Coca Cola

This is a good foothold for raring a Good reputation, this is vital, and companies having a good reputation should have better custom. As part of coca cola, river rock would be rewound for a reliable and efficient service as coca cola have been around since 1886, in this time selling soft drinks coca cola would have gained many different experiences in selling their product, they would also know what way to sell their product so that the best results are obtained.

A wide portfolio of products with various flavors gives more of a choice, the consumer feels in control and not restricted in the flavor they wish to choose. Healthy drinking water is a lot healthier for teeth than fizzy drinks, therefore water companies can claim this whilst selling, flavored water as the same taste as a fizzy drink accept it wont rot your teeth. Last but not least water companies have a large target market to operate in, everyone can drink water, from the rich and famous to a local Joe Oblongs.

Also if consumers had loans they would again have less disposable income to buy luxury items. If the minimum wage were brought down, this would mean more money for bottled water companies but would also result in low sales from the consumers. The government can also raise taxes, which would bring a stand still to the sales of water. Literates, please do not redistribute this scours. We work very hard to create this website, and we trust our visitors to respect it tort the g to other students. Please, do not circulate this scours elsewhere on the internet.

Anybody found doing so will be permanently banned. SOCIAL – close analysis of society If water factories do not control their pollution levels or have big buildings destroying the landscape with noise and traffic congestion, then the local residents would complain to their local council resulting to possible incentives for bringing in Jobs for the community being stopped. On the other hand local residents with small genuineness near to water factories would benefit due to the money being brought in by tourists. Literates, please do not redistribute this work. We work very hard to create this website, and we trust our visitors to respect it for the good of other students. Please, do not circulate this work elsewhere on the internet. Anybody found doing so will be permanently banned. Developments in manufacturing and business processes. Cost of machinery, it would be expensive running machinery to package and make bottles to put the water in. This part of the production must be fast.

New machinery old help speed up the process, the world is constantly updating, bigger and faster machines are also available, and this could increase the amount of packaging and bottles made. Maintenance is needed in the event of a breakdown; it must be sorted quickly and efficiently. Training for advancing IT, this is useful as it will help with processing big orders, and will allow you to know what stock is available. Also transport used enormously in getting the products delivered. However this is expensive as bottled water is a nation wide success, therefore transport is need over all the British isles.

How Coca-Cola Uses Brand Equity

The Coca-Cola Company wears its royal red banner high and proud. The association of Coca-Cola’s reputable brand and its world-renowned syrup-based beverage has become synonymous to being that “certain thirst-quencher” very well-incorporated in everyday lifestyle of many, but how do they use brand equity?

Brand equity is the added value endowed to products and services (Kotler, Keller, Ang, Leong, and Tan 283). Being that brand equity is of an intangible worth which includes the public perception of the brand and its company, the marketable strength of the brand versus its competitors, and everything else in between, it covers a wide scope of factors to consider hence The Coca-Cola Company ensures that all is kept with constant follow up in marketing, advertising, promotions, and sponsorships. The company keeps its brand equity strong, paying keen attention to how it can constantly improve its methods of brand visibility.  The company has become the pioneer in opting to advertise its billboards in high-definition (HD), bringing a more dynamic way of presenting the Coca Cola emblem, which have numerous advantages, ranging from brand maintenance, sustainability, and even environmental issues (“Case Study: Coca-Cola”).

Over the years, the Coca-Cola Company has chosen strategic events and venues not only with that of mass appeal and of quality but also and more importantly, where premium product placement and brand visibility are guaranteed. A primary example would be the Olympics Games where a strong and continuous partnership is still present (“The Olympic Games”). Choosing such events that cater to positive human emotions creates an even more positive association with the brand.  The Coca-Cola Company understands the significance of brand knowledge, in which efforts are exerted to keep its brand maintained at a level where recognition, patronization, and loyalty are secured and preserved—to sustain brand equity (Kotler et al 284).

Works Cited

“Case Study: Coca-Cola.” The Economic Times. 23 April 2008. 12 September 2008

<http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Features/Brand_Equity_/Case_Study_Coca-Cola/articleshow/2973969.cms>

Kotler, Philip, Kevin Lane Keller, Swee Hoon Ang,  Siew Meng Leong, and Chin

Tiong Tan. Marketing Management: An Asian Perspective. Singapore:  Prentice

Hall. 2006.

“The Olympic Games.” The Coca Cola Company. 2008.12 September 2008

<http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/heritage/olympicgames.html>

The cultures of people in different countries can affect the marketing strategies that a company will use as it enters new international markets. The company has to consider vary many factors of the new international, market place, some of these are political factors, social factors, economic and technological factors. Looking at the social cultural factors ethnocentricity is a major factor especially if the new marketplace is in a country with diverse cultures.

This is a major challenge because most of these people hold so much to these cultures that it is very difficult to make them adopt your product and your marketing strategies (Armstrong G. & Kotler P. (2007). To enter a market like the Japanese market one must understand that they do not consume other products like pork as an example because that’s some of their cultural beliefs This means that in order to enter such markets one has to understand the practices of the people in these regions, their cultures and other influences like customs ethnic differences attitudes towards the products or services e. t. c (Wernerfelt, B. , 1984 and Weitzel, W. & Johnson, E. , 1989).

The cultural activities of these people desires and their likes and preferences, these equip the individuals of the communities with certain value systems and on the other hand compel individuals and the community to comply with certain demands and participate in certain activities (Armstrong G. & Kotler P. , 2007). In U. K for example a large population like football and most of them are at least attached to teams in their locality i. e. Manchester Everton etc. This should be used as a good ground for marketing products and distribution.

Britons also have other tastes and preferences that differ with other people i. e they are not all that attached to rap music unlike the Japanese and Chinese who have their indigenous types of music the British like rhythms and blues. Some of these diverse likes and preferences will affect the planning and the channels of distributions that will be used. The Japanese people for example produce most of their goods especially electronics locally using cheap labor and locally available materials making it hard for a foreign product to penetrate that particular market (Ackoff, R. L., 1979). Read also IFE matrix of Coca-Cola

This should be a challenge to the marketer to introduce products that are rare I this particular market and price them lower than the competing brands and use vigorous distribution systems by the use of many levels of distribution probably the three level distribution channel i. e (manufacturer –wholesalers-retail let-consumer) so that the product can reach all people in the target market.

The French on the other hand are the direct opposite of the Britons in culture and hence in order to penetrate the French market a company should adopt products that have some attributes attached to them i. e. social classes (Ackoff, R. L. , 1979). This is because the French culture is that they believe that they are way above the rest and that their civilization is the best hence the type of product that fits them is a prestigious product hence to penetrate this market there is need to position the product ahead of the rest as a market leader. In order lure many people to adopt the product (Armstrong G. & Kotler P. , 2007).

Ethnocentricity has also a great impact on the type of media to use in communication of the product preferences to people of diverse cultures i. e the way the company will advertise its products and services in Britain will be different from the way the product will be advertised in Britain and the advertising media to use. The advertising medias range from print visual, audio- visual, billboards and small adverts done in between movies i. e in between football matches. In France and Britain the best media to use are the print media and audio visual like T. Vs. However, billboards can also be used especially if they are to be set up in roundabouts in towns to remind the people on the product.

