From the below case study, I need an insight on branding strategy from perspective of Coca-Cola. I need answers to questions:

Discuss all aspects of Coca-Cola's Brand equity and brand strategy with proper research supported with relevant evidences and theory support

Discuss Coca-Cola's Brand identity, brand positioning and brand image. How elements of brand identity had big influence on Coca-Cola' new design.

Explain the challenges associated with Coca-Cola's brand management

Case Study:

Coca-Cola`s Shift to a `One Brand` Strategy: Can it Change Consumers` Perception?

The case discusses Atlanta-based beverage giant The Coca-Cola Company's (TCC) new 'One Brand' global marketing strategy that, for the first time ever, united Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero, and Coca-Cola Life under the iconic Coca-Cola master brand as part of one global creative campaign, "Taste the Feeling." The overhaul was the result of the sales volumes of Coke continuing to drop because of consumers cutting back on carbonated drinks due to health concerns. The revamped marketing strategy aimed to accelerate the sales of low calorie and sugar free drinks and eliminate the brand confusion within the Coke portfolio that had in part been caused by the brand's earlier attempts to adapt to healthier lifestyles. Under the new strategy, TCC replaced its long running brand-focused "Open Happiness" campaign with a new global marketing campaign "Taste the Feeling" wherein the product, rather than the brand, took center stage. The campaign was rolled out across more than 200 countries worldwide. The case discusses in detail the objectives and various elements of the "Taste the Feeling" campaign including new point of sale, promotions, outdoor and print advertising, and digital and music components.

In March 2017, Marcus de Quinto (Marcus) retired as TCC's global CMO. Thereafter, the company's global marketing role was combined with strategy to create a new position 'chief growth officer' (CGO), responsible for driving growth across all strategic drink categories. Francisco Crespo (Crespo), president of Coca-Cola Mexico, was appointed as the CGO of TCC in May 2017. Going forward, the newly appointed CGO faced a multitude of challenges including slumping carbonated beverages sales, intense competition, dramatic shifts in consumer habits, and imposition of sugar tax on soft drinks by several regulators globally. The case concludes with thoughts on how the 'One Brand' global communication initiative of Coca-Cola could be made more effective to ensure it strikes the right chord with consumers and boosts sales. Can the 'One Brand' strategy boost sales while strengthening the overall Coke brand? Can it shift consumer metrics in the right direction and change consumer perceptions of the brand?

INTRODUCTION

In a major overhaul of its communication strategy, Atlanta-based beverage giant The Coca-Cola Company (TCC ) launched a new "One Brand" marketing strategy in January 2016 to unite for the first time all Coke variants such as Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero, and Coca-Cola Life, under the Coca-Cola master brand in one global creative campaign "Taste the Feeling". The shake up came at a time when Carbonated Soft Drink (CSD) makers globally were being challenged by increasing awareness of health concerns and taxation on sugar-sweetened drinks - factors that deterred consumers from purchasing soda. According to industry observers, the idea behind the move was to help control over-consumption of sugar by removing brand barriers to low- and zero-calorie Coke variants, eradicate brand confusion within the Coke portfolio, encourage consumers to stay within the brand, and boost sales. "This strategy of generating sub-brands, rather than variants, has created distortions in the main brand. The different brands have sometimes contradicted the personality of Coca-Cola. Creating brands for different people with different personalities undermines completely the fundamental Coca-Cola brand promise," said Marcus de Quinto (Marcus), former CMO of Coca-Cola, as he announced the new strategy at a media event in Paris in 2016.

BACKGROUND NOTE

Established in 1886, TCC was the world's largest total beverage company, offering over 500 brands to people in more than 200 countries. The first advertisement for Coca-Cola, appeared in The Atlanta Journal dated May 29, 1886. Over the years, to promote the drink, the company came out with several print ads. Jingles and slogans became an integral part of Coca-Cola's advertising (See Exhibit I). After World War II (1939-1945), the company began to manufacture other beverages and expanded its product line to include root beer, bottled water, juices, and sports drinks. In 1941, the term 'Coke' was first used in magazine ads in order to establish the name as a trademark. In its ads, TCC emphasized brand over product. It aimed to sell consumers the experience and lifestyle associated with its brand....

