Faculty of Business Administration

Seminar
Introduction to Business
Ever since its "I'd like to teach the world to sing" commercials from the 19!s" #oca$#ola has %illed itself as
the world's %everage" uniting all colors and cultures within its red$and$white swoosh& Behind that image"
however" a growing student movement is taking the com'any to task for its less than harmonious record of
human rights around the glo%e&
#hief among the accusations is the com'any's alleged com'licity in the murder of union mem%ers %y
'aramilitaries at %ottling 'lants in #olom%ia& So far" si( colleges and universities in the )nited States$$
including #arleton" *%erlin and Bard$$have res'onded to a call %y the #olom%ian %everages union for a
%oycott" either %y canceling contracts or %anning vending machines& #am'aigns are active at a%out ninety
more" making this the largest anticor'orate cam'aign since the one against +ike& "#oke sells an image"" says
#amilo ,omero" a national organi-er with )nited Students against Sweatsho's& "As with any cam'aign like
this" it is hurting its image that will hurt their %ottom line&"
,omero says that in addition to %oycotts" students will soon %e conducting sit$ins similar to those that hel'ed
'u%lici-e sweatsho' a%uses %y +ike and other com'anies in the late 199!s& .hat cam'aign had mi(ed results/
+ike eventually disclosed the locations of its factories and raised wages slightly %ut failed to follow through
on other 'romises to monitor a%uses& 0ore recently" a student cam'aign hel'ed contri%ute to a victory against
.aco Bell %y migrant workers fighting to raise the 'riced 'aid to them for tomatoes they 'icked&
Fresh from that success" ,omero a''eared last month %efore a 'acked auditorium at Smith #ollege" where the
administration has so far res'onded favora%ly to student calls for a #oke %oycott& 1ith him was 2avier
#orrea" 'resident of the #olom%ian union SI+A3.,AI+A3" who s'oke of a decade of violence that has
resulted in the deaths of eight workers& As an e(am'le" he told the story of Isidro 4il" who was shot dead in
1995 at the %ottling 'lant/ a week later" 'aramilitaries entered the 'lant and forced workers to sign letters of
resignation from the union at gun'oint& #oca$#ola directly controls the %ottling facilities through their
contracts" said #orrea" who says he has himself esca'ed three assassination attem'ts& "It's clear they have the
'ower to sto' what's ha''ening&"
In an e$mail" #oke's issues director" 3ori 4eorge Billingsley" denies that the com'anies or its %ottlers have
%een involved in the violence& "1e are disa''ointed in the student %oycotts %ecause the cam'aigns are %ased
on inaccuracies regarding the situation on the ground" " she writes& .he com'any recently announced that it
ARTICLE | posted March 24, 2005 (web only) The Nation
Coke: The New Nike
MICHAEL BLANDING
will %e conducting audits of worker conditions around the world" %ut it has sto''ed short of agreeing to
demands for an inde'endent investigation into the murders&
".hey are trying to deal with these ugly allegations as a 'u%lic relations matter rather then the serious matter
they are"" says ,ay ,ogers" head of the 6iller #oke #am'aign" which is hel'ing to direct the student %oycotts&
.he cam'aign has rattled #oke" which has dis'atched re'resentatives from its head7uarters in Atlanta and
from its su%sidiary in #olom%ia to cam'uses to argue its case& At +ew 8ork )niversity" a heated de%ate
%etween Billingsley and students 'receded a vote %y the )niversity #ommittee on Student 3ife in 9ecem%er
a''roving the %oycott& .his month" however" that decision was overturned %y the university senate" which
o'ted instead for a letter to the com'any urging it to agree to an investigation" re7uesting a res'onse %y A'ril
:!& .he softer measure was denounced %y the college news'a'er as thwarting the will of the students" some of
whom have vowed more direct action&
9es'ite +8)'s high 'rofile" two large universities with long$term #oke contracts may hold more influence
over whether the cam'aign succeeds& .he ;1"!!!$student ,utgers )niversity in +ew 2ersey recently held a
'u%lic hearing at which student after student stood u' to demand cancellation of the university's ten$year" <1!
