The Origin and Evolution of Coca-Cola: From Atlanta Pharmacy to Global Icon (1886-1989) | Study notes Pharmacy

The Story of Coca-Cola

Atlanta Beginnings

1886-1892

It was 1886, and in New York Harbor, workers were constructing

the Statue of Liberty. Eight hundred miles away another great

American symbol was about to be unveiled. Like many people

who change history, John Pemberton, a Civil War veteran and

Atlanta pharmacist, was inspired by simple curiosity. He loved

tinkering with medicinal formulas, and one afternoon, searching for a quick cure for headaches, he stirred up a

fragrant, caramel-colored liquid in a three-legged pot. When it was done, he carried it a few doors down to

Jacobs’ Pharmacy.

Here, the mixture was combined with carbonated water and sampled by customers who

all agreed – this new drink was something special. So, Jacobs’ Pharmacy put it on sale for

five cents a glass. Pemberton’s bookkeeper Frank Robinson named the mixture Coca-

Cola, and wrote it out in his distinct script. To this day, Coca-Cola is written the same way.

In its first year, the Company sold about 9 glasses of Coca-Cola a day. A century later, The Coca-Cola Company

has produced over 10 billion gallons of syrup. Unfortunately for Pemberton, he was more of an inventor than

a businessman, and had no idea that he had invented one of the greatest products in the world. Over the

course of three years, 1888-1891, Pemberton sold the Company to Atlanta businessman Asa Griggs Candler

for a total of about $2300. Candler would become the Company’s first president, and the first to bring real

vision to the business and the brand.

Beyond Atlanta

1893-1904

Asa Candler, a natural born salesman, transformed Coca-Cola from an invention into a

business. He knew there were thirsty people out there, and Candler found brilliant and

innovative ways to introduce them to this exciting new refreshment. He gave away

coupons for complimentary first tastes of Coca-Cola, and outfitted distributing pharmacists

with clocks, urns, calendars and apothecary scales bearing the Coca-Cola brand. People saw

Coca-Cola everywhere, and the aggressive advertising worked. By 1895, Candler had built

syrup plants in Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles.

Inevitably, the soda’s popularity lead to a demand for it to be enjoyed in new ways. In 1894, a Mississippi

businessman, Joseph Biedenharn, became the first to put the drink in bottles. He sent 12 of them to Candler,

who responded without enthusiasm. Despite being a brilliant and innovative businessman, he didn’t realize

then that the heart of Coca-Cola would be with portable, bottled beverages customers could take anywhere.

He still didn’t realize it until five years later, in 1899, two Chattanooga lawyers, Benjamin F Thomas and Joseph

B Whitehead, secured exclusive rights from him to bottle and sell the beverage – for the sum of one dollar.

Safeguarding the Brand

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The Story of Coca-Cola Atlanta Beginnings 1886 - 1892 It was 1886, and in New York Harbor, workers were constructing the Statue of Liberty. Eight hundred miles away another great American symbol was about to be unveiled. Like many people who change history, John Pemberton, a Civil War veteran and Atlanta pharmacist, was inspired by simple curiosity. He loved tinkering with medicinal formulas, and one afternoon, searching for a quick cure for headaches, he stirred up a fragrant, caramel-colored liquid in a three-legged pot. When it was done, he carried it a few doors down to Jacobs’ Pharmacy. Here, the mixture was combined with carbonated water and sampled by customers who all agreed – this new drink was something special. So, Jacobs’ Pharmacy put it on sale for five cents a glass. Pemberton’s bookkeeper Frank Robinson named the mixture Coca- Cola, and wrote it out in his distinct script. To this day, Coca-Cola is written the same way. In its first year, the Company sold about 9 glasses of Coca-Cola a day. A century later, The Coca-Cola Company has produced over 10 billion gallons of syrup. Unfortunately for Pemberton, he was more of an inventor than a businessman, and had no idea that he had invented one of the greatest products in the world. Over the course of three years, 1888-1891, Pemberton sold the Company to Atlanta businessman Asa Griggs Candler for a total of about $2300. Candler would become the Company’s first president, and the first to bring real vision to the business and the brand. Beyond Atlanta 1893 - 1904 Asa Candler, a natural born salesman, transformed Coca-Cola from an invention into a business. He knew there were thirsty people out there, and Candler found brilliant and innovative ways to introduce them to this exciting new refreshment. He gave away coupons for complimentary first tastes of Coca-Cola, and outfitted distributing pharmacists with clocks, urns, calendars and apothecary scales bearing the Coca-Cola brand. People saw Coca-Cola everywhere, and the aggressive advertising worked. By 1895, Candler had built syrup plants in Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles. Inevitably, the soda’s popularity lead to a demand for it to be enjoyed in new ways. In 1894, a Mississippi businessman, Joseph Biedenharn, became the first to put the drink in bottles. He sent 12 of them to Candler, who responded without enthusiasm. Despite being a brilliant and innovative businessman, he didn’t realize then that the heart of Coca-Cola would be with portable, bottled beverages customers could take anywhere. He still didn’t realize it until five years later, in 1899, two Chattanooga lawyers, Benjamin F Thomas and Joseph B Whitehead, secured exclusive rights from him to bottle and sell the beverage – for the sum of one dollar. Safeguarding the Brand

Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but The Coca-Cola Company was none too pleased about all of copycat beverages taking advantage of its success. This was a great product, and a great brand. Both needed to be protected. Advertising focused on the authenticity of Coca-Cola, urging consumers to “Demand the genuine” and “Accept no substitute.” The Company also decided to create a distinctive bottle shape to assure people they were actually getting a real Coca-Cola. In 1916, the Root Glass Company of Terre Haute, Indiana, began manufacturing the famous contour bottle. The contour bottle, which remains the signature shape today, was chosen for its attractive appearance, original design and the fact that, even in the dark, you could identify the genuine article. As the country roared into the new century, The Coca-Cola Company grew rapidly, moving into Cuba, Puerto Rico, France, and other countries and U.S. territories. In 1900, there were two bottlers of Coca-Cola, by 1920, there would be about 1,000. The Woodruff Legacy 1919 – 1940 Perhaps no person had more impact on The Coca-Cola Company than Robert Woodruff. In 1923, five years after his father Ernest purchased the Company from Asa Candler, Woodruff became the Company president. While Candler had introduced the U.S. to Coca-Cola, Woodruff would spend nearly 60 years as Company leader introducing the beverage to the world beyond. Woodruff was a marketing genius who saw opportunities for expansion everywhere. He captivated foreign markets with innovative campaigns: Coca-Cola traveled with the U.S. team to the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, the logo was emblazoned on racing dog sleds in Canada and the walls of bullfighting arenas in Spain. Woodruff pushed development and distribution of the six-pack of bottles. When it became clear to the Company that housewives would be more inclined to buy six-packs they could open easily at home, women were sent door to door, installing branded Coca-Cola bottle openers. This is exactly the kind of “outside-the box” thinking that thrived under Woodruff’s leadership, and it made Coca-Cola not just a huge success, but a big part of people’s lives. The War and Its Legacy 1941 - 1959 In 1941, America entered World War II. Thousands of men and women were sent overseas. The country, and Coca-Cola, rallied behind them. Woodruff ordered that “every man in uniform gets a bottle of Coca-Cola for 5 cents, wherever he is, and whatever it costs the Company.” In 1943, General Dwight D. Eisenhower sent an urgent cablegram to Coca-Cola, requesting shipment of materials for 10 bottling plants. During the war, many Europeans enjoyed their first take of the beverage, and when peace finally came, Coca-Cola was doing a lot of business overseas. From the 1940s until 1960, the number of countries with Coke bottling plants nearly doubled. A World of Customers 1960 - 1981 After 75 years of amazing success with brand Coca-Cola, the Company decided to expand with new flavors: Sprite ( 1961 ), TAB ( 1963 ), and Fresca ( 1966 ). The Company’s presence worldwide was growing rapidly, and year after year, Coca-Cola found a home in more and more places: Cambodia, Montserrat, Paraguay, Macau, Turkey and more. During the 1970s, advertising for Coca-Cola reflected a brand that was fun and playful. The international appeal of Coca-Cola was embodied by a 1971 commercial, where a group of young people from

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