola these days is quite low. Everyone can afford to enjoy a delicious fizzy drink. There are also special machines where you can buy one glass of cola to quench your thirst.

Assortment and types

The Coca-Cola range is impressive in its diversity. There are many types and flavors of this drink, which many of you have not even heard of. Most of them are sold exclusively in the territory in which they are produced. The largest variety of Coca-Cola can be found in Japan and Korea, since the residents of these countries are the most crazy fans of the drink. The range of Asian cola includes a huge number of flavors, the most popular of which are the following:

green tea;
mint;
orange;
lime.

In France, Irish coffee-flavored cola is very popular, in Holland they prefer a banana-flavored drink, and in New Zealand they prefer berry-flavored cola. As for the USA and Russia, in these countries the range of Coca-Cola, although quite large, is the most popular are the following types:

strawberry;
vanilla;
original (with original taste);
zero (low-calorie);
cherry;
lemon.

At the same time, the color of the drink does not change depending on the taste. Every year the range of colas expands, new flavors appear, the design of the bottle or label changes, but the manufacturing technology of Coca-Cola remains the same.

It is also impossible not to mention that people liked the taste and aroma of Coca-Cola so much that this flavor is used to make candies, lip balms and lipsticks, e-cigarette liquid, as well as many other edible and inedible products.

Application of Coca-Cola

The use of Coca-Cola in everyday life and in the food industry is so diverse that some housewives purchase the drink not at all to quench their thirst, but for other purposes, which we will discuss in our article.

Surely you haven’t even thought that cola can be used not only as a tasty drink or a flavorful addition to cocktails. We offer you ten interesting ways to use this product that you never thought of!

Thanks to its composition, which contains phosphoric acid, Coca-Cola successfully helps clean rusty and oxidized surfaces. The drink is also used to clean precious jewelry. To do this, it will be enough to put cola in a glass and put the decoration in there for a day. As for rusty surfaces, they need to be poured with the drink and allowed to brew for about two hours, then rubbed with a hard sponge.
With Coca-Cola you can easily descale a kettle, and also clean the pot or frying pan from carbon deposits. To do this, pour the drink into a container and let it brew for several hours, then boil the cola and wash the dishes in the usual way.
If you need clean the tap from plaque, you should moisten a clean rag with freshly opened cola and wrap it around the contaminated object. In the same way, you can get rid of plaque in the toilet by pouring cola into it and after a few hours, wiping off the dirt with a regular brush.
This soda can also be used to cleanse dirty glass surfaces, including windows and mirrors. However, it should be remembered that surfaces may be sticky after cleaning with cola. For this reason, they will need to be rinsed with clean water and wiped dry.
Coca-Cola will be useful for gardeners because it can help process the crop, which requires protection from slugs and the Colorado potato beetle. The main advantage of this method is that cola can be sprayed on plants that have already begun to bear fruit, which cannot be done when treated with chemicals.
Among other things, Coca-Cola will help speed up the compost maturation process, if you pour it on organic waste. They will begin to decompose faster, and in addition, the product will attract earthworms, which will also speed up the decomposition process.
Many people know that Coca-Cola was originally considered as medicine. Since then, the recipe for its preparation has undergone many changes. Now Coca-Cola contains a large number of unnatural products, however, according to reviews, the drink helps get rid of indigestion.
When going on a hike in nature, do not forget to take a bottle of cola with you, as it will help get rid of itching after a mosquito bite, bees or other insects.
if you chewing gum in my hair, do not rush to cut off a clump of hair. Simply soak the gum in Coca-Cola, let it sit for 10 minutes to soften, and then remove the gum from your hair.
Coca-Cola can also benefit your hair if: the air conditioner has run out, but I don’t have vinegar and lemon on hand. After shampooing, rinse your hair with cola and then rinse with clean, warm water.

When it comes to cooking, Coca-Cola is most often used in this industry as a flavoring additive for cocktails, desserts and baked goods. It is also added to the filling of cakes or pastries. This method of using the drink is especially popular in the USA.

