Lewis Kemp

S5048514
Roxy Hankin
S5048496
Chloe Sankey
S5018825
Chloe Stankey -
Coca-Cola is a highly recognised and reputable brand thats best described as a fast-
moving consumable in a $262 billion-dollar industry ("Global Soft Drink & Bottled
Water Manufacturing Market Research | Ibisworld"). Its also the worlds leading
merchant, manufacturer and marketer of soft drinks. Diet Coke is Americas greatest
tasting calorie-free beverage with a unique flavour. Launched and created in the
United States in 1982 under the Coco-Cola trademark, Diet Coke now reaches over
200 countries with its distinctive sugar-free taste ("Where Is Coca-Cola Sold? | FAQ
| Coca-Cola GB"). The simple idea to remove their second highest production cost
from the original Coke product which is sugar, resulted in elevated profits ("The
Extraordinary Story Of How Diet Coke Came To Be").

Coca-Cola appeals to a customer who is brand conscious and confidently displays

their status. The Diet Coke customer is a man/woman who desires a refreshing
taste and wants to purchase a popular brand, not a generic one. Diet Cokes key
demographic are people aged between 15 60, labelled as a middleclass citizen and
is constantly sharing their life with friends on multiple social media platforms. This
individual is also very aware of their health and aims to improve on it by choosing a
Diet Coke because of its sugar free benefits. Many people today make their
purchase decisions based on the companys ethics and, or social responsibility.
("Ch. 8 - Segmenting And Targeting Markets").

The brand Coca-Cola has a distinct value that consumers associate with the popular
brand. There are four main drivers that influence Coca-Cola consumers purchasing
behaviour. Value is a core driver as the product quality, customer satisfaction has
proven to win over the consumers time and time again. The second influence is the
refreshing taste as Diet Coke is light and refreshing in consumers eyes. Accessibility
and convenience are also core factors as Diet Coke is easily accessible at almost
any restaurant or grocery store because its the biggest selling soft drink in history
(Coca-cola Company, 2017). Coca-Cola and the product, Diet Coke, is also known
worldwide and consumers can purchase it in most countries.
 Refreshin Accessibilit
g y

- Campaign Taste the - Restaurants

Feeling - Fast food
- Light and refreshing - Bars
- Cold - Grocery
- Caffeine stores

Convenience

Valu
e
- Product quality
- Price
- Customer satisfaction
- Listens to consumers
feedback and criticism
Means-end Value Chain
- Readily available
- Small (fits in any bag)
- In a can or a screw cap
bottle
- Price (can be purchased
with spare change)

Attribute Functional Psychosocial Value

sequence consequence Feeling of
Zero calorie Feel good improved
drink Quenches about health
thirst yourself

Consumers opt to buy and intake Diet Coke as the brand is all about not only looking
good but feeling good (Kramer & Beth, 1999). Diet coke highlights that it is a zero
calorie and zero sugar refreshing drink which in turn makes the consumer believe
that they are improving their health with the Diet Coke beverage. The brand has
successfully obtained loyal consumers which in turn helps greatly when advertising
their beverage as something that makes you feel good about yourself.
 Strategy elements (product, price, and place)
Promotion
Price Distribution Product (discuss primary comms
strategy)
Price Intensive 0 calorie Previously targeted at
leadership distribution alternative to women
strategy Conveniently coke The one brand
located silver strategy used by Coca-
Bundling (2 everywhere packaging Cola promotes all
for $6 etc.) Brand font of product ranges
coke to together rather than
Promotional maintain separately
deals consistency Packaging promotes
between the individual benefits
products of each product
Cans, glass/ Well established brand,
plastic world leader in soft
bottles drink sales.

Brand elements

Brand logo Brand attributes Logo/Colours Brand personality

Zero calorie Silver aluminium Fun

soft drink can with diet-coke Healthy
healthy in signature red Summer
alternative coke font. Friendship
great tasting
without the
sugar
diet

Communications elements
Brand visuals/ad
imagery Taglines Symbols Brand Values

Celebrity get a taste recognisable

endorsement get a taste coke font inspires happiness
(Taylor Swift) of the good fun
life togetherness
Young people
drinking diet
coke

Happiness
 The Coca-cola Company (2017)
SUMMARY

Diet coke is the worlds leading diet soft drink and the third ranked soft drink in the
world. Predominately, this is due to Coca-Colas domination of the global soft drink
market, but also of significant importance due to the rise of the modern health-
conscious individual (Bhasin, 2016). Coca-Cola as a brand itself has created a
distinctive place in the minds of a global market. Easily distinguishable as a fun,
convenient and very popular drink, the consumer of Diet Coke seeks to remain loyal
to the soft drink while being aware of their calorie intake (Hepburn, 2017). Diet Coke
is also heavily endorsed by celebrities, particularly in the U.S. market. Taylor swift is a
role model for many girls/women who are typically very conscious of their weight and
by using her in their advertisements, Diet Coke is viewed as a trendy, zero calorie
and tasty drink in this market segment.