million e(clusive %everages contact& A committee of faculty" staff" and students will make the final decision
%efore the contract e('ires at the end of 0ay&
At the =9"!!!$student )niversity of 0ichigan" the #oke case will %e the first test of a new university 'olicy to
hold its vendors accounta%le to a code of conduct that includes human rights& As with the case at +8)" the
university's student assem%ly 'assed a resolution su''orting the cam'aign's allegations& .he final decision on
whether to cancel the university's contracts$$collectively worth a%out <1&= million a year$$now falls to a
student$faculty dis'ute review %oard" which 'lans a ruling %efore the first contract e('ires in 2une&
Significantly" the cam'aign at 0ichigan has e('anded the charges %eyond the allegations in #olom%ia to
include human rights a%uses in India" where the com'any has %een accused of causing drought and 'ollution
that has hurt farmers& "1hat's ha''ening in %oth #olom%ia and India are 'ro(imate causes"" says >unior ,yan
Bates& ".here is an underlying flaw in the glo%al trade structure that 'uts values of for$'rofit cor'orations
over values of 'eo'le and communities& " ,eflecting a trend in the anticor'orate glo%ali-ation movement to
draw connections %etween dis'arate issues" other grou's adding their voices to the cam'aign are accusing
#oke of child la%or in El Salvador" failure to 'rovide healthcare for workers with ?I@AAI9S in Africa and
even childhood o%esity in the )nited States&
0eanwhile" the university cam'aign continues to grow internationally" with three colleges in Ireland" one in
Italy" and one in #anada >oining the %oycott& ,ogers says that colleges are now contacting him to say they've
started cam'aigns& ?is ne(t targetB vending machines in high schools& "#oke would have to hire an army of
'eo'le to res'ond to all of the fires that we've got going" " he says&
Early years
#oca$#ola was invented %y 2ohn S& Cem%erton" originally as a cocawine called Cem%erton's French
1ine #oca& ?e was ins'ired %y the formida%le success of Euro'ean Angelo 0ariani's cocawine" @in 0ariani&
In 1DD;" when Atlanta and Fulton #ounty 'assed Crohi%ition legislation" Cem%erton res'onded %y
develo'ing #oca$#ola" essentially a car%onated" non$alcoholic version of French 1ine #ola& .he %everage
was named #oca$#ola %ecause originally" the stimulant mi(ed in the %everage was coca leaves from South
America& In addition" the drink was flavored using kola E#olaF nuts" the %everage's source of caffeine&
Cem%erton called for ; ounces of coca leaf 'er gallon of syru'" a significant dose" whereas in 1D91 #andler
claimed his formula Ealtered e(tensively from Cem%erton's originalF contained only a tenth of this amount&
Favora%le to 'o'ular %elief" #oca$#ola did actually contain cocaine at one 'oint" which is a highly refined
e(tract of coca leaves and was always far too e('ensive to use in a mass$market %everage& ?owever" as
cocaine is one of numerous alkaloids 'resent in the coca leaf" it was nevertheless 'resent in the drink& .oday"
the flavoring is still done with kola nuts and the coca leaf/ however" the coca leaves used today are "s'ent"
leaves $ the leftovers of the cocaine$e(traction 'rocess $ however" one cannot e(tract cocaine out of the leaf at
a molecular level/ therefore" the drink still contains trace amounts of the stimulant&
#oca$#ola was initially sold as a 'atent medicine for five cents a glass at soda fountains" which were
'o'ular in the )nited States at the time thanks to a %elief that car%onated water was good for the health&