Benefits and harms

There are legends about the benefits and harms of Coca-Cola. The opinions of doctors and scientists regarding this drink are quite ambiguous, since its composition and ingredients have not been fully studied. Based on known facts, we can draw a conclusion about the benefits and harms of this product for humans. We suggest using a simple but informative table of the strengths and weaknesses of Coca-Cola.

The benefits of this sweet carbonated water are rather doubtful, but they still exist. The beneficial qualities of Coca-Cola include the following:

activation of the brain's production of dopamine, which is responsible for feelings of joy and satisfaction;
Providing a stimulating effect and eliminating drowsiness, which is useful for students and people whose work involves mental activity.

This is where the benefits of Coca-Cola for the body end. Its beneficial properties include the fact that the drink is actively used in everyday life to clean heavily soiled surfaces.

The harm of Coca-Cola is much more significant than the benefits brought by this drink. The negative qualities of the product include the following::

increased blood pressure with excessive abuse;
deterioration of health due to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
violation of the strength of bones and tooth enamel by leaching calcium from the body;
frequent consumption of Coca-Cola contributes to the destruction of the walls of the stomach, which can subsequently cause gastritis and then ulcers;
the drink contains a very large amount of sugar, which is why drinking cola increases the load on the liver;
For overweight people, as well as for those with diabetes, drinking Coca-Cola can cause serious harm;
A low-sugar drink (called “diet” cola) contains many sweeteners that can cause migraines.

After studying the information about the beneficial and harmful properties of Coca-Cola, you can decide for yourself whether it is worth drinking this drink. It is highly not recommended to give it to small children, as the load on the liver may be too great. In addition, when purchasing a drink, pay attention to the expiration date, after which you cannot drink cola. Also, do not forget that Coca-Cola is very high in calories, which is why it is not recommended to drink carbonated water for people who are on a diet.

Coca-Cola and Pepsi - what's the difference?

Coca-Cola and Pepsi are similar in appearance and taste, but there are differences between them. Firstly, the drinks appeared at different times, ten years apart. Secondly, the composition of the products also varied significantly. Coke contained coca leaves as well as kola nuts, and Pepsi contained a substance called pepsin, which is where the drink got its name.

Both products were initially marketed as medicines, but their composition has changed over time. Today, Coca-Cola and Pepsi are fundamental competitors in the sparkling water market.

Despite the large number of similarities, Coke and Pepsi can be distinguished even by taste. Pepsi has a sweeter and more subtle taste, while Coca-Cola has a spicier and less intense taste. As for color and aroma, the drinks have virtually no differences.

Answering the question of which is better: Coca-Cola or Pepsi, I would like to note that each person has his own taste. That is why only you can determine for yourself which drink you like best.

Raising the topic of the most common drinks today, we should remember the history of Coca-Cola. Today, many interesting facts are known regarding this widely consumed drink.

The history of the appearance of Coca-Cola on the Russian market begins with an advertisement placed by the company on Pushkinskaya Square in Moscow. This was the first foreign advertising campaign among Russian residents, held in 1989.
Coca-Cola is an excellent rust remover. This happens due to the high content of orthophosphoric acid in the drink. Coca-Cola also removes plaque in the sink, bathtub and toilet, and scale in the kettle. It also washes away blood stains, which is why police officers in America always have several gallons of Coca-Cola on hand to use during an accident to wash off the asphalt.
So much Coca-Cola was produced that if this volume was bottled and distributed at a time, then every inhabitant of the earth would receive 767 bottles! And the pool filled with the total amount of Coca-Cola produced will be 33 km x 15 km in size, provided that the depth of the reservoir reaches 180 centimeters! At the same time, 512 million people could swim in such a virtual pool.
The company first released a Coca-Cola billboard in 1904 in Cartsville, Georgia. It hangs to this day in the same place.
Experts believe that the value of the Coca-Cola brand - one of the most successful in the world - is now equal to seventy billion dollars.

