About coca cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines of more than 200 countries.
It is the number one manufacturer of soft drinks in the world.
Their headquarters is situated in Atlanta Georgia, USA.
They sell nearly 400 different products.
70% of its sales are generated outside of North America.
Until 1905, the soft drink, marketed as a tonic, contained extracts of cocaine as well as the caffeine-rich kola nut.
Growth of the company
1882, The Coca-Cola recipe was formulated at the Eagle Drug and Chemical Company, a drug store in Columbus, Georgia by John Pemberton, originally as a coca wine called Pemberton's French Wine Coca.
In 1886, when the county passed legislation which prohibited the alcoholic version, Pemberton responded by developing Coca-Cola, a non-alcoholic version.
It proved popular in the United States at the time due to the belief that carbonated water was good for the health. Pemberton claimed Coca-Cola cured many diseases, including morphine addiction, dyspepsia, neurasthenia, headache, and impotence.
After disputes over ownership, with many people creating the recipe, Asa Griggs Candler created the Coca-Cola Company in 1892.
Coca-Cola was sold in bottles for the first time on March 12, 1894.
Cans of Coke first appeared in 1955.
By 1895, Candler had built syrup plants in Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles.
Advertising focused on the authenticity of Coca-Cola, urging consumers to "Demand the genuine" and "Accept no substitute." As copycats sprang up.
As the country roared into the new century, The Coca-Cola Company grew rapidly, moving into Canada, Panama, Cuba, Puerto Rico, France, and other countries and U.S. territories. In 1900, there were two bottlers of Coca-Cola; by 1920, there would be about 1,000.
The expansion of Coca-Cola overseas took place in 1923 and in 1928 Coca-Cola was introduction to the Olympic Games for the first time when Coca-Cola travelled with the U.S. team to the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics.
To support troops in the Second World War (but also to keep their business steady as far as business is concerned) they offered coca cola to any troops for 5 cents.
During the war, many people enjoyed their first taste of the beverage, and when peace finally came, the foundations were laid for Coca-Cola to do business overseas. From themid-1940s until 1960, the number of countries with bottling operations nearly doubled.
After 70 years of success with one brand, Coca-Cola, the Company decided to expand with new flavours: Fanta was originally developed in the 1940s and introduced in the 1950s; Sprite followed in 1961. In 1960, The Coca-Cola Company acquired The Minute Maid Company, adding the line of juices to the Company.
The 1990s were a time of continued growth for The Coca-Cola Company. The Company's long association with sports was strengthened during this decade, with on-going support of the Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup football (soccer), Rugby World Cup and the National Basketball Association. Coca-Cola classic became the Official Soft Drink of NASCAR racing, connecting the brand with one of the world's fastest growing and most popular spectator sports.
Spatial division of labour
It has 139,600 associates around the world, with 50% of them outside the U.S. The Coca-Cola Europe Group employs approximately 1,600 Company associates who work with European bottler employees numbering more than 60,000 strong. Approximately one third of the Company team of 1,600 provides shared services for all of the Europe Group and beyond and manages group-wide resources, while 12 business units, consisting of one to four countries each, execute plans at the local market level.
The Coca-Cola Headquarters