China and Japan on the other hand need entirely advertisements over the Radio because this is the best media to reach a large number of people(Winer, R. S. ,2007). Other factors to consider are the economic factors of the new country. How the people spend their money, their power to purchase products and the income distribution among the people I the foreign country. Some people also have different patterns of savings and borrowings. This should be taken to serious consideration also. Some countries also have huge foreign debts, high inflation and high unemployment of its people.

This leads to foreign exchange problems that will lead to foreign economic instability and the decrease of the currency of the country in value, hence the country should focus on these factors in order to make decisions whether to go international or not. Some of these factors may lead to threats or opportunities (Ansoff, H. I. 1965). In order to analyze a market to know whether it has that potential for profits in the short run or long run, the company should first look at the particular market and see whether it has that potential for attractiveness i. e. whether there are customers who need the company’s product in that market.

The type of strategy that I will discuss in this strategy of full market coverage (Ackoff, R. L. , 1979). When a country uses this to identify the potential of a market, it will attempt to make a product that serves the needs of all customers in that particular market. This type of strategy is actually god especially for large companies that want to enter foreign markets. Take for example the Coca-Cola company.

It adopts this strategy in African countries like Kenya where it makes its products that serve all people in the country. They can use two methods. The first is the use of undifferentiated marketing where it doesn’t divide the market to segments but goes to the whole market with one marketing offering, it then uses mass distribution to make sure that the products reach all people irrespective of the differences among the buyers and their needs and a lot of advertising and low prices than competitor products ( Armstrong G. & Kotler P. 2007).

In using differentiated marketing, the firm operates in several market segments and designs marketing and advertising programs for each segment. The Coca-Cola company can analyze the potential of the Kenyan market for more profits in future by looking at the factors like size, the growth of the Kenyan population, profitability, economies of scale and the risk involved. The potential for long term profits can also be assessed by looking at resources of the Kenyan market in relation to the objectives of the company (Wernerfelt, B. , 1984 and Weitzel, W. & Johnson, E. , 1989).

Case Study 1: Coca-Cola Incorporated

1)      What is Coca-Cola’s International Strategy?

Strategy is a scope of an organization over a long-term period of time, identifying the potential market a company will invest and identifying the external environmental factors that can affect the business’ ability to compete. (http://tutor2u.net/business/strategy/what_is_strategy.htm). The management will make it sure that these strategies will be carried out as planned in order to attain its goals. The very common goal of an organization is to gain customer satisfaction since it is the customers who bring profit to the company. Coca-Cola is one company that is operating in the global market. Coca-Cola happens to be the largest and most profitable soft-drink company in the world. It aims to be the first in the world market. Its strategy has always been to take risks in the emerging markets. Taking risks is one of the crucial, yet most important moves of any big organization. The result of taking risk can either be positive or negative, depends on how it is applied. But for Coca-Cola, the management always wants to be the first in new markets to gain competitive advantage. And even though the competition is so tough, Coca-Cola still wins market share. The company’s another strategy in sustaining its brand is consists of 3 P’s: Persuasive Penetration in the marketplace, offering the best Price relative to value, and making it the Preferred beverage every where (Keegan & Green, p124). Furthermore, Coca-Cola is always looking for ways of building relevant value into Coke and all its products by differentiating them from other brand, making them unique. Coca-Cola is also reigniting its symbols that encapsulate the essence of its brand – the dynamic ribbon device, the contour bottle for coke, the color red, and the dimpled bottle for Sprite.

2)      What competitive advantage does Coca-Cola have over its major rival, Pepsi?

Competition happens anywhere, no matter what type of business that is, competitors are always around. Coca-Cola’s major competitor – Pepsi Co. has three segments: Beverages, snack foods and restaurants. Pepsi’s growth has been fueled by the success of its beverages and snack- foods segments. To increase international market share, Pepsi is planning to launch a project called “Project Blue” which calls for the revamping of manufacturing and distribution to get a consistent tasting drink around the globe. Additionally, Pepsi is planning to establish new freshness standards and quality controls. But in the current market, Coca-Cola outperforms Pepsi in the ratio of 3:1. Coca-Cola’s competitive advantage over Pepsi is that since 1989 up to 1994, its market share is greater than that of Pepsi. Coca-Cola has established its position in the foreign market for over a decade. It has also invested heavily in bottling operations to maximize its efficiency of production and marketing. They always aim to get involved in the bottling business to fuel continued growth. Coca-Cola has the following criteria for making a bottling investment:

§  The company needs to move quickly in an emerging market.

§  When an existing bottler lacks the resources to meet the company’s objective

§  To help ensure long-term strategic alignment with key bottling parameters.

On the financial side, for over a decade, Coca-Cola’s revenues have grown at a compound growth rate of 11.9%. Its operating income was is greater than its major competitor. While Pepsi’s operating margin was 10% for 1995, Coca-Cola was up by 23%. This strong financial performance for 5 years was due to the increase expansion overseas, especially in the company’s bottling operations (Keegan & Green, p125).

3)      What are the pros and cons of Coca-Cola’s investing further in India’s market?

It is a good plan to put up a business for Coca-Cola in India for the fact that India has a total population of 936 million (Keegan & Green, p124). With these, its per capita income is two which makes it a desirable market to be in. Although gallons sales increased to 21% over 1995; there was a dilemma about anti-multinational sentiments (Keegan & Green, p124). This problem about the international market can be solved by conducting a feasibility study, taking into consideration the India’s market.

4)      What are the pros and cons of Coca-Cola’s investing further in China’s market?

China has a total population of 1.2 billion (Keegan & Green, p124) and per capita consumption of four, which means its opportunities, is vast. Investing in this country will eventually bring profit to Coca-Cola. The investment scheduled for China was to build additional five plants in 1996 and two more in 1997 which makes a total of 23 plants. China’s gallon sales increased by 30% and Coke and Sprite also are two leading soft drinks in China. Because of these, it is an advantage for Coca-Cola to invest in China.

5)      What should Douglas Daft recommend to the senior executive committee concerning further investment in the emerging markets of China and India? Why?

Coca-Cola’s management should indulge itself into new markets to increase its operating income and to gain more and more customers. Daft should be able to persuade the executive committee to take the risks in investing to China’s and India’s market. He should also know the current status of these two countries so that when asked about how these can benefit the company, he can give immediate answer. Before Daft will face the senior executive committee, he has to be fully aware of the successes of Coca-Cola in different markets worldwide so that he can prepare a convincing report. Douglas Daft should start by presenting to the senior executive committee the current status of Coca-Cola in the market. Since Coca-Cola dominates the market, there is a greater opportunity for the company to excel in the two emerging markets of China and India. Coca-Cola is also the largest and most profitable soft drink company in the world. The highest growth also comes from China, India, Korea and Indonesia. And this makes it even more competitive in India’s and China’s market. With its worldwide philosophy, “We understand that as a practical matter our universe is infinite, and that we ourselves, are the key variable in just how much of it we can capture”, Coca-Cola can definitely gain competitive advantage in India and China (Keegan & Green, p128).