Cem%erton claimed #oca$#ola cured myriad diseases" including mor'hine addiction" dys'e'sia" neurasthenia"
headache" and im'otence& .he first sales were made at 2aco%'s Charmacy in Atlanta" 4eorgia" on 0ay D" 1DD5"
and for the first eight months only nine drinks were sold each day& Cem%erton ran the first advertisement for
the %everage on 0ay :9 of the same year in the Atlanta 2ournal&
By 1DDD" three versions of #oca$#ola G sold %y three se'arate %usinesses G were on the market&
4riggs #andler ac7uired a stake in Cem%erton's com'any in 1DD and incor'orated it as the #oca #ola
#om'any in 1DDD& .he same year" while suffering from an ongoing addiction to mor'hine" Cem%erton sold
the rights a second time to three more %usinessmenB 2&#& 0ayfield" A&*& 0ur'hey and E&?& Bloodworth&
0eanwhile" Cem%erton's alcoholic son #harley Cem%erton %egan selling his own version of the 'roduct&H1I
In an attem't to clarify the situation" 2ohn Cem%erton declared that the name #oca$#ola %elonged to
#harley" %ut the other two manufacturers could continue to use the formula& So" in the summer of 1DDD"
#andler sold his %everage under the names 8um 8um and 6oke& After %oth failed to catch on" #andler set out
to esta%lish a legal claim to #oca$#ola in late 1DDD" in order to force his two com'etitors out of the %usiness&
#andler 'urchased e(clusive rights to the formula from 2ohn Cem%erton" 0argaret 9o-ier and 1oolfolk
1alker& ?owever" in 191J" 9o-ier came forward to claim her signature on the %ill of sale had %een forged"
and su%se7uent analysis has indicated 2ohn Cem%erton's signature was most likely a forgery as well&H:I
In 1D9:" #andler incor'orated a second com'any" .he #oca$#ola #om'any Ethe current cor'orationF"
and in 191! #andler had the earliest records of the com'any %urned" further o%scuring its legal origins&
,egardless" #andler %egan aggressively marketing the 'roduct G the efficiency of this concerted advertising
cam'aign would not %e reali-ed until much later& By the time of its ;!th anniversary" the drink had reached
the status of a national icon for the )SA&
#oca$#ola was sold in %ottles for the first time on 0arch 1:" 1D9J" and cans of #oke first a''eared in
19;;& .he first %ottling of #oca$#ola occurred in @icks%urg" 0ississi''i" at the Biedenharn #andy #om'any
in 1D91& Its 'ro'rietor was 2ose'h A& Biedenharn& .he original %ottles were Biedenharn %ottles" very different
from the much later ho%%le$skirt design that is now so familiar& Asa #andler was tentative a%out %ottling the
drink" %ut the two entre'reneurs who 'ro'osed the idea were so 'ersuasive that #andler signed a contract
giving them control of the 'rocedure& ?owever" the loosely termed contract 'roved to %e 'ro%lematic for the
com'any for decades to come& 3egal matters were not hel'ed %y the decision of the %ottlers to su%contract to
other com'anies G in effect" %ecoming 'arent %ottlers&
World War II
Before and during 1orld 1ar II" #oca$#ola ado'ted an a''arent 'olicy of ignoring the 'ractice of
eugenics and anti$Semitism %y +a-i 4ermany& Several of #oke's to' e(ecutives in 4ermany were 'rominent
mem%ers of the +ational Socialist 4erman 1orkers Carty& 1hen the )nited States entered 1orld 1ar II"
#oke %egan to re'resent itself as a 'atriotic drink %y 'roviding free drinks for soldiers of the )nited States
Army&
.he )nited States Army 'ermitted #oca$#ola em'loyees to enter the front lines as ".echnical
*fficers" when in reality they rarely if ever came close to a real %attle& Instead" they o'erated #oke's system
of 'roviding refreshments for soldiers" who welcomed the %everage as a reminder of home& As the Allies of