If you look at the very beginning of the history of the Coca-Cola company, you will be amazed at this fact: in the first year of the appearance of the carbonated drink, now known to almost everyone, its production was unprofitable for its manufacturers and creators. The revenue for the entire first year was about 50 dollars, but 70 was invested!

The birth of syrup - the progenitor of the Coca-Cola drink

The very birth of Coca-Cola, its history. The recipe for this drink was compiled in 1886 by amateur chemist John Stith Pemberton, who owned a pharmaceutical company. One day John made syrup and treated it to his friend, accountant Frank Robinson. No one could have thought then that this everyday episode would serve as the beginning of the creation of the most advanced Coca-Cola production company.

Having written down the syrup recipe on Frank’s advice, John took it to the largest pharmacy, Jacobs’ Pharmacy. The first portions of syrup were sold at a price of 5 cents per 200 grams. It consisted of 3 parts coca leaves and one part tropical cola tree nuts. The patent for this invention claimed that it was “a cure for any disorder of the nervous system.” John Stith himself claimed that the syrup helps to wean oneself from an addiction to morphine and can cure impotence.

The emergence of a famous brand

An interesting name, consisting of the names of the syrup ingredients, written with a hyphen, was invented by the same accountant Frank Robinson, who was the first taster of the “cure for nerves.” He himself wrote the words “Coca-Cola” in his calligraphic handwriting - this is how the history of the famous Coca-Cola brand began, which is still the logo of the drink.

Later, the logo of the now well-known brand was patented by the US Bureau. Bright red curly letters on a white background were the main details of the brand. Later the logo was modified: a huge red-brown drop appeared behind white letters.

But the employees of the Coca-Cola company strictly monitored and are now ensuring that no one from the outside “encroaches” even on the elements of the brand’s corporate identity. Lawsuits arose over the most seemingly insignificant details: the use of a similar font, the color red for a different logo, the color of the drink, the smell.

Is it worth saying that the Coca-Cola company had no losses? It destroyed competitors easily and with pleasure, and the prestige of the Coca-Cola brand steadily increased.

The emergence of a carbonated drink made from “nerve-relieving” syrup

But Coca-Cola’s current fame came much later. And at the very beginning, in 1886, the syrup was modestly sold in pharmacies, without much success. And who would have thought that the history of the creation of the current carbonated drink would begin with the light hand of pharmacy pharmacist Willie Venable, who was too lazy to go get tap water. Instead of regular water, a lazy seller suggested that a hungover visitor add soda to the syrup. The resulting “fizzy drink” delighted the man!

Since then, Coca-Cola has been sold only in combination with soda. However, it was impossible to call this enterprise profitable at that time: over the course of a year, the sale of Coca-Cola brought businessmen a loss of $20,000...

The creator of the drink gives away the rights to it

In the same 1886, prohibition was introduced in Atlanta, which was a definite positive for Coca-Cola. However, by that time Pemberton's health was deteriorating, and his financial situation was greatly shaken. And he decides to sell the treasured recipe and equipment. Moreover, the same lazy salesman who discovered the “fizzy drink” based on Coca-Cola syrup receives two-thirds of the company producing the drink.

Pemberton received only 2 thousand dollars for his invention and died poor in 1888 in mid-August. His grave is in the pauper cemetery. And only in 1958 a stone tombstone appeared on the grave of the founder of the Coca-Cola company.

First steps to success

The history of the development of the Coca-Cola company begins its chronicle with the appearance of the poorest Irish emigrant Az Kender in Atlanta. Having managed to turn his dollar in a coupe with 75 cents into a small capital in a short time, he buys the recipe for making Coca-Cola from the widow of John Stith for 2.3 thousand dollars.