Case Study 2: Smart Car

1)      What do you think of the market potential of the Smart Car?

Smart car when introduced into the market can surely bring profit to the management. Its distinct look, which weighs 720 g, has a 22-liter gas tank, and gets 100 kilometers for every 4.8 liters, makes it ahead over other brands. The car also emits no pollutants with the incorporation of its electric engine. It is also capable of gasoline-powered operation using a highly efficient, miniaturized engine. This makes it competitive in the EU market (Keegan & Green, p227).

The joint forces of Daimler-Benz and SMH was a concept from the chairman of SMH because he believed that customers can be attached to cars just as they do to watches. In one way or another, this product can catch the attention of customers who are emotionally addicted to watch since this is a product of a famous watch maker company. It is also an advantage for smart car to lead in the market because, somehow, it carries with it the name of a well-known watch brand “Swatch”. Buyers will then be curious as to what this new car is about and thus, will indulge into making a transaction with the company. Unfortunately, this joint venture ended since Daimler-Benz bought SMH’s stake and he also found out that SMH is difficult to work with. The venture could have been a big hit in the global market.

2)      Is the Smart car an international or global product? Do you agree with European only launch? Why or why not?

Smart car is a global product since it was able to display its product in Italy and France although the sales were disappointed in these countries (Keegan & Green, p228). This product has been in the global market for years but since it is still new in the market, it hasn’t gained that much high sale.

Smart car should not only be launched in European countries but also in some countries outside Europe to gain more customers and eventually increase their profits. Since the product is made up of high quality materials, there is no reason that it cannot make it in some other countries outside Europe.

3)      Identify target markets where you would introduce this car. What sequence of countries would you recommend for the introduction?

Taking the risks in introducing this product to other new markets is another challenge for the management. Smart car may gain competitive advantage in other markets, like Singapore, Japan and even in United States- to name a few, aside from the European Markets. After the car has been introduced in the European market, I would suggest recommending it to the previously mentioned countries. These countries are the very few progressive countries in the global market, thus, many residents will take the opportunity of trying Smart Car’s product. United States may seem to be a very big market for a starter company but Smart Car will take this as a challenge. Eventually, as time passes by, Smart Car can make a name for itself in the global market.

4)      How would you position the smart car in the target markets?

When smart car be first introduced to new markets, offering a wide array of promotions is of great advantage. Giving promotions to potential buyers are a good start for a newly introduced product. Promotions may come in different ways – giving of free car accessories, free car washing for at least 6 months and free check up for about a year. This is one way of getting buyer’s attention. This can also be a good start for the company to introduce itself to the residents of the targeted markets. Giving away flyers may also be a good way of advertising the product.

5)      Who are smart car’s major competitors? How are these products differentiated?

Smart car’s major competitors are those large-scale companies that sell credible cars and have been in the business for decades now such as Honda, Toyota, and Mitsubishi. These emerging companies have produced consistent high-quality cars and they have already proven to the greater population that products are made up of high quality materials. For the first few months, if not years, Smart car will have problems competing to these companies because most car-users do not know what Smart Car is and how good its products are.

6)      Should the price, assuming it will still make a profit, be reduced?

If I am the manager, I opt not to increase the price immediately since in any way, I am still getting a high profit. Price increase may only take place if Smart car is already stable in the market. But since it is still starting, it is advisable not to impose immediate increase on the price because there are cheaper cars in the market than can also catch buyer’s attention. The consideration of price increase should only take place when it has gained a stable number of customers, has been in the market for quite a number of years and has given assurance to the potential buyers that the product is, indeed, of high quality because price-value relationship still matters to the buyers. Another thing also is that the management will only consider price increase once it has introduced a newer version of smart car.

Case Study 3: Kodak versus Fuji

How can Kodak protect its strategic advantage over its competitors, especially Fuji?
The dynamics in the photo industry have changed over the last 15 years. Fuji Film has prided itself on having the technology to produce high sales in their products. They have consistently spent on having 7% of sales on research and development to maintain competitive advantage (Keegan & Green, p541). This company has a lead in one-time use cameras that its competitor, Kodak, never experienced with traditional film. Fuji’s long term strategy in the US is to produce locally but still be able to compete in the global market or in other words “Globalization through localization” (Keegan & Green, p547). On the hand, Kodak maintains its ideal that it will not engage in price war to win customers back due to potential price erosion. Kodak will simply concentrate on push marketing, cross promotion and market share while Fuji will focus on innovating new products and research and development. Kodak still maintains its enviable and commanding share of the market.

How can Kodak anticipate market changes faster and react accordingly?
Kodak and Fuji both enjoyed healthy margins and treated the market as a profitable duopoly. But then Fuji cut prices its film from 10-15% in spring in 1995 and wholesalers decided to go exclusively with Kodak (Keegan & Green, p543). This eventually began the correlation between the price cutting and market share. In a world were competition is so stiff, Kodak should always anticipate market changes. Kodak has always been characterized as a leader in photographic industry. One way for Kodak to anticipate market changes is through a quarterly or monthly update of their financial status and market status as compared to that of other competitors especially Fuji Film. Constant updates give the company the benefit of thinking ahead as to what to do to gain more and more customers. It is also an advantage to Kodak that for them it is marketing that matter, not price war. Gaining more customers, for them, should be based on the marketing strategy that they are going to use.

What are Fuji’s chances for future growth?
Fuji Film has always prided itself on having the latest technology to produce good products to driver high sales. They have been consistent in spending 7% of sales on research and development to maintain its competitive advantage (Keegan & Green, p547). Because of this, the company was able to produce faster film with brighter colors. Fuji’s greatest strength for future growth is that they always make sure that customers are ready to buy their new products. The company has always been utilizing its 3 systems namely Imaging System, Photofinishing System and Information System. With its long-term strategy “Globalization through localization”, they can be able to compete in the global market and still get high profits. In addition, for Fuji to still be competitive in the future market, they have to continue on innovating new products maintaining price advantages over its competitors and research and development.

What are some disadvantages that Fuji has to overcome?
Although Fuji has been, so far, successful in its field, the company has to stay competitive with Silicon Valley in order to continue on producing state-of-the-art digital products. In the spring of 1996, Fuji cut prices from 10-15% and this has caused the company to have excess in inventory of 2.5 million rolls of films (Keegan & Green, p543). It is a major loss for the company. This is one disadvantage of Fuji since if their prices cut-off, excess inventory problem arises. This has to be given attention so that profit loss can be avoided. Another thing is that Fuji doesn’t have the four segments that Kodak established. These four segments are The Consumer Imaging Segment, The Kodak Professional Segment, The Health Imaging Segment and Digital and Applied Imaging (Keegan & Green, p546). Establishing these four segments in Kodak Company is a threat to Fuji since these four can enhance their services and products and eventually draw attention of customers. Fuji’s management should be able to formulate its own strategies in order to stay competitive with all its competitors, not only Kodak and Silicon Valley.