1orld 1ar II advanced" so did #oke" which took advantage of the situation %y esta%lishing new franchises in
the newly occu'ied countriesK
#oca$#ola set u' %ottling 'lants in several locations overseas to assure the drink's availa%ility to
soldiers" setting the stage for the com'any's 'ost$war overseas e('ansion& .he 'o'ularity of the drink
e('loded as American soldiers returned home from the war with a taste for the drink& .he %everage had
%ecome synonymous with the American way of life&
New Coke to the present
+ew #oke stirred u' a controversy when it re'laced the original #oca$#ola in 19D;& #oca$#ola
#lassic was reinstated within a few months of +ew #oke's introduction into the market&
In 19D;" #oca$#ola" amid much 'u%licity" attem'ted to change the formula of the drink& Some
authorities %elieve that +ew #oke" as the reformulated drink was called" was invented s'ecifically to res'ond
to its commercial com'etitor" Ce'si& 9ou%le$%lind taste tests indicated that most consumers 'referred the taste
of Ce'si Ewhich has more lemon oil" less orange oil" and uses vanillin rather than vanillaF to #oke& +ew #oke
was reformulated in a way that emulated Ce'si& Follow$u' taste tests revealed that most consumers 'referred
the taste of +ew #oke to %oth #oke and Ce'si& .he reformulation was led %y the then$#E* of the com'any"
,o%erto 4oi-ueta" and the 'resident 9on 6eough&
It is unclear what 'art long$time com'any 'resident ,o%ert 1& 1oodruff 'layed in the reformulation&
4oi-ueta claims that 1oodruff endorsed it a few months %efore his death in 19D;/ others have 'ointed out
that" as the two men were alone when the matter was discussed" 4oi-ueta might have misinter'reted the
wishes of the dying 1oodruff" who could s'eak only in monosylla%les& It has also %een alleged that 1oodruff
might not have %een a%le to understand what 4oi-ueta was telling him&
.he commercial failure of +ew #oke therefore came as a grievous %low to the management of the
#oca$#ola #or'oration& It is 'ossi%le that customers would not have noticed the change if it had %een made
secretly or gradually" and thus %rand loyalty could have %een maintained& #oca$#ola management was
un're'ared" however" for the nostalgic sentiments the drink aroused in the American 'u%lic/ some com'ared
changing the #oke formula to rewriting the American #onstitution&
.he new #oca$#ola formula su%se7uently caused a 'u%lic %acklash& 4ay 0ullins" from Seattle"
1ashington" founded the *ld #ola 9rinkers of America organi-ation" which attem'ted to sue the com'any"
and lo%%ied for the formula of *ld #oke to %e released into the 'u%lic domain& .his and other 'rotests caused
the com'any to return to the old formula under the name #oca$#ola #lassic on 2uly 1!" 19D;& .he com'any
was later accused of 'erforming this volte$face as an ela%orate ruse to introduce a new 'roduct while reviving
interest in the original& 9onald 6eough" com'any 'resident at the time" res'onded to the accusation %y
declaringB "Some critics will say #oca$#ola made a marketing mistake& Some cynics will say that we 'lanned
the whole thing& .he truth is we are not that dum%" and we are not that smart&"
.he #oca$#ola #om'any is the world's largest consumer of natural vanilla e(tract& 1hen +ew #oke
was introduced in 19D;" this had a severe im'act on the economy of 0adagascar" a 'rime vanilla e('orter"
since +ew #oke used vanillin" a less$e('ensive synthetic su%stitute& Curchases of vanilla more than halved
during this 'eriod& But the flo' of +ew #oke %rought a recovery&
0eanwhile" the market share for +ew #oke had dwindled to only =L %y 19D5& .he com'any renamed