The story goes on to say that in 1893, it was Asa Candler who registered The Coca-Cola Company in Georgia. The initial authorized capital of the company was one hundred thousand dollars. He also registered the Coca-Cola trademark, which has been used since 1886. In the same year, 1893, shareholders of The Coca-Cola Company received their first, albeit small, dividends.

First steps in advertising

With the arrival of a new director, the history of the development of the company for the production and sale of Coca-Cola begins its new round of ascent. Together with Frank Robinson, Asa Kendler is developing a new recipe for the drink, in which cocaine is mercilessly removed from the ingredients, but the taste is improved and the shelf life is extended. Moreover, the invigorating effect of the drink on the body is preserved, which is a huge plus for Coca-Cola.

Asa Kendler turns out to be an excellent marketer. He calculates his advertising moves surprisingly accurately:

free distribution of Coca-Cola in pharmacies in exchange for addresses and surnames of regular customers;
sending coupons to the received addresses for the free purchase of one glass of drink;
trade in calendars, watches and souvenirs with the Coca-Cola logo.

Today, all these tricks are known to every advertising agency. But in those years, for Coca-Cola, this was a turning point in the company’s history of producing and selling a non-alcoholic invigorating drink.

Everything is important in business, even the shape of the drink container

In 1916, another important event occurred in the history of the Coca-Cola company - the appearance of a unique bottle “with a waist.” Now the brand has become recognizable not only due to its original logo, but also due to its creative capacity. After all, the shape of the bottle was so reminiscent of a women’s skirt, super fashionable at that time, with a narrow waist and a smoothly expanding bottom.

The image of the Coca-Cola company grows even higher after such an advertising stunt, when a bottle is “handed over” to everyone’s favorite Santa Claus. The history of the development of the Coca-Cola company is enriched with another interesting fact and takes a step up the ladder of sales of consumer products.

A brief history of Coca-Cola in dates

1931 - Santa Claus, commissioned by the Coca-Cola company, receives his current appearance, which was “gifted” to him by the American artist Haddon Sundblom: the face of the artist himself and a red robe with white trim.

1939 - the beginning of the Cold War with PepsiCo in connection with the latter's use of the word "cola" in its name, which Coca-Cola considered part of its trademark. Despite the peace agreement, the companies continue a quiet but irreconcilable battle for primacy.

1958 - the debut of Fanta, which is the brainchild of the Coca-Cola company.

1961 - the birth of another drink, known today to everyone under the name “Sprite”.

1960 - the appearance of Coca-Cola drinks in cans.

1977 – the appearance of drinks in 2-liter plastic bottles.

The history of the company, the manufacturer of the Coca-Cola drink, is a chain of competent management decisions in the field of production technology, marketing, and advertising for more than 100 years.

The Coca-Cola Company's product is officially sold in more than 200 countries around the world. It is known today by 94% of the world's population. Every day, customers around the world purchase just under a billion units of the company's products.

We bring to your attention a brief history of the creation of the legendary drink and the success story of the world-famous company.

Making a drink

The history of the drink began with the pharmacist Pemberton. He, in search of a recipe for a good tonic, decided to combine two powerful stimulants: he added cola nut extract to the coca drink. The result is a mixture that has truly strong tonic properties. Having finalized the technology for preparing the drug, he demonstrated it to local investors in May 1886. The money received was used to organize production.

Frank Robinson

The syrup was patented as a medicine to restore the nervous system. They began selling it in pharmacies in the city. In the summer, in one of them, salesman Willie Venable decided, at the request of a visitor, to dilute the medicinal concentrate not with water, but with soda. The guest really liked the spicy mixture, and from then on the drink was consumed in carbonated form.

However, the Coca-Cola drink never brought a decent income to Pemberton. He was forced to sell part of his share to the pharmacist Venable, the first seller of carbonated cola. The author of the recipe for the legendary sweet water died in poverty in August 1888.

Birth of the company

A few months later, the patented recipe was purchased from the widow of a pharmacist by an Irish native, Candler. The transaction amount was $2,300. By comparison, the average annual salary for an American worker at the time was $570.