Should both Kodak and Fuji be concerned over digital integration into the silver halide industry?
In today’s modern world, many are into digital photography because of the advantages it brings. Kodak and Fuji does not want to lower their prices for fear that the industry will turn into a commodity business. For these two companies to stay globally fit in the market, they have to consider in integrating digital photography in their business. But they will not wipe out in their picture the use of traditional film rolls. Digital photography can surely bring a lot of profit to the company. New products such as Advanced Photo System, Digital Cameras and Internet Services are the keys to increasing usage which will, eventually, invigorate the mature market.

Bibliography

Keegan & Green (2002) Global Marketing Management (pp. 124-132)
Keegan & Green (2002) Global Marketing Management (pp. 227-228)
Keegan & Green (2002) Global Marketing Management (pp. 541-548)

No Author. No Year. http://tutor2u.net/business/strategy/what_is_strategy.htm

“The pervasiveness of contemporary advertising means that almost everywhere we turn, we are bombarded with appeals to buy-mostly under the guise of persuading us that buying will somehow improve our lives. ” (Courtland L. Bovee and Williams F. Arens, Page 685). Fundamentally a good advert should attract attention and interest and should provide some control over the manner in which it is read. Advertising has been used to promote goods and services from 1945 to today and controls consumers’ behavior and habits. Considering the thesis, we could choose to agree with the fact that advertising manipulates consumers.

This kind of marketing is essential for firms that want to show their superiority in a specific category of markets. People can see every day many adverts that encourage them to buy more and more goods or services. It makes consumers too materialistic and manipulates them psychologically to buy things they don’t need. Advertising promotes the consumption society. Obviously, many would agree that advertisers use tricky means in order to attract consumers’ attention. Moreover, not all parts of society are targeted. It can create problems considering children, ethnicities, religions and other criteria that affect population.

There is already enough research that proves how harmful advertising can be. In fact, manipulating people psychologically causes harm. In the long run, it can develop a habit like it is in the United States. People using adverts don’t care about consequences and behave inappropriately. Some incitements, misleading, and minds’ control lead to what is called subliminal stimuli. By the way, advertising is maintaining competition between firms and as a consequence, it encourages innovation. Socially, advertising is considered as harmful but economically, it represents one of the main factors of innovation and technological progress.

This paper will show why and how the use of advertising has tremendously increased from 1945 to today. Then, we will show that advertisers use many efficient means of controlling people’s behavior and habits. Finally, we will argue that the effects of advertising can be harmful for populations and economies among a society. Considering that it seems dangerous and manipulative, we can point out that it is a huge source of information. It allows consumers to stay informed about new alternatives in their daily life. Moreover, some people think that this is better to buy products that were advertised than products unadvertised.

After World War II, many countries that have been concerned by the conflict had to re-build what was destroyed. The most affected by such a war was the moral of populations. Advertising already existed but it began a means of showing that life can continue without trouble. We might have seen this tendency in the United States first. In fact, many advertising campaigns had the aim to show solid families even if they have lost a brother, a father or a friend in Europe or in Asia. Companies have understood that such a disaster can be used to promote goods or services they propose to citizens.

Then, the globalization of television in the 1940’s helped the development of the use of advertising. Such a means of communication is essential. Adverts might already have been seen in newspapers, billboards or on broadsides but never on a screen. Traditionally, companies already used paper-based supports to show a short preview about new products or innovations and a slogan. Following that tendency, this is the beginning of the consumption society. Advertising encourages people to buy more and more goods. On the long run, it creates a way of thinking that develops an addiction.

Commercials for Coca Cola are one of the best examples that affect the overall society. Drinking Coke improves citizens’ daily life because it gets satisfaction. “It has a taste that’s uniquely satisfying – a quality that’s unmistakable” (Fowles, Jib. Page 725). Another example is the place of women in society. They are targets of advertisers who promote goods that ensure an easier family life. “In terms of products represented, ads that illustrate this period concern mainly cigarettes, alcohol (beer and liquor), automobiles, food and drink, household cleaners, lotions and perfumes. ” (Fowles, Jib. Page 691).

The example of Camels cigarettes illustrates the situation (Fowles, Jib. Page 693). In 1947, advertisers pointed out the fact that doctors smoked more Camels cigarettes than other brands. Population will think this is not so harmful for their health and will buy more Camel cigarettes. The United States of America were a rich country before World War II. At the end of the conflict, it was clear that it was the richest country. This economic situation has encouraged the development of advertising. Each time there is a progress in a sector of the industry, advertisers improve their means of attracting people.

At the beginning, it was only on paper-based supports with drawings. In 1951, it was the birth of television in color. The broadcast of public programs has considerably increased the audience and as a consequence, the impact of advertising. In addition, the economic period was favorable and many people might buy goods and services such as cars or household cleaners. On one hand, the video support allows consumers to be better informed but on the other hand, it encourages them to buy things they don’t need. According to a survey of the Census Bureau in the USA in the 1990’s, 98% of the American households owned one TV set. Census Bureau) In the 1980’s, the appearance of the Internet highlights a new period of advertising. Populations using this new technology of information are constantly confronted to adverts. “In 1994, Hot-wired site launches with the first banner adds from AT&amp;T, Sprint, MCI, Volvo and others” (Tungate, Mark). It was only a small part of the total advertising market but it increased at the same time the use of this new tool increased. The number of advertising agencies has considerably increased. There are more and more companies that use adverts to show their catalogue on paper, on buildings, on television and on the Internet.

It is clear that, today, advertising is an essential part of the budget of businesses. Considering such a use of that tool, many people consider that advertisers make commercials in order to control consumers’ behavior and habits. “Advertising is the art of arresting the human intelligence just long enough to get money from it” (Blore, Chuck in Shah, Anup). The second subject that this paper will illustrate is to show that controlling consumers by the means of advertising is a today’s debate. In fact, advertisers are able to use tricky methods in order to attract people’s attention. However, as the year progressed, the sophistication of advertising methods and technics has advanced, enticing and shaping and even creating consumerism and needs where there has been none before, or turning luxuries into necessities” (Shah, Anup). Households are controlled against their will. When they are confronted to advertising, they are persuaded that they have to buy the product of one company. Everyone faces persuasion. We can see it in every street, in the cinema, on television, on Internet… Advertisers give arguments based on populations’ daily life and use them to prove the benefits of a good or a service.

If some people are always busy, there can be a good that helps them to be better organized. The advert will show that such a situation can be improved just by buying a particular product, produced by a particular company. This is the basis of persuasion. Following that, there are many methods that can be used to promote and sell. “Sometimes the simple facts of our case are overwhelmingly persuasive. Other times we appeal to some need or motive of our listener because the facts alone aren’t persuasive enough” (Bovee, Courtland L., Arens, William F. Page 687).