Coca-Cola market its product range together in a one brand strategy to keep its
brand promise consistent. Inspiring moments of optimism and to uplift is at the core
of Coca-Colas values and through outstanding marketing techniques and strategies
has become one of the most distinguishable brands in the world (Coca-Cola, 2017).
 Strategy elements (product, price, and place)
Price Location/ Packaging Promotion
distribution shape, size etc
Bundling (2 Intensive Black with Targeted at teen to
for $6 etc.) distribution pepsi max middle aged men
logo
Promotiona Conveniently Can, glass/ Sponsors rally/ V8
l deals located plastic bottles supercars/ sporting
everywhere Dark colours events
to appear
masculine
Young men in ads

Brand elements
Brand logo Brand attributes logo/colours Brand personality
(promise)
Masculine Pepsi MAX Full of life
Exciting (emphasis on max Refreshing
Low calorie to appeal to target Fun
yet manly market) Extreme (sport)

Communications elements
Brand visuals/ad Taglines Symbols Brand Values
imagery
Car sponsorship top mates live for now
Extreme sport campaign be in the moment
Dark colours live life to exciting
Link to pepsi but the max
emphasis on the
MAX

("Connected Campaign Of The Month: Pepsi Max")

("Pepsi Taps Into A New Market, Taking Their New Soda To The Max", 2017)
 SUMMARY

Pepsi Max is a direct competitor to Diet Coke and thus its conceptual space is
directed at the target market of Men who are health and calorie conscious. Using the
dark colour scheme, as well as its high sponsorship involvement in extreme sports
(v8 super cars), Pepsi maxs brand strategy is aimed for men, and all elements of its
marketing mix are reflective of this.
 Strategy elements (product, price, and place)
Price Location/ Packaging Promotion
distribution shape, size (discuss primary comms
etc strategy)
- Competitive - Conveniently - Bottles - Health orientated
pricing/ cost located at most - Coloured - Sports directed
based in the shopping drink - Aimed at the health
sports drink centres depending conscious
sector. - Sports centres on flavour - Sponsorship of sports e.g.
and venues - Lean and NBA
- Premium athletic - quick recovery
price in design of - Endorsed by athletes e.g.
comparison bottle tiger woods, Serena
to diet coke/ Williams, Michael Jordan to
pepsi max appeal to the target market

Brand elements
Brand logo
(promise) Brand attributes Logo/colours Brand personality

- Refreshing - Lightning bolt for - Athletic

- Healthy strength and power - Healthy
- Active - Green or silver - Sporty
label with brand - Refreshing
logo

Communications elements
Brand visuals/ad Taglines Symbols Brand Values
imagery
- Athletic celebrity - Gatorade - Lightning bolt - Performance
endorsement always wins - G enhancing
- Focus on sports - #belikemike - Fitness
- Focus on - to stop is to - Health
recovery, strength fail - Winning
and winning

(Bhasin, 2017)
 SUMMARY

Gatorade encompasses sport, winning, endurance and strength in their branding

strategy and conceptual space. The brand identity has been strategically planned
and implemented to reflect the views and ideas of the target market in which
Gatorades sales are highest.

POINT OF DISTINCTION

Diet Coke has a strong point of distinction amongst its other competitors with its no
sugar and no calorie drinks. Pepsi Max is low calorie, yet its exciting and sporty, also
Gatorades point of distinction is athletic and performance enhancing. As Australia
has a growing popularity in healthy eating and dieting, this marketing and product
branding from Coca Cola is a distinct point of distinction from brands such as the two
competitor brands listed above. The word diet appeals to consumers as they think
purchasing and consuming Diet coke will contribute to losing weight, in hand will
make them feel good about their choices ("Diet Coke's Target Audience").

Murrays theory of needs places Diet Coke consumers under the needs of
achievement, superiority, nurturance and affiliation (Murray, 1938). Specifically, these
are the needs of Diet Cokes primary target market and has formed the basis of its
marketing campaign. As the Diet Coke brand is the third ranked soft drink in the
world it does proudly defend its point of parity being a soft drink that is good for you
(Bhasin, 2016). The point of parity that a brand such as Pepsi max has against Diet
Coke is that the beverage is low calorie however its exciting, masculine and
energetic. Diet Coke has been able to successfully combat this point of parity by
marketing their beverage as inspiring happiness and feeling good about yourself with
Taylor Swift being a celebrity endorsement.
 POINT OF DISTINCTION

For any brand to become successful its strategy and overall message should be
consistent, otherwise customers will lose the connection to the brand and no longer
purchase the products. Consistency will develop brand identity to enhance continuing
awareness and loyalty towards customers. Coca-Colas new initiative bottle and can
designs displays all four of the products united under the same brand name. These
include Coca-Cola Diet, Zero, Life and original. This conception will eventually
increase Coca-Colas brand identity ("Consistent Branding - Coca-Cola's One
Brand Strategy"). Whereas Pepsi have invested time and money into reaching other
markets with products such as Gatorade and Mountain Dew. Therefore, their product
line and brand name is less consistent than Coco-Colas.

Coca-Cola dominates 19 percent of the Australian soft drink market, compared to

Pepsi who only dominate 7 percent ("Cola Is King In Australia, New Zealand And
Indonesia"). So any promotional, product or price counterattacks Pepsi throw into
the market, Coco-Cola have enough resources and knowledge to remain
comfortable. Recently Pepsi have launched their Vanilla flavour in Australia in the
possibility to increase overall popularity within the Australian market. Australian
consumers will only purchase the new vanilla Pepsi to investigate the taste and
compare it to Coca-Cola. Once this process is complete, most people will return to
purchasing their favoured drink, which majority states is Coca-Cola ("Pepsi Max
Vanilla Launches In Australia | Australian Food News"). Therefore, Coca-Cola
can withstand counterattacks from different competitors because of the loyalty and
consumer involvement that surrounds the brand, and because Coca-Cola are at the
forefront when introducing new products into the marketplace.
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