How can Coca Cola further increase their customer base in reference to Case Study

How can Coca Cola further increase their customer base in reference to marketing strategies - Case Study Example This implies that the Company has a multi-million consumer base all around the globe. Customers for Coca-Cola products comprise of retail outlets, restaurants, and local distributors, among others, who purchase the products and later sell or serve them to actual consumers. However, unlike Pepsi, Coca Cola does not refresh its brand image. For instance, the Company has been using a single slogan for decades, without incorporating new sounds and faces. This is an aspect that makes the Company get affiliated to older generations, while Pepsi is seen as the hype face of the younger people (Baron 237-241). Coca-Cola’s distribution network is also one of its strong points. The Company has the largest bottling system, in the liquid soft drinks category. This is due to the fact that Coca-Cola sells its products to bottlers and canning companies, fountain wholesalers or retailers, as well as, distributors. This means that Coca Cola mandates the bottlers to produce and package its produ cts, formulated from syrups and concentrates, into recognized finished drinks. However, as has been clear on analyzing the CSD industry, Pepsi follows a similar distribution network, where all producers are incorporated into the parent company’s operation framework. This gives the implication that, to avoid being overtaken by Pepsi, Coca Cola must devise additional distribution strategies (Thompson and John 36-42). In consideration of the nature of competition in the market, the soft drinks industry has numerous players, hence relatively high rivalry. Principal competitors, therefore, include manufacturers, distributors and bottlers of locally, nationally or globally marketed beverages. Coca-Cola...For instance, the Company should target individuals with special dietetic needs in society. The best illustration of this strategy is the recent Coca Cola introduction of Coke zero to the market. Coca Cola should embark on producing diet versions of the rest of its renowned beverag e brands. It is also notable that people prefer portable drinks like cans and plastic bottled sodas, over the traditional glass bottle. Therefore, Coca Cola should increase its plastic bottled sodas, not only in specific markets, but everywhere. This way, they will be able to cater for the large customer base comprising of travelling individuals or working persons’ with tight schedules. In addition, in order to outdo Pepsi, Co. in regard to the size of customer base, Coca Cola should focus more on foreign markets. This is because the customers in the domain country seem to be loyal to either of the two CSD giants, implying that the statistics weigh in favor of both. Venturing more into foreign markets would, therefore, place Coca Cola at an advantage of widening its customer base thus staying ahead of Pepsi. Distribution analysis As indicated in the findings section, Coca Cola has not been able to distribute their products effectively in the rural areas, particularly in developing countries. Therefore, the Company should ensure that it distributes its products to the rural areas by involving merchants and other retailers for distribution purposes.