the 'roduct "#oke II" in 199: Enot to %e confused with "#oke #:"" a reduced$sugar cola launched %y #oca$
#ola in :!!JF& ?owever" sales falloff caused a severe cut%ack in distri%ution& By 199D" it was sold in only a
few 'laces in the 0idwestern )&S&
*n Fe%ruary " :!!;" the #oca$#ola #om'any announced that in the second 7uarter of :!!; they
'lanned a launch of a 9iet #oke 'roduct sweetened with the artificial sweetener sucralose E"S'lenda"F" the
same sweetener currently used in Ce'si *ne& *n 0arch :1" :!!;" it announced another diet 'roduct" "#oca$
#ola Mero"" sweetened 'artly with a %lend of as'artame and acesulfame 'otassium&
Coca-Cola formula
.he e(act formula of #oca$#ola is a famous trade secret& .he original co'y of the formula is held in
Sun.rust Bank's main vault in Atlanta& Its 'redecessor" the .rust #om'any" was the underwriter for the #oca$
#ola #om'any's initial 'u%lic offering in 1919&H=I A 'o'ular myth states that only two e(ecutives have access
to the formula" with each e(ecutive having only half the formula& .he truth is that while #oca$#ola does have
a rule restricting access to only two e(ecutives" each knows the entire formula and others" in addition to the
'rescri%ed duo" have known the formulation 'rocess&
Coca-Cola's advertising
S'ecially designed #hristmas la%els featuring Santa #laus give a seasonal twist to these #oca$#ola
%ottles& .he characteristic sha'e of the %ottles is trademarked& It was designed to %e universally recogni-a%le"
even when %roken&
.he standard #oca$cola logo used around the world in stores and restaurants to show that #oke is sold
there
#oca$#ola's advertising has had a significant im'act on American culture" and is fre7uently credited
with the "invention" of the modern image of Santa #laus as an old man in red$and$white garments/ however"
while the com'any did in fact start 'romoting this image in the 19=!s in its winter advertising cam'aigns" it
was already common %efore that&HJI In the 19!s" a song from a #oca$#ola commercial called "I'd 3ike to
.each the 1orld to Sing"" 'roduced %y Billy 9avis" %ecame a 'o'ular hit single" %ut there is no evidence that
it did anything to increase sales of the soft drink&
#oca$#ola has a 'olicy of avoiding using children younger than the age of 1: in any of its advertising
as a result of a lawsuit from the %eginning of the :!th century that alleged that #oke's caffeine content was
dangerous to children& ?owever" in recent times" this has not sto''ed the com'any from targeting young
consumers& In addition" it has not %een disclosed in e(act terms how safe #oke is for consum'tion %y young
children Eor 'regnant mothersF&
#oke's advertising has %een rather 'ervasive" as one of 1oodruff's stated goals was to ensure that
everyone on Earth drank #oca$#ola as their 'referred %everage& Advertising for #oke is now almost
u%i7uitous" es'ecially in southern areas of +orth America" such as Atlanta" where #oke was %orn&
Sport Event Sponsorships
#oca$#ola was the first$ever s'onsor of the *lym'ic games" at the 19:D games in Amsterdam and has
%een an *lym'ics s'onsor ever since& .his cor'orate s'onsorshi' included the 1995 Summer *lym'ics
hosted in Atlanta" which allowed #oca$#ola to s'otlight its hometown& Since 19D #oca$#ola has s'onsored
each FIFA 1orld #u' and other com'etitions organi-ed %y FIFA& In fact" one of the FIFA tournament tro'hyB
FIFA 1orld 8outh #ham'ionshi' from .unisia in 19 to 0alaysia in 199 was called "FIFA $ #oca #ola
#u'"& In addition" #oca #ola s'onsors the annual #oca$#ola 5!! for the +AS#A, +e(tel #u' auto racing