Asa Kendler - founder of The Coca-Cola Company

Irishman Candler immediately believed in Coca-Cola. He saw in it a drink that could cure many diseases and bring profit to its creators. With Robinson's help, he develops a more advanced composition using the original and improves its taste.

Together with three partners, Candler registered an enterprise for the production of this product in January 1893. This is how the history of TheCoca-Cola Company began. If Pemberton is considered to be the author of the drink, then Az Candler is the founder of the company.

Candler's contribution

Under Kendler, the company in 9 years turned into a successful corporation with a turnover of $120 thousand, and Coca-Cola became the national soft drink.

The first thing 42-year-old Candler did was organize advertising. A simple, memorable and catchy logo began to accompany Americans, and then residents of other countries, everywhere. It could be found on the titles of fashion publications, seen on large billboards. Visual propaganda was accompanied by well-chosen appeals, slogans, and laconic wording. Coca-Cola advertising stories featured bright and noticeable images; famous actors and athletes participated in them. All this was received positively and enthusiastically by the public.

The company is creating a sales department that recruits smart and energetic people. New and unknown for that time forms of product promotion are used.

Thus, by agreement, pharmacies were supplied with a certain volume of syrup for free, and in return they received the addresses of regular customers. Each of them was sent coupons by mail, which could be used to purchase a free portion of cola. People came to the establishment, drank a glass, then, as a rule, ordered a second serving, and bought more for home.

The drink was sold by the glass

The popularity of tonic grew every day. Since 1895, it has already been sold in all states of the country, and since March 1894, not only on tap, but also in bottles.

Things were going well for the company and its shareholders. The board paid out decent dividends every year. A plant built by partners under a franchise agreement went into operation in Tennessee. Activities outside the States began to unfold. The first countries of foreign expansion were Cuba and then Panama.

Competitors began to counterfeit the popular drink. The company had to make a lot of efforts in the war with manufacturers of counterfeit products: a total of 153 lawsuits were brought against them.

An important event in strengthening and developing the image of the company and its product was the appearance of a branded bottle in 1916. It contributed to the further growth of Cola sales.

The evolution of the signature Cola bottle

Woodroffe era

The Atlanta public insisted on electing Candler as mayor of the city. He gradually retired from business, and in 1919 his brainchild was bought by Atlanta banker Ernest Woodroffe for $25 million. He recruits his son to work, and four years later Robert Woodroffe is elected president of the corporation. It was under him that the corporation reached its current heights in its development.

Robert Woodroffe

The new manager immediately introduced standards in all work processes, right down to the sale of the drink. Buyers began to be offered six-packs, special packaging boxes of 6 bottles, which subsequently enjoyed popularity for several decades. The company was the first to use vending machines for Coca-Cola bottles and remote refrigeration units, which were installed in various stores.

Standard pack of six bottles

We sell not a drink, but a lifestyle

Woodroffe radically revised the strategy for large-scale sales of finished products. Since Coca-Cola did not surpass its analogues in its consumer qualities, he proposed selling not so much a product as a way of life. The drink acquired a special image; it became not so much a means of quenching thirst, but seemed to involve its owner in the circle of prosperous lucky people, or in the circle of strong and courageous heroes.

As a true psychologist and marketer, Woodroffe insistently emphasized that with your product you must follow the customer. A bottle of cola should accompany an American everywhere: at work, on vacation, during difficult times. The drink is distributed at gas stations, which are proliferating throughout the country. It comes to cinema, appears on movie screens and becomes inseparable from the American way of life.

During the period of American participation in the World War, Woodroffe took out billions of loans to build a network of factories for the production and bottling of Cola for American soldiers in Europe, North Africa, China, and the Pacific region. The first of 64 factories was opened in Algeria.

After the war, Coke's popularity grew even more. The constructed foreign enterprises became a springboard for conquering foreign markets. In 1968, the company received half of its profits from foreign transactions.

