COCA-COLA

coca-cola is the most ubiquitous brand in history. it started in 1883 and it has successfully kept its brand relevant for over 100 years. people of 200 countries around the world drink some 1.2 billion 8-ounce serving of the cola,each day. revenues of coca cola in 2003 topped $21 billion. coke's first president, ASA CANDLER, printed coupons offering free first tastes of the coca cola drink, to gain new customers. he hired the company's first celebrity, music hall performer Hilda Clark, in the 1890s . during the heyday of mass-market TV advertising, coke was the master of the 30-second TV spot. its legendary "i'd like to buy the world a coke" and "Mean Joe Greene" ads were rated as two of the best ads ever by advertising age. during world war 2 when the army shipped cokes to soldiers in Europe and Asia, coke cemented its image as the "All-American beverage." but over time, coke realized it would need a more local feel in each country. the company uses different ad agencies in different countries in order to make the brand feel local.

coke also sells a wide range of different-flavored sodas in different countries. in 2004, coke launched a beer-flavored carbonated beverage in japan. coca-cola now gets two-third of its revenue from outside the united states. coca-cola remains the top global brand, achieving the top ranking in BusinessWeek's Global Brand Scorecard once again 2003. In Britain, coke's mycokemusic.com website lets surfers legally download over 250000 songs. 

   Chris Lowe, a coke marketing executive, explained how the company stays on top:" you can never betray the core values of the brand, but you can work to make those values fresh and relevant. if you can't speak to people in these times, then you become an old icon."