how coca cola did it in india.docx
TRANSCRIPT
-
7/27/2019 HOW COCA COLA DID IT IN INDIA.docx
1/2
HOW COC COL DID IT IN INDIThe aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or servicefits him and sells itself.
Peter.F. Drucker
Market leadership, turnover, customer satisfaction etc are few of the many indicators of
success for a firm. The success is attributed if the product/service is technologically superior
and of good quality or an effective marketing, promotion and distribution strategy is in place.
Innovative marketing at its best can be understood from Coca-Cola Indias venture into
rural India in the year 2002, with an innovative promotion and marketing strategy that
differentiated it from its competitors. Atul Singh, the companys president for India and
South West Asia in an interview said We want every part of our portfolio to grow, so that
any consumer, on any occasion, anywhere in India, makes a choice to drink a Coca-Cola
product.
Prior to 2002, for people in villages and small towns Cola signified Pepsi-Cola and Coca-
Cola India was pretty much determined to break this jinx. However, the task was not easy
and there were too many issues to be addressed beforehand. Poor rural infrastructure,
consumption habits (preference of traditional cold beverages -lassi and Neembu pani),
awareness of the product, mercurial electric supply and apprehension among shopkeepers
added to Coca-Cola Indias dilemma.It started its rural campaign with strategy focused
around three As of marketing.
AvailabilityThe centralized distribution system of transporting the product directly from the bottling
plants to retailers, as used in urban market was futile for rural market which resulted in
innovative Hub and spoke distribution system. The stock was transported from the bottling
plants to hubs and then from hubs to spokes (situated in small towns) and from spokes to
retailers who catered to the demands in rural areas. A well designed marketing strategy with
strong and efficient supply chain and logistics ensured Coca-Colas presence with increase in
coverage of 81,383 villages in 2001 to 1, 58, 342 villages in August 2003.
http://marketinomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/india_coke.jpg -
7/27/2019 HOW COCA COLA DID IT IN INDIA.docx
2/2
AffordabilityA survey by Coca-Cola in 2001 revealed that 300 ml bottle priced at Rs 10/- was not
popular with rural and semi-urban price sensitive customers. In reply to that, Coca-Cola
launched 200 ml bottles (Chota Coke) priced at Rs 5/- . Coca-Cola achieved affordability by
economies of scale. Then the next big task at hand was increasing brand awareness amongthe target segment in rural areas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qsiZC3loArY
AcceptabilityCoca-Cola backed up its pricing and distribution by extensive marketing in the mass media
and outdoor advertising. Hoardings with painted name Coca-Cola on the compounds of the
village residence, participation in annual haats and television commercials (TVCs) on
Doordarshan were all set to mark Cokes presence in a big way.
TV commercial for North Indian people referring Coca-Cola as thanda was floodedon television with Amir Khan as brand ambassador. Progressive advertising ensured easy
brand recall and top of mind awareness among customers.
Judith Evans pointed out, Travel where you will, anywhere in the world, and you will
encounter Coca-Cola on clothes, in signs, on packaging, in art everywhere. Market
has encountered lot of innovation in terms of products, packaging, equipment handling,
marketing etc, but the way in which Coca-Cola adopted its strategy for the Rural Indian
market was remarkable and it definitely established Coca-Cola as lifes one of the most
delightful elixirs.