Introduction
Coca-Cola Company is a non-alcoholic beverage manufacturer that also markets and dispenses other types of concentrates and syrups. The pioneer product Coca-Cola is responsible for its worldwide recognition, invented in early 1886 by a renowned pharmacist John Stith. Coca-Cola currently offers more than 400 brands in over 200 countries or territories and serves 1.6 billion servings each day (Coca-Cola, 2010).
In 2006 Coca Cola Company introduced a unique beverage that had never captured the imagination of millions of soft drink lovers in the world. It was a coffee-flavored soft drink going by the name Coca-Cola Blak. It was first introduced in France before making a highly publicized entry into the United States market. In early 2007, it managed to penetrate other parts of the European market.
The version that was being sold in France and Canada contained sugar as the main sweetening ingredient, while the United States version used corn syrup which had high fructose making the French version to be comparatively less sweet. In terms of visual attractiveness, the American version was well packaged in a glass bottle making it look like the classic coke bottle. The French one was packed in an aluminum bottle.
Analysis
An analysis in the study will focus on determining the targeted consumers, determining the best advertising messages, comparing Coca-Cola Blak with the ordinary Coca-Cola, and evaluating how Coca-Cola Blak has used its brand name to attract consumers to Coca-Cola Blak.
Determining the Targeted Consumers
The targeted consumers for this product are the average adult consumers who are normally more health cautious and like to treat themselves occasionally. This assumption can be justified because Coca-Cola blak was a little more expensive than the other Coca-Cola brands and it contained fewer calories.
The main selling point for this product is to capture the imagination of consumers, who are curious to find out how coffee can be blended with their regular soft drink. The two main ingredients Coca Cola and coffee are already popular in America, and it will not be a difficult task to convince consumers to buy the product. Being a product that contains already popular ingredients, it will be easy to change the attitude of consumers. It will be convincing to use just a little support of traditional and non-traditional media.
Determining the Best Advertising Messages
Consumers always want to associate what they are doing with something positive or constructive (Babin and Harris, 2010). Something that makes them feel good about themselves like eating healthy food. A message that will focus on showing the low amount of calories and the unique taste of coffee blended with cola will go a long way in convincing the consumer.
Thus being a beverage that contains fewer calories than the others, it will be more appealing to the consumers. The most appropriate method will be to use adverts in television, print media, and various programs that will be aimed at letting consumers sample the product. The adverts should have clear messages which are aimed at changing the negative attitude that might be created by the consumer.
Comparing Coca Cola Blak with the Ordinary Coca Cola
Coca-Cola blak is more expensive than the other Coca-Cola products and it should be well-positioned to be able to meet its targeted consumers. Coca-Cola Blak should fully utilize its main advantage of being a pioneer product in the market since there is no other beverage in the world that contains a blend of coffee and cola.
The best way of getting into a buyer’s mind is to be the first person to offer a product or service (Babin and Harris, 2010). The consumer will always remember the first person to come up with a product or to initiate a service. No matter how hard the second entrant will try to make an impact, it will be hard to remember the second person.
In every product category in the world, the three topmost brands control the market (Babin and Harris, 2010). With the number one having the lion’s share of twice the market share of the second company, and the second company doubling the market share of the third company. The success of a brand is largely attributed to the fact that it was the pioneer in the product category.
Use of Coca Cola Brand Name
The focus should also be on associating Coca-Cola blak with the ordinary Coca Cola which is already more established and will attract consumers who only want to get a different flavor of a brand there used to. It is not likely for a consumer who is used to Pepsi products to be attracted to Coca-Cola Blak, but a person who already identifies well with other Coca-Cola products. Thus the brand name creates a form of assurance that it is a quality product based on the quality of other products under the brand name.
By examining the purchase decision process, it was noted that the average consumer takes less than 20 minutes to purchase products, and only goes to a few sections of the store less than 24% of the store’s area giving very little or no chance at all for marketers to influence consumers on what to buy. Also, 60% of supermarket purchases resulted in impulse buying. Thus a lot of shoppers go for items that they can already identify with or brands with which they are familiar.
Conclusion
The study has shown that a brand can have a lot of influence on consumers even if it is a new line of products that are being introduced. A product should have a well-planned strategy to meet its intended target. It is also important to note that Consumers always want to associate what they are doing with something positive or constructive. The unique nature of Coca-Cola Blak was its main selling point.
References
Babin, B. & Harris, E. (2010). Consumer Behaviour 2010 Custom Edition(2nd ed). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.
Coca Cola Company. (2006). Coca Cola Company Products. Web.