Although the persuasion is not enough efficient, it is clear that the emotional appeals are the best way to force consumers’ to buy. Such a means of attracting people depends on the targets. Luxury brands will use arguments that attract consumers earning a lot of money. They display elements of a rich individual’s life and the fact that the product or the service was made for him. On the contrary, if the advert concerns the middle-class, it will be adapted to the “condition” of those people. In fact, this is also the case of consumers that do not need to put forward their income. There are advertising sponsors at both ends of that spectrum. Food companies offer natural products as well as convenience packaged goods. Shoe companies offer simple sandals as well as formal footwear” (Bovee, Courtland L. , Arens, William F. Page 687). This is why heroes are put forward in adverts. An individual who practices a sport and sees that his idol uses a specific product will encourage him to buy it. In the case of prevention, emotional appeals are the most adapted. Government uses this means to make people aware of what is dangerous.

In order to reduce road traffic accidents, a commercial that shocks the audience appeals to fear. Consequences of such an advert will be more attention from drivers and fewer accidents on the road. We can’t explain how advertisers manipulate individuals without talking about subliminal stimuli. This means of controlling consumers’ behavior and habits is the most concealed because not everyone can perceive it. As a matter of fact, it is possible that not only individuals but also groups of individuals are controlled without their awareness. It changes their habits because they do things they usually would ot do. We can determine that there are two ways to attempt an auditory. First, it touches the unconscious part of our brain. When people are reading a slogan or a sentence linked to an idea, several words are dissimulated and manipulate people by the language. It is clear that subliminal stimuli concerns the five censes. Consumers’ can hear, smell, touch things and be attracted. All of these criteria are strategically placed in order to have the maximum impact of perceptions. We take the example of a family that is shopping in a mall, they can see and hear promotions on products they didn’t intent to buy.

Advertisers point out the fact that this is useful and essential. As the author William Cane pointed out: “Public concern about subliminal manipulation can be seen in 1957 when a marketing researcher looked into statistical data. James Vicary claimed to find dramatic increases in the sales of Coca-Cola and popcorn when he flashed the phrases “Drink Coca-Cola” and “Eat popcorn” for 1/2000 of a second during a movie. The statistics showed an increase in popcorn sales by 58%, with an increase in Coca Cola sales by 18%. -Cola sales by 18%” (Cane, William. Umich. edu). Subliminal stimuli is used each time companies or politics want to control individuals against their will. Alternatively, advertisers can use sexual stimulants that influence individuals to buy. It is not difficult to determine what consumers need. Their fears are one of those determinants as well as their lack of self-confidence. Heroes can be put forward to prove that such a product can improve our everyday life. Movie stars are an example. People who have problems with their hair tend to buy lotions that a star uses.

We know that adverts are created in such a way as to control consumers’ behavior and habits. Advertisers employed by companies manipulate people psychologically and force to buy things they don’t usually need. The last part of this paper will deals with consequences of control and manipulation not only on individuals but also on economies. Finally, there are many consequences not only on individuals but also on economies. Manipulation and control through advertising can lead to critical effects on targeted consumers. In fact, there are different categories of eople in a society while the reaction is not the same in front of adverts. This is what we will demonstrate. First, one of the consequences of advertising campaigns is that it “makes us too materialistic” (Bovee, Courtland L. and Arens, William F. Page 686). It changes the value of every system and encourages the development of the consumption society. The acquisition of a product or using a service can change our daily life. With this idea, individuals are forced to think that buying more and more goods will make them more important. USA is the best example of such a situation. For example, they point out the fact that millions of Americans own 20 or more pairs of shoes, several TV sets, and often more than one vehicle” (Bovee, Courtland L. and Arens, William F. Page 686). Advertisers are looking for happiness linked with materialism. Companies don’t care about culture or improvements of the overall behavior of populations. The only thing that interests them is to sell. Finally, this materialism creates a cultural gap. It encourages the division of societies and creates conflicts. Then, there are questions about interferences with ethnicities.

It is often the case in the USA and in every country where advertising is present. Advertisers use criteria such as the gender, the skin color, the social condition, or historical facts. In a country where there is a “melting pot”, it is considered as discrimination. We can say that commercials perpetuate stereotypes. As an example, when an advert targets women, it has been adapted realistically because they take an important place in purchasing decisions. Even if there are improvements, there are still “bias and sexism in advertising” (Bovee, Courtland L. and Arens, William F. Page 689).

Manipulation of children and teenagers through advertising can be critical. The possible harmful effects on both of these age ranges are significant. First, it is important to point out the fact that they are the most vulnerable and suggestible. When they are watching television, even if this is a program adapted to their age, commercials that are not adapted are broadcast and can influence them negatively. In the article “Advertising: Information or Manipulation” written by DeRego Makenzie, she is telling her experience with the effects of several adverts on children’s minds: “As an example, I was babysitting.

My friend and I were watching her favorite show on Disney Channel: Hannah Montana. A commercial came on, and I stared at the screen in shock; in between two segments of a children’s show, there was a commercial advertising Enzyte! I knew this could not be appropriate, and when she asked me what it was, I was dumbfounded. How was I supposed to answer that? Furthermore, children by the age of seven are exposed to commercials like these at least twenty thousand times. ”  Such a testimony confirms that advertisers don’t care about consequences of commercials if vulnerable minds are watching them.

Regarding teenagers, this is more a problem with cigarettes and alcohol. They are more and more smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol. Advertising is a factor of this tendency. It is clear that alcohol ads on television have been multiplied in the last few years. This is what is shown by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth. One of their studies confirms that the top fifteen programs in 2003 had alcohol in their ads. Due to advertising’s influence on populations, there are economic consequences not only on individuals but also on companies.

Consumers buy goods while the price is not always affordable. The fact that advertising encourages them to spend more and more money leads to economic problems. First, it forces them to borrow money from banks. On the short run, they can pay what they want but on the long run, many people can’t refund. Such a situation breaks the stability of families and of the overall economy. In the case of companies, they spend billions of dollars in adverts. It creates a competition between firms that many of them can’t assume. A company with a huge turnover will spend more on advertising than a modest business.

Consequences will be that these modest businesses will shutdown because of the lack of customers willing to visit malls or any other huge business. We currently live in a profit-driven society. Individuals are constantly bombarded of adverts from companies, from the government or from any other institution that wishes to sell goods and services. To attract people, advertisers use tricky means and control consumers’ behavior and habits. What is often not shown is the impact of those methods. The aim is to encourage us to buy more and more against our awareness.

Additionally, it maintains the idea of the consumption society and may cause economic problems for the large-scale. Following surveys, it affects vulnerable individuals such as children and is harmful. A social gap is being created due to the use of ethnicities, religions and other very sensitive issues. This paper has shown that the use of advertising has tremendously increased from the end of World War II to today and that it is clearly harmful for societies. It has created a new way of thinking which is maintained because of the methods that are more and more improved. At least, the addiction consecutive to the modification of populations’ behavior is increasing.