series at 3owe's 0otor S'eedway in #harlotte" +orth #arolina& #oca$#ola has a long history of s'orts
marketing relationshi's" which over the years have included 0a>or 3eague Base%all" the +ational Foot%all
3eague" +ational Basket%all Association and the +ational ?ockey 3eague" as well as with many teams within
those leagues&
9uring the 19D!s" Ce'si$#ola ran a series of television advertisements showing 'eo'le 'artici'ating in
taste tests in which they e('ressed a 'reference for Ce'si over #oke& #oca$#ola ran ads to com%at Ce'si's ads
in an incident sometimes referred to as the cola wars/ one of #oke's ads com'ared the so$called Ce'si
challenge to two chim'an-ees deciding which tennis %all was furrier& .hereafter" #oca$#ola regained its
leadershi' in the market
In an attem't to %roaden its 'ortfolio" #oca$#ola 'urchased #olum%ia Cictures in 19D:& #olum%ia
'rovided su%tle 'u%licity through #oke 'roduct 'lacements in many of its films while under #oke's
ownershi'& ?owever" after a few early successes" #olum%ia %egan to under$'erform" and was dro''ed %y the
com'any in 19D9&
#oca$#ola has gone through a num%er of different advertising slogans in its long history" including
".he 'ause that refreshes"" "I'd like to %uy the world a #oke"" and "#oke is it"
Criticisms
Acidity
#oca$#ola has %een the target of ur%an legends decrying the drink for its su''osedly co'ious amounts
of acid Eits '? value of :&; is midway %etween vinegar and gastric acidF" or the "life$threatening" effects of its
car%onated water& .hese ur%an legends usually take the form of "fun facts" G for e(am'le" "highway troo'ers
use #oke to clean %lood from highways after accidents" "some%ody once died in a #oke$drinking
com'etition"" or "#oke can dissolve a tooth overnight"& All of these claims are false& E1hile ?ighway
.roo'ers do not use #oca$#ola for this 'ur'ose" it was 'roven on the television 'rogram 0yth Busters Ea
slightly scientific "myth testing" showF that #oca$#ola can %e used 7uite well as a %lood cleaning agent&F
Evidence has %een 'resented in numerous cases against #oca$#ola since the 19:!s that decisively 'roves that
the drink is not more harmful than com'ara%le soft drinks& )nder normal conditions" its acidity causes no
immediate harm&H;I A :!!; e('eriment %y the American Academy of Cediatric 9entistry found the '? of the
mouth to %e ;&;" ;&5 and ;& ;" 1! and :! minutes Eres'ectivelyF after swishing 1;ml in the mouth for one
minute& +one of those are in the critical range to damage tooth enamel& 9iet #oke was found to %e slightly
less acidic& H5I
*ne unusual use for #oke is as a rust$control su%stanceGthe 'hos'horic acid in coke converts iron
o(ide to iron 'hos'hate" and as such can %e used as an initial treatment for corroded iron and steel o%>ects
%eing renovated" etc& It has also %een e('erimentally used as a 'esticide %y Indian farmers in Andhra Cradesh&
HI
.he numerous ur%an legends a%out #oca$#ola have led the )r%an 3egends ,eference Cages to devote
a whole section of their site to "#okelore"& *ne false legend claims that #oke was once green" or was
accidentally car%onated when a clerk s7uirted syru' into the wrong glass&
Adverse long-term health effects
1hile many nutritionists %elieve that "soft drinks and other calorie$rich" nutrient$'oor foods can fit
into a good diet"" it is generally agreed that #oca$#ola and other soft drinks can %e harmful if consumed to
e(cess" 'articularly to young children whose soda consum'tion com'etes with" rather than com'lements" a
%alanced diet&HDI Studies have shown that regular soft drink users have a lower intake of calcium Ewhich can