"OPEN HAPPINESS" CAMPAIGN

The "Open Happiness" campaign was the result of a six-month initiative known as "Project Next" undertaken to improve the efficiency of Coca-Cola's marketing strategies. The campaign whose theme was "Open, share and enjoy a bottle of Coke" was used as a primary marketing platform in nearly 200 countries globally where Coke was sold. The campaign included point of sale, promotions, outdoor and print advertising, digital and music components. Coke was the central theme of all commercials and the campaign was tweaked for different markets depending on local preferences...

MOVING FROM SUB-BRANDS TO ONE BRAND

Since the start of the millennium, Coca-Cola and other soda drinks had found themselves becoming increasingly unpopular with people pointing to them as one of the causes of the causes of the rising obesity rates in the UK and the US. The rising health concerns among consumers had led to a continuous decline in soda consumption in some key global markets (See Exhibit II).The sales volume of CSDs in the US fell by 0.9% between 2013 and 2014, with TCC losing 1.1% and PepsiCo 1.4%. Coke reported a mere 0.1% volume growth in 2014, while Diet Coke posted a steep 6.6% drop in sales volume, according to data from Beverage Digest. According to company filings to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, TCC's sales volume - Coke and its variants - fell almost 5% between 2014 and 2016 in the US and were down 1% worldwide .

"TASTE THE FEELING": FROM EMOTION TO FUNCTION

Under the 'One Brand' strategy, TCC launched a new global campaign called "Taste the Feeling". The aim of the campaign was to put the product at the center of every ad as Coke wanted to gain more customers in the struggling soda category. The campaign was positioned as a shift from the brand per se toward the product, as Marcus had noticed over a period of time that the brand had just been talking about "happiness" and forgetting that it was a drink that tasted good. "We've found over time that the more we position Coca-Cola as an icon, the smaller we become. The bigness of Coca-Cola resides in the fact that it's a simple pleasure - so the humbler we are, the bigger we are... We're going from 'Open Happiness' to exploring the role Coca-Cola plays in happiness," he said.

NEW LOOK

Furthering its 'One Brand' global marketing strategy, in April 2016, TCC overhauled its packaging. According to James Sommerville, Global VP of Design, the Coke brand was diluted in store and on shelf with different designs across Coke Zero, Coke Life, and Diet Coke. He said that during the design process,

the team saw the Red Disc as the one design element that could unite the trademark visually. They felt that the unified red look would actually help people stay in the Coca-Cola franchise, resulting in less switching between brands.

MIXED REACTIONS

Some analysts felt that the new campaign could succeed in achieving TCC's objective as it was able to extend the reach of Coca-Cola to wider markets without creating different personalities for its variants, which ensured that the company would be able to adapt more quickly to changing consumer needs.

RESULTS

According to the company, early data on the 'Taste the Feeling' campaign showed "green shoots" having led to a growth in retail sales as well a rise in the profile of the Coca-Cola brand. In North America, Coca-Cola's net revenues grew 8% for the fourth quarter 2016 and 4% for the year, outperforming total retail value growth for both the North America nonalcoholic ready-to-drink beverage industry and US consumer packaged goods companies.

CHALLENGES

Some analysts felt that setting a big brand like Coke on a new marketing course was a massive task, particularly at a time when the brand was battling declining soda consumption amid growing health concerns over sugar. An increasing number of customers were moving away from sugary beverages in favor of healthier options such as ready-to-drink fruit juices and bottled water.

THE ROAD AHEAD

Quincey, who took over the reins of the company in May 2017, introduced a new business strategy called 'Coke's Way Forward' in February 2017. According to him, the company's new business strategy would focus on Choice, Convenience, and the Consumer. As part of the new strategy the company planned to build a portfolio of "consumer-centric brands" including low and no-sugar options across a wide array of categories.