References

1. Bovee, Courtland L. , and Arens, William F. The Indictments Against Advertising, Advertising Makes Us Too Materialistic. Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum, 10th edition by Laurence Behrens University of California, 2008. Pearson Longman pp. 685-691.
2. Cohen, Dorothy. Elements of Effective Layout. Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum, 10th edition by Laurence Behrens University of California, 2008. Pearson Longman pp. 681-684.
3. Cane, William. The Roots of Subliminal Perception. (www. umich. du) Census Bureau (www. census. gov)
4. DeRego, Makenzie. Floyd Dryded Voices: Advertising: Information or Manipulation. Web. Wednesday, January 28th, 2008 (www. capitalcityweekly. com)
5. Fowles, Jib. Chapter 13, New and Improved: Six Decades of Advertising, A Portfolio of Advertisements: 1945-2003. Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum, 10th edition by Laurence Behrens University of California, 2008. Pearson Longman pp. 691-737.
6. Shah, Anup. Media and Advertising. Web. March 4th 2012. (www. globalissues. org) Tungate, Mark. Adland: A Global History Of Advertising. Philadelphia : Kogan Pages. 3 July 2007. Print.

The Coca-Cola Company has been very consistent with their pricing strategy over the many years they have been in business. Because they have a strong competitor, they have to keep their prices in line to compete. The ultimate goal of the company is to maximize shareholder value. The will often reduce the price of their products when entering new markets. They do this to raise brand awareness and face the competition. Once they are established, they move the prices back up to position themselves as a premium product. Learning how to write an essay can be a maddening, exasperating process, but it doesn’t have to be. If you know the steps and understand what to do, writing can be easy and even fun.

This site, “How To Write an Essay: 10 Easy Steps,” offers a ten-step process that teaches students how to write an essay. Links to the writing steps are found on the left, and additional writing resources are located across the top.

Learning how to write an essay doesn’t have to involve so much trial and error.

Below are brief summaries of each of the ten steps to writing an essay. Select the links for more info on any particular step, or use the blue navigation bar on the left to proceed through the writing steps. How To Write an Essay can be viewed sequentially, as if going through ten sequential steps in an essay writing process, or can be explored by individual topic.

Research

Begin the essay writing process by researching your topic, making yourself an expert. Utilize the internet, the academic databases, and the library. Take notes and immerse yourself in the words of great thinkers.

Analysis

Now that you have a good knowledge base, start analyzing the arguments of the essays you’re reading. Clearly define the claims, write out
the reasons, the evidence. Look for weaknesses of logic, and also strengths. Learning how to write an essay begins by learning how to analyze essays written by others.

Brainstorming

Your essay will require insight of your own, genuine essay-writing brilliance. Ask yourself a dozen questions and answer them. Meditate with a pen in your hand. Take walks and think and think until you come up with original insights to write about.

Thesis

Pick your best idea and pin it down in a clear assertion that you can write your entire essay around. Your thesis is your main point, summed up in a concise sentence that lets the reader know where you’re going, and why. It’s practically impossible to write a good essay without a clear thesis.

Outline

Sketch out your essay before straightway writing it out. Use one-line sentences to describe paragraphs, and bullet points to describe what each paragraph will contain. Play with the essay’s order. Map out the structure of your argument, and make sure each paragraph is unified.

Introduction

Now sit down and write the essay. The introduction should grab the reader’s attention, set up the issue, and lead in to your thesis. Your intro is merely a buildup of the issue, a stage of bringing your reader into the essay’s argument.

(Note: The title and first paragraph are probably the most important elements in your essay. This is an essay-writing point that doesn’t always sink in within the context of the classroom. In the first paragraph you either hook the reader’s interest or lose it. Of course your teacher, who’s getting paid to teach you how to write an essay, will read the essay you’ve written regardless, but in the real world, readers make up their minds about whether or not to read your essay by glancing at the title alone.)

Paragraphs

Each individual paragraph should be focused on a single idea that supports your thesis. Begin paragraphs with topic sentences, support
assertions with evidence, and expound your ideas in the clearest, most sensible way you can. Speak to your reader as if he or she were sitting in front of you. In other words, instead of writing the essay, try talking the essay.

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Gracefully exit your essay by making a quick wrap-up sentence, and then end on some memorable thought, perhaps a quotation, or an interesting twist of logic, or some call to action. Is there something you want the reader to walk away and do? Let him or her know exactly what.

MLA Style

Format your essay according to the correct guidelines for citation. All borrowed ideas and quotations should be correctly cited in the body of your text, followed up with a Works Cited (references) page listing the details of your sources.

Language

You’re not done writing your essay until you’ve polished your language by correcting the grammar, making sentences flow, incoporating rhythm, emphasis, adjusting the formality, giving it a level-headed tone, and making other intuitive edits. Proofread until it reads just how you want it to sound. Writing an essay can be tedious, but you don’t want to bungle the hours of conceptual work you’ve put into writing your essay by leaving a few slippy misppallings and pourly wordedd phrazies.

The Portfolio chosen, “Coca-Cola”, consists of three bill boards and one print ad, all of them trying to send a simple message. The common point of all the ads is the simplicity, and the freedom accorded to the viewer or the reader to decipher the meaning by themselves. The message is succinct, very brief and is aimed at consolidating an existing brand image. As is usual in a mass communication medium, where the unique perception variants of the receivers are not easy to be deciphered, advertisers try and rely on eliminating identifiable anomalies.

The resultant product is reliable in conveying a simple symbol and leaving the rest of the perceptions variables to be as individual as possible. The three bill boards try to capture the three primary and automatic reactions to consumption of Coca-Cola. The basic theme of the three billboards is to capture the consumer reaction to the visual representation of a chilled Coca-Cola bottle. The advertiser has zeroed on the visceral reactions rather than letting the viewer bother himself about any other message that the advertisement might have.

Minimal effort is required from the viewer’s mind, where the conditioned responses to the appealing sight of a chilled carbonated drink are replicated aesthetically on oversized representations in billboards. Besides, disparate imagery is used to create the desired over all effect. The differences in the pictorial qualities of the bottle and the symbol or words embedded on them are distinct. But they help create a unified mood and message to the viewer.

As William mentioned in Social communication in advertising, “The consumer society abolishes all such limits and creates an “open set” of intersubjective comparisons; advertising is one of the most important vehicles for presenting, suggesting, and reflecting an unending series of possible comparative judgments. ”(Social Communication in Advertising, 234) The Communication Process Model at its most simplified and effective version is presented in the three billboards.

SENDER (Encoding of the message) The sender or the advertiser acting on behalf of the Coca-Cola Company has effectively removed all the encoding of the message by eliminating the complex elements of family, culture, skills, attitudes, and values. The two predominant elements used in encoding of the message are 1. Self-concept 2. Feelings The Self-concept of the carbonated drink is the universally accepted and time tested image of a refreshing and exciting potable interlude in daily life.

The feelings that have been drilled in through popular perception and a long tradition of visual, audio, and social suggestion matrix is a sense of primary desire and an anticipation of quenched thirst and reaching a refreshed state. RECEIVER (Decoding of the message) The decoding process of the receiver is effectively shortened by limiting the requirement to responses based on feelings than on intellect. Mutually accepted visual symbolism and culturally trained interpretation skills automatically translate the sender’s message.