contri%ute to osteo'orosisF" magnesium" ascor%ic acid" ri%oflavin" and vitamin A&H9I
.he drink has also aroused criticism for its use of 'hos'horic acidH1!I and caffeine&H11I .he soft drink
industry dismisses many of these criticisms as ur%an myths&H1:I .here are some re'orts that #oca$#ola is
addictive" although the veracity of these re'orts has yet to %e esta%lished&
Since the late D!'s in the )S #oke has %een made with high fructose corn syru' instead of sugar
glucoseAfructose& .his was done largely due the 'rices of sugar increasing during these times& .here are some
grou's who critici-e this move to use high fructose corn syru' over sugar due to the fact that the corn in
which the corn syru' is maintained may come from genetically altered 'lants&
In India" the #entre for Science and EnvironmentEa +on 4overnmental *rgani-ationF in :!!= said
aerated waters 'roduced %y soft drinks manufacturers" including multinational giants Ce'si#o and #oca$#ola"
contain 'esticides and insecticides& #oke" Ce'si" Seven )'" 0irinda" Fanta" .hums )'" 3imca" S'rite and
many others carry NdeadlyO insecticides like lindane" 99." malathion and chlor'yrifos& conducted tests which
showed that Ce'si's soft drink 'roducts had =5 times the level of 'esticide residues 'ermitted under Euro'ean
)nion regulations" #oca #ola's =! times&
.he #SE said in all 1: of the soft drinks it tested it found to(ins including lindane" 99." malathion
and chlor'yrifos G 'esticides that can contri%ute to cancer and a %reakdown of the immune system& #SE said
it had tested the same 'roducts in the )S and found no such residues& #oca #ola and Ce'si#o" the )S soft
drinks com'anies" angrily denied allegations that their 'roducts manufactured in India contained to(in levels
far a%ove the norms 'ermitted in the develo'ed world&
#oca$#ola had registered a 1; 'ercent dro' in sales after the allegations were made&
usiness practices
As the largest seller of soft drinks in the world" including its flagshi' #oca$#ola drink" the #oca$#ola
#om'any has %een critici-ed for some of its cor'orate actions" from issues such as mono'olistic 'ractices"
reliance on low health standards" racist em'loyment 'ractices" the 'rivati-ation of water su''lies" to the a%use
of workers' rights" including the assassination of union mem%ers& .here are many criticisms of %oth the
com'any's 'roducts and trade 'ractices&
P A num%er of universities in the )6" the )&S& and Ireland %oycott #oca$#ola 'roducts for concerns
over human rights a%uses&
P In India" the cor'oration has 'rovoked a num%er of %oycotts and 'rotests as a result of its 'erceived
low standards of hygiene and adverse im'act on the environment&
P #oca$#ola was denounced in the )6 for weaning young children onto >unk food&
P In #olom%ia" the com'any is alleged to %e res'onsi%le for 19 ma>or human rights violations"
including nine murders/ this is undergoing international ar%itration&
International appeal
#oca$#ola is the %est$selling soft drink in most countries& +evertheless" there are some 'laces like
Scotland" where the locally 'roduced Irn$Bru is more 'o'ular/ Ceru" where Inca 6ola" the "national %everage"
Einde'endently 'roduced until 1999" when #oca$#ola ac7uired #or'oraciQn Inca 6ola del CerR S&A&" the
Ceruvian com'any that formerly 'roduced itF is more 'o'ular/ and Sue%ec" *ntario" +ewfoundland and
3a%rador" and Crince Edward Island in #anada" where Ce'si is the market leader& In Sweden" des'ite #oca$
#ola's strong holiday$oriented marketing efforts" 2ulmust outsells #oca$#ola during the #hristmas season&
