There are several global companies in the world that have gained acknowledgement and fame as the most prosperous and best organizations. The reputation that these businesses have is known worldwide and need no introduction. Coca-cola Company is one such giant that has spread its influence and products in a great number of countries.
One of the most important features that Coca-Cola Company possesses is the ability to market to the right population and the product must be aligned with the people. The fact that it has become global is very significant because this means that they were able to find the unique connection with every nation and the people.
Coca-cola has many other brands that it makes and sometimes, people get surprised that it also belongs to the company. The overall opinion of the company is rather positive, as it is professional and makes products that are unique and original. The taste that they were able to manufacture goes back in time and can be seen as one of the gimmicks the company has had (Bodden, 2008).
It is important for any company to gain the trust and respect of the public and Coca-Cola was able to achieve that. At its introduction of Dasani water in the United Kingdom and the failure, both people who support Coca-Cola and the company itself were surprised and shocked.
No one has expected such reaction because the organization has become a part of the developed society and popular culture. Dasani water has been successful when it was introduced in the United States and this says a lot about how people took that product. If the American population see it as positive and continue to support the brand, it would mean that other places would do the same.
It could be said that the market and people were not properly prepared for the unveiling of Dasani water and Coca-Cola needs to study the culture and people more, before offering a product that was somewhat different from all other products used by the population.
The primary and most important reason for the failure of Dasani in the United Kingdom launch was that the company did not produce the necessary acknowledgement and information that would give people more knowledge of their product. Because the local population was used to seeing natural water of highest quality, they became used to being treated in such manner and buying drinking water that was from natural springs of mountains.
When people found out that it was usual water that went through a filtration process, there was little need to find out about all the filtration, as the source was “the tap”, whereas people were used to “natural springs”. This meant that they were unable to look past the fact that it was still tap water.
The human mind works in such a way that if it is unprepared to some information that is much different from previously established fact and truth, people will not be able to focus on the details and other qualities, as long as that major fact is incomprehensible. The second one was the inability to reassure people of the highest quality of the water and its properties.
There were no press conferences or advertisement companies that showed the process and established a connection with the public. People want to be aware at all times, and if the information is provided in a clear and available way, then they respond by supporting it and not by discarding and misbelieving. The third problem was the technical failure in the plant and the fact that so many bottles had to be withdrawn.
Not only does the situation present the possibility that people’s health might be effected, the reputation of the company that withdraws a product greatly suffers. The public and the majority realize that if a product had to be taken off shelves, there must have been something seriously wrong with it.
Even if it was a minor problem and no severe health effects would follow, people are still inclined to think that the danger was there. The combination of these things proved fatal to the product and Coca-Cola’s reputation (Lindgreen, 2009). The most important question is whether the source of the water for the United Kingdom population has to be changed.
In case there are surveys done and it is found out that people completely refuse to drink tap water, even if the purification and filtration process makes it cleaner than naturally occurring water, than the opinion that people have cannot be changed easily. This would mean that the source must be changed from tap water to a natural spring.
Even if this is done, the reputation has already suffered, so a lot must be done to acquaint people with the facts about the water. Also, to better differentiate the product from the batch that was unsuccessful, changing the labeling and the design would help.
People usually associate the product with the way it is presented, the wrapper, dimensions and the general look, so it would be crucial to let people know that it is a new product and not the same unchanged that was previously offered. In the pre-lunch campaign, three mediums could be used to let people know about the product. The first and most popular would be the internet or maybe even an application for phones, iPads and other devices.
There could be an interactive program set up that is educational and visually shows the process of how the water is collected, filtrated and bottled. It could have different parts of the plant that could be clicked on and viewed in a closer and informative format. Maybe even a game or an in-depth scientific module could be set up, so that people feel involved in the process.
A TV commercial or small educational session could be made to tell people what has changed, the benefits, so there is direct interaction with the viewers. TV has several advantages, as the creators of the ad are in full control, being able to easily show the public the necessary and crucial parts of the product. A printed medium could relate to billboards, magazines, newspapers and flyers.
People must be able to familiarize themselves with the product very closely, and since some people do not have access to the internet or TV, they will see pictures and read information on the walls and in a subway, so the message gets out (Fifield, 2012).
The way the product is introduced into society or marketed is an extremely important step. People feel they deserve to know what they are buying, especially in the modern age of such great competition.
References
Bodden, V. (2008). The Story of Coca-Cola. Mnakato, United States: The Creative Company.
Fifield, P. (2012). Marketing Strategy. Woburn, United States: Routledge.
Lindgreen, A. (2009). The Crisis of Food Brands: Sustaining Safe, Innovative and Competitive Food Brands. Burlington, United States: Gower Publishing, Ltd.