MEDIUM Billboards is one of the most undemanding media of all as it subtly occupies the mindscape of the consumer and is as unobtrusive as it is effective in reiteration of an existing image. This medium is hard to be ignored and in this campaign, the clincher is the absence of any other form of messaging as Billboards have a short attention p window and the conveying of a message, especially in the case of Billboards is expected to happen in the 1-3 second period of primary focus. INTERFERENCE

While explaining about the role of commonsense in advertising, Iain MacRury writes “Advertising does not depend upon the acceptance of any general rationale or concensus to operate: it merely needs a critical mass of institutional and individual activities in society; processes binding consumers, advertisers, agents, media owners, corporate financiers and regulators in complex contracts of commercial and cultural habit; and perhaps paradoxically a certain indifference to advertising from those who (nevertheless) remain fascinated by it. ” (Advertising. 41).

While this holds true of the advertising industry as a whole, it is also the scale by which most advertisers gauge the interference in their communication process model. The existing prejudices to advertising images (the industry has indeed grown old enough for such prejudices to exist) need to be factored in while trying to convey the message intended. The presence of attention-grabbing billboards of soft drink companies and brands is a regular part of the mindscape of the audience that it might go un noticed which is a natural enough hazard, considering the product being marketed.

But it is also self-evident that such life style products’ advertisements are routinely observed for the advertising quality than any other new feature. Tom Hanks advertisement of Pepsi, did not speak about any new product or any innovation to an existing product, but still had the power to grab attention and give a considerable push to the brand image and non-season sales for the company. This is not cynicism but pragmatic approach to the reality of over exposure to advertising from certain brands.

As pointed out earlier, any interference that has the capability of distorting the message has been effectively eliminated by restricting the appeal to the primary senses and not on intelligent decoding of the message. External interference not part of the receiver-sender protocol is a hazard traditionally associated with outdoor media and is always factored into measurement of such responses. FEEDBACK While exploring the growth of the advertising industry Pamela Walker Lasird, draws attention to the value of feedback laid from the last decade of the 19th century.

“Advertisng professionals’ claim that they could accurately predict consumer responses belied Claude Hopkins’s emphasis on the lessons from feedback that compared successes and failures. ” (Advertising Progress, 276) The business of collating feedback to advertisements is therefore not a new art. However, the methods of collating and studying such feedback are based on a lot more scientific grounds today than ever before.

The DAR(Day-after Recall) of the Billboard is a perfectly quantifiable response to the initial messaging and any improvements to the message can be performed on the basis of such feedback. In fact the billboards that were placed might have even been the end result of studies conducted on the sample population even before the launch. The surveys related to the billboard might obtain the responsiveness to the advertisement. Billboards traditionally have an advantage of being modified in the subsequent editions depending upon the reactions of the gauging public.

Next generation of Billboards in the same location can take up the role of rectifying approach errors to advertising or reinforcing positive outcomes. CONTEXT Maidstone has always enjoyed a position in the top counties in terms of shopping yield. This automatically translates into a lot of people spending their times out of home in shopping centres and commercial establishments. Billboard advertising, especially of the instant recognition variety is assured great eyeball coverage. Therefore, the billboards of Coca-Cola are sure to get the intended coverage. PRINT AD

SENDER Coca-Cola has concentrated on its corporate social responsibility focusing on environment and social health in this print campaign carried in the style supplement of Times. As Tony Yeshin points out “ Whilst brands receive the majority of the expenditure on advertising, there are instances where a company seeks to develop an image for itself beyond that of the brands it manufactures. Corporate advertising is attracting increasing attention with the recognition that many consumers wish to identify the values of the company from which it buys products and services.

” (Yeshin. 6) The Self-concept is of a soft drink major concentrating on the health of the consumers and claiming to shy away form all the recognized modern evils of artificial flavours and preservatives, which have been the subject many great debates around nutrition and health. The visual image of an empty bottle depicts the absence of anything and since the ad primarily focuses on negating the presence of any evil influences, the ads visual is captivating and the message is simple and evident.

The claim to be the real thing is a dig at the competitors, which have a shorter history and also a reminder to the consumer who the pioneer is in this particular segment. A great amount of stress is placed on the corporate values and it is evident from use of capitals to announce the absence of any New-age evils. Additionally, the quotes around “the Real thing” are an attention-grabber to the pride associated with the company’s pioneer status. The mention of year of inception is an attempt to remind the consumers of a more than a century-old tradition.

Generally, a tradition is a value proposition which instantly and at a sub-conscious level, builds the sentiments of reliability and trustworthiness around a brand. Though experts like Yeshin point out that subliminal advertising does not have evidence to back up its validity, we would like to believe that it works in this particular case. Encoding of the message is complete in the sense that it starts out with an aim of talking about values rather than feelings associated with the product. Therefore, the use of the “letsgettogether. co.

uk” is an apt and subtle action phrase to focus attention on the shared values of the corporation with the general consuming public. As pointed out in the “Advertising and the mind of the Consumer” By Sutehrland, & Sylvester, “The company website starts out its life as just one more way to ‘advertise’ and provides a point of contact with potential and existing customers. But pretty soon it gets to be more than that. The focus builds on ways for visitors to enjoy the experience and the site is used to try to build closer relationships with them” (Sutherland & Sylvester, 238).

In fact, the website of Coca-Cola primarily talks about the corporate social responsibility of the corporation highlighting on the environmental measures undertaken in the company. It also provides a forum for consumers to share their concerns and claims to engage in a fruitful dialogue. RECEIVER The current scenario in all educated communities has been skewed towards ensuring corporate social responsibility in all profit making corporations with a special focus on health and environment issues. Any attempt by corporations to incorporate factors that positively affect health and environment preservation is received positively.

The culture, values, attitudes and feelings in decoding the message from the Coca-Cola print ad are a perfect match in this case. The interesting information about the inversion of preferences once the brand names were announced after the conclusion of a ‘blind taste’ test involving Coke and Pepsi is an example of the brand identity that Coke has been able to build through such corporate advertising. Yeshin reports “ In countless ‘blind-taste’ tests, the consumers are unable to identify the identity of the brands and often elect as ‘the best’ a product which they decry once the brand names are revealed.

The perennial example of Coca-Cola versus Pepsi serves to illustrate. In a direct comparison of the brands with the identities concealed, the preferences expressed were: Prefer Pepsi 51% Prefer Coke 44% Equal/Can’t say 5% Once the brand identities were revealed, the following preferences were expressed Prefer Pepsi 23% Prefer Coke 65% Equal/Can’t say 12% (Source: de Chernatony and McDonald,1992)”(Yeshin, Integrated marketing communications, 38) MEDIUM Times enjoys a robust readership in England.