"Bite the wa( tad'ole" is a rough translation for one of the names 'reviously used %y #oca$#ola to
translate the name of their 'roduct into #hinese& .he original #hinese is kTukU$kTulV EF" which does
a''ro(imate the sound of "#oca$#ola" 7uite closely" and which might more literally %e translated as "mouth
tad'ole" mouth wa("& 1hen it was discovered that this name had an una''eti-ing sound" #oca$#ola changed
their translation to kWkTu$kWlX EF" meaning roughly "tasty and fun"" after which the %everage %ecame
increasingly 'o'ular in #hina&
!he drink as a political and corporate sym"ol
.he #oca$#ola drink has a high degree of identification with the )nited States itself" %eing considered
an NAmerican %randO or to a small e(tent as re'resenting America Ecom'ares 0ickey 0ouseF& .he drink is
also often a metonym for the #oca$#ola #om'any& .he identification with the s'read of American culture has
led to the 'un "#oca$#oloni-ation"&
#oke is less 'o'ular in other 'laces" such as India" due to sus'icions regarding the health standards of
the drink" and in Ara% countries" due to disa''roval of )&S& foreign 'olicy in Israel and elsewhere& 0ecca
#ola has %ecome a hit in the 0iddle East in the 'ast few years&
#olom%ian trade )nion SI+A3.,AI+A3 called for an international %oycott of #oca$#ola 'roducts
%ecause of intimidation" kidna''ing and murder of workers in #oca #ola %ottling 'lants %y 'aramilitaries who
were allegedly acting on %ehalf of the #oca #ola #om'any in order to drive down wages in #olom%ia& 1ith
the hel' of the )nited Steelworkers of America" SI+A3.,AI+A3 filed a lawsuit against the #oca #ola
#om'any&
As 'art of their :!!; "E('erience the E('erience" tour" art grou' monochrome created a 'Brick of
#oke'B they 'ut several gallons of #oca$#ola into a 'ot and %oiled it down until the residue left %ehind could
%e molded into a %rick& .he 'erformance and talk dealt with the sugar industry and other multinational
cor'oration 'olicies and #oca$#ola as a sym%ol of cor'orate 'ower&
+otes
1& Y Cages J1ZJ;B 0ark Cendergrast E:!!!F& For 4od" #ountry and #oca$#ola" Basic Books& ISB+
!J5;!;J5DJ&
:& Y Cages J;ZJB ECendergrast" :!!!F
=& Y Sun .rust&
J& Y 3uis A& 4Qme-" "Ceruvian 9rug #ontrol AgencyB #oca #ola Buys #oca 3eaves"" +arco +ews
Bulletin" 2anuary :D" :!!; Eaccessed 2une 1!" :!!;F&
;& Y Bar%ara 0ikkelson and 9avid C& 0ikkelson" ".he #laus .hat ,efreshes"" sno'es&com" Fe%ruary :"
:!!1 Eaccessed 2une 1!" :!!;F&
5& Y 0ikkelson and 0ikkelson" "Acid Sli'"" 0arch :9" :!!J Eaccessed 2une 1!" :!!;F/ 0ikkelson and
0ikkelson" ".ooth in Advertising"" Fe%ruary :" :!!1 Eaccessed 2une 1!" :!!;F/ 0ikkelson and 0ikkelson"
"#*: Fast" : Furious"" A'ril :" :!!J Eaccessed 2une 1!" :!!;F&
& Y 2ohn @idal" ".hings grow %etter with #oke"" 4uardian )nlimited" +ovem%er :" :!!J Eaccessed
2une 1!" :!!;F&
D& Y 0ichael F& 2aco%son" "3i7uid #andyB ?ow Soft 9rinks are ?arming Americans' ?ealth"" #enter for
Science in the Cu%lic Interest Eaccessed 2une 1!" :!!;F&
9& Y I%id/ ,ussell ,o%ertson" "Soda" #alcium" and *steo'orosis"" ?ealthlinkG0edical #ollege of
1isconsin Eaccessed 2une 1!" :!!;F&
1!& Y "#ola Soft 9rinks may #ontri%ite to 3ower Bone 0ineral 9ensity in 1omen"" American Society
for Bone and 0ineral ,esearch" Se'tem%er 19" :!!= Eaccessed 2une 1!" :!!;F&
11& Y "3a%el #affeine #ontent of Foods" Scientists .ell F9A"" #enter for Science in the Cu%lic Interest"
2uly =1" 199 Eaccessed 2une 1!" :!!;F&
1:& Y #oca$#ola 0yths and ,umors .he #oca$#ola #om'any Eaccessed 2une 1!" :!!;F/ "#affeine and
9ehydrationB 0yth or FactK"" Food Insight" 2ulyZAugust :!!: Eaccessed 2une 1!" :!!;F&