Woodroffe left his post as head of the company in 1954, but remained on the board of directors until 1984.

Where did the name come from

The history of the Coca-Cola brand is very simple and ordinary. When Pemberton began preparing to patent his invention in 1886, the question of the name of the liquid arose. His partner Frank Robinson proposed to compose it from the names of the two components of the syrup: coca drink and cola nuts. It turned out to be Coca-Cola. The name took root and was liked by everyone: both sellers and buyers.

Today, according to marketing research, the phrase Coca-Cola is considered the second most famous after the word “okay”.

Logo options

The Coca-Cola logo, like the name, was invented by the same Frank Robinson.

The history of the logo goes back more than 130 years, but despite such a long period, the general style of the logo-inscription has remained unchanged. Over time, the lettering changed slightly and became brighter.

Logo evolution

For the first time they tried to depict the logo differently already in 1890. The attempt was considered unsuccessful; the bizarre design did not attract the attention of visitors. Three years later, Candler returned to the old image.

During the Second World War, the style of the inscription came closer to the modern one. In 1958, the emblem received a red background. After 11 years, a white wave was added to the inscription. In 1980, the wave began to slightly intersect with the inscription. The word CLASSIC appeared on the image. After 23 years, three waves of white and yellow appeared. All of them are placed to the bottom of the inscription.

The modern image was made in 2007. Instead of three waves, one appeared again, it is located under the title text. There are also specially prepared versions of the logo made for the 125th anniversary of the birth of the drink and the 100th anniversary of the first glass bottle.

The company officially classified the Coca-Cola formula. At Kendler's orders, the original copy of the recipe was deposited in the Trust Company bank. Since 1925, it was kept in another bank in Atlanta. In 2011, the classified material was transported to a special corporate storage facility built next to the main office.

In 1980, Cola was the official drink of the Moscow Olympics.

1982 Diet Coke was developed and launched.

1988 For the first time in the USSR, production of Coca-Cola began at the Moskvoretsky brewery.

Hong Kong residents drink hot cola to treat colds.

Famous advertising campaigns

Since 1928, when Coca-Cola donated 1,000 cases of its water to the Amsterdam Olympics, the company has been a consistent sponsor of the Olympic Movement. Coca-Cola sponsors all major sporting events, including football and hockey world championships, and top-level tennis tournaments.

Coca-Cola was the first Western company to place its advertising in Moscow on Pushkinskaya Square in 1989.

In 1931, Coca-Cola created its own image of Santa Claus for Americans. The image of the elf was replaced by a good-natured, cheerful old man with a thick white beard. He was depicted wearing a red fur coat, emphasizing the colors of the brand, and holding a bottle of incendiary drink in his hands. Everyone liked the image and became a symbol of the Christmas and New Year holidays.

How the company works

Currently, the Coca-Cola company has secret recipes for three thousand types of drinks and has the rights to hundreds of brands.

The corporation's strategy is based on promoting the product to all countries of the world in order to occupy a dominant position in the global industry. In this the company achieved outstanding results, and its history is a classic example for the study of marketing.

The giant's activities are based on organizing a system of work with partner bottlers.

Bottlers are regional firms that bottle and sell the product directly to the consumer.

The company supplies them with concentrates, provides support in setting up production, training staff, purchasing commercial equipment, provides advertising materials and carries out quality control.

Now the company employs about 300 bottlers around the world, including both large international companies and small enterprises.

The Coca-Cola company has been operating in Russia for 36 years. There are 12 factories in the Kola system, employing 11 thousand people. More than 65 thousand work in related areas that supply the company with sugar and other production components.

Coca-Cola plant in Moscow

In general, the corporation's position can be called stable. However, in 2017, sales of the drink decreased by 4.3%. In the United States, there is a decline in demand for carbonated sweet drinks; some experts suggest a decrease in the value of the company’s shares in 2018.