Besides the “Style” supplement has a clearly designated demographic readership of upmarket and socially conscious individuals with a special accent on lifestyle issues and problems. It is a perfect medium to send messages that seek to reinforce branding around CSR and environment friendly nature of any corporation. This medium also ensures that at least a percentage of the readership will also follow up by visiting the website mentioned, there by increasing the activity on the interactive forum of Coca-Cola. INTERFERENCE

As described in detail in “Dynamics of Advertising”, “…the meaning of all communication is to some extent carried by the detail of their content and execution. While the whole is greater than the parts, the greatness of the whole is derived from the particular choice of parts and their relation to each other, which by the simple aggregation or cross-tabulation of frequencies…. , a number of our variables refer to qualities which – though possibly located in just one element of the advertisement – may often be the theme around which the overall experience of the advertisement coheres” (Dynamics of Advertising, 166).

It is in this context that the whole packaging of the Print ad of Coca-cola needs to be viewed. The Interference in the Print medium depends upon the variables of the reader demographic. This is negated to a large extent by targeting the niche segment of devoted readers of the “Style” supplement rather than the sports, economic or other sections of the daily. The placement of the ad on a Sunday also ensures a slightly leisurely viewing and assimilation of the message than on any other working day. It can be concluded that the advertisers have succeeded in minimizing the interference from the decoding factors.

In fact the choice of the newspaper, the day and the supplement have been the essential parts which have created the coherent picture of a large FMCG corporation with a soul. FEEDBACK The readership feedback to advertisements is measured from ratings available that form the basis of pricing of ads in the news papers. Besides, the call to action phrase of asking the readers to engage in dialogue through the website can also give the advertiser a quantifiable feedback on the effectiveness of the campaign.

Like its counterparts in the US, Coca-Cola UK has succeeded in creating print campaigns that can be described as family safe and stylish without giving up on the essential function of delivering the intended message. CONTEXT The whole campaign has been played out in the context of increased concerns over use of plastic and non-bio degradable materials in packaging industry of FMCG goods and the rate at which non-reclaimable land is being created with land fills. Besides there is an increased awareness towards healthy lifestyle and consumables which can even be equated to a trendy fad.

Whatever the long term implications of this heightened consciousness, it is entirely advisable for any corporation which has a daily dealing with its consumers (FMCG) to be on the right side of the debate and be seen contributing positively to this cause. This campaign addresses two issues. The direct message is health related with claims of purity bordering on complete absence of any artificial (read harmful) elements in its complete product. The indirect message through the website is to increase awareness of Coca-Cola’s efforts to 1. reduce non-bio-degradable waste 2. reduce carbon signature 3.

reduce emissions by increasing use of smart technology As the “Marketing ”magazine’s website points out “Coke’s recent TV ad, which emphasised that Coke is still made to a 122-year-old recipe and is, therefore, free of modern preservatives or flavourings,”. This shows that the focus of the company is perfectly aligned across media-mix in that the goals seem to be common. The ad is topical and ensures that it conveys the message without much ado. The most subtle part of the ad is to draw attention (subconsciously) to the long and illustrious history of the company and reinforce the feeling of trust in the mind of the readers.

NOISE The cognitive culture that has been taken into consideration while deciding the campaigns is very comprehensive though not exhaustive. For example the “Lips” campaign might, in theory, prove distasteful to a senior citizen or a person of strict religious beliefs. It might also be offensive to parents who do not want their children to be exposed to the vibrancy of the youth culture before a certain time. But considering the demographics of Maidstone, Kent and the probable selection of the Billboard sites, the noise is reduced to a minimum.

The almost suggestively orgasmic “Ahhh” campaign can be viewed in similar light. That is a limitation of the particular media and unlike targeted advertising of Internet, there is no work around for this particular Noise effect. By the same token, it can also be noted that the campaigns have taken the adequacy of the particular world view noise to be the basis of their approach (The way the ads would be interpreted by the largely educated and upwardly mobile audience in the region forms a prime basis behind devising the ads in their current form)

ANALYSIS OF THE CAMPAIGNS ON RESEARCH PARAMETERS Lips Ahhh Gulp Print ad Aesthetic attention the desire created to drink the beverage stimulated by the very sight of the chilled bottle The immediate and automatic response of the thirst quenching expression the symbolism of gulping down the aerated drink Emptiness symbolic of being devoid of any harmful substances Brand Linkage High. The chilled bottle is almost synonymous of the brand High High Novel as it is rare for a soft drink bottle to be advertised empty. Flow of Attention Instant.

As is required by the constraints of the medium Instant Instant Arresting. Visual is persuasive to lead into the text of the advertisement Flow of Emotion Instant. The desirability is photographic depiction Instant Instant Gently nudges the attention of the reader to the main issue which is aim of the advertisement Stickiness High. Good seasonal visual as it evokes strong and similar reactions High High Has lot of captivating elements. The call to action phrase might actually lead a portion of the readers to visit the website.

Stopping power Low. It is a reinforcement of automatic and seasoned responses to thirst and the visual of a soft drink bottle Low Low The unusual visual has the stopping power to lead to the corporate messaging contained SUMMARY The visual appeal of the Billboards also extends to another level in the fact that it uses very basic oral sounds rather than words to convey its intended message. This is in fact advancement on the recognized tradition of oral expression in advertising as compared to any other form of literature.

AS Guy . D. W. Cook elucidates in is book “the discourse of Advertising”, “…for the transition from oral to written communication is ontogenic (i. e. our personal individual) development as well as phylogenetic (i. e. the history of human) change. We all lived in oral, personal, affective world in infancy. This kind of communication remains powerful and pleasurable through out life, while the depersonalized voice of objective facts remains somewhat alien. ” (the discourse of advertising. 80). This is where the Billboards score in appealing to what the American advertisers often refer to as ‘gut’.

Both the media have been effectively used by Coca-Cola UK to implement its branding strategy. The Communication Process Model has been strictly adhered to in terms of both limitations and advantages. The best learning from these campaigns is that negation of any interference is a valuable strategy in ensuring that the message delivery is aligned with the medium in the right context. Elimination is a smart strategy when ambiguity can be caused by factoring in too many details. The story boards that form the basis of both the campaigns should be excellent case studies in simplification of the message delivery process.

List of References Leiss,W. Kline, S. Botterill, J. Jhally,s (2005). Social communication in advertising: consumption in the mediated marketplace Edition 3. New York: Routledge MacRury, I(2009). Advertising. NewYork: Routledge Laird, P. W(2001). Advertising progress: American business and the rise of consumer marketing. Maryland: JHU Press Yeshin. T(2006). Advertising. London: Cengage Learning EMEA Yeshin. T (1998). Integrated marketing communications: the holistic approach. London: Butterworth-Heinemann Richards,B.

Botterill, J. MacRury,I (2000). The Dynamics of Advertising. New York: Routledge Cook, G. W. D (2001). The discourse of advertising. NewYork: Routledge Sutherland,M. Sylvester,A. K. (2000). Advertising and the Mind of the Consumer: What Works, what Doesn’t, and why. Melbourne: Allen & Unwin 2008. Biggest brands; Top10 brands by product category 2008. Available from < http://www. marketingmagazine. co. uk/news/marketingdata/biggest+brands/847889/Biggest-Brands-Top-10-brands-product-category-2008/> [18 March 2009]