INTRODUCTION of PEPSI

Pepsi is one of the most well known brands in the world today available in over
160 countries. The company has an extremely positive outlook for India. This
reflects that India holds a central position in Pepsi's corporate strategy. India is a
key market for Pepsi co, and at the same time the company has added value to
Indian agriculture and industry. PepsiCo entered India in 1989 and is concentrating
in three focus areas - Soft drink concentrate, snack foods and vegetable and food
processing. Faced with the existing policy framework at the time, the company
entered the Indian market through a joint venture with Volta’s and Punjab Agro
Industries. With the introduction of the liberalization policies since 1991, Pepsi
took complete control of its operations. The government has approved more than
US$ 400 million worth of investments of which over US$ 330 million have
already flown in. One of PepsiCo's key strategies was to develop a completely
local management team. Pepsi has 19 company owned factories while their Indian
bottling partners own 21. The company has set up 8 Greenfield sites in backward
regions of different states. PepsiCo intends to expand its operations and is planning
an investment of approximately US$ 150 million in the next two-three years.
 INTRODUCTION of COCO COLA

The Coca-Cola Company believes our business has always been based on the trust
consumers everywhere place in us—trust that is earned by what we do as a
corporate citizen and by our ability to live our values as a commercial enterprise
There is much in our world to celebrate, refresh, strengthen and protect. Through
our actions as local citizens, we strive every day to refresh the marketplace, enrich
the workplace, preserve the environment and strengthen our communities At the
heart of our business is the trust consumers place in us. They rightly expect that we
are managing our business according to sound ethical principles, that we are
enhancing the health of our communities, and that we are using natural resource
responsible. The Coca Cola company started operations in India in 1993 after an
absence of 16 years. To reach India's 300 million soft-drink consumers, the
company distributes its products through over 700,000 retail outlets Coca Cola
India directly employs over 7000 workers. Over the past nine years, the company
has invested over US$ 827 million in India with over US$ 800 million in its
bottling subsidiary. Significant growth has come from Kinley, its packaged water
brand, which claims to have around 35 per cent share of the packaged drinking
water market

The world's favorite drink. The world's most valuable brand. The most
recognizable word across the world after ‘OK’.
Coca-Cola has a truly remarkable heritage. From a humble beginning in 1886, it is
now the flagship brand of the largest manufacturer, marketer and distributor of
non-alcoholic beverages in the world.

In India, Coca-Cola was the leading soft-drink till 1977 when govt. policies
necessitated its departure. Coca-Cola made its return to the country in 1993 and
made significant investments to ensure that the beverage is available to more and
more people, even in the remote and inaccessible parts of the nation.
Coke had entered the Indian soft drinks market way back in the 1970s. The
company was the market leader till 1977, when it had to exit the country following
policy changes regarding MNCs operating in India. Over the next few years, a host
of local brands emerged such as Campa Cola, Thumps Up, Gold Spot and Limca
etc. However, with the entry of Pepsi and Coke in the 1990s, almost the entire
market went under their control.
 PRODUCTS OF PEPSI

PEPSI Miranda Mountain 7 UP

DEW MAAZA
 Products Of Coca Cola

COCA-COLA MANGOLA
SPRITE
THUMS-UP
FANTA
 TARGETING OF COKE

COCA-COLA. How about that? Though targeted at the youth, its appeal is nearly
universal and it is believed that at least half the world's population has drunk a bottle
of this dark, sweetened and flavored water.

It is true Coca-Cola is drunk by young and old, male or female, in home and, in large
quantities, out of home. It is consumed by itself or as a mixture for almost any strong
spirit be it rum or whisky; vodka or cheap brandy.

However, if you ask the brand manager for Coca-Cola, he would have a definition for
his target market. Target market is defined as people whom the brand wants to
actively target. This is different from the brand's consumers, which may be a much
wider group or, in some cases, a smaller group. However, the brand does have a target
group, which should be ideally defined as people who do (or don't do) certain things.
To define the brand franchise there are three easy steps that we should take. First, we
should define the target market (people who the brand wants to actively target).

Next, we should identify the target segments (segments of the target market that the
business expects 80 per cent of its revenues from). Note that both the target market
and the target segment should be measurable; something that many brand managers
forget

Third and most importantly, in my view, we must describe the target consumer. This
description should not be as it is conventionally done. This is because we need a vivid
and inspirational description that cuts across the target segments.

The target consumer should be the reason to come to work everyday as it is this
person whose needs and wants we want to satisfy in a manner and with a product or
service offering, which is better than our competitor.

Now, young Bhanuteja, I hope you are beginning to see some of the reasons as to why
we need to define the brand franc This definition could be to narrow or widen the
target market. Indeed, it is by understanding different segments in the market which
are different from each other (which is why they are segments); yet, very much a part
of our target market. Finally, after having measured the size of the target markets and
segments so as to establish our brand offering we then define the target consumer; not
by dry statistics but by developing a vivid and inspirational description of the target
consumer that cuts across all target segments. This will enable you to have a clear
picture in your mind so that you can focus your brand marketing’s
 Targets differ, appeal may not COKE

There are brands which have universal appeal but having target groups brings focus to
marketers. I usually read about brands targeted at a young audience or a mature
audience and so on. Is there any brand, which has everyone as its target audience,
irrespective of sex, age, income, and so on? Is it vital for a brand to narrow its target
audience down to a set of qualities? Is it that they will cease to be different otherwise?
Can you think of any brands, which succeeded by appealing to everybody?

Though targeted at the youth, its appeal is nearly universal and it is believed that at
least half the world's population has drunk a bottle of this dark, sweetened and
flavoured water.

It is true Coca-Cola is drunk by young and old, male or female, in home and, in large
quantities, out of home. It is consumed by itself or as a mixture for almost any strong
spirit be it rum or whisky; vodka or cheap brandy.

However, if you ask the brand manager for Coca-Cola, he would have a definition for
his target market. Target market is defined as people whom the brand wants to
actively target. This is different from the brand's consumers, which may be a much
wider group or, in some cases, a smaller group. However, the brand does have a target
group, which should be ideally defined as people who do (or don't do) certain things.

To define the brand franchise there are three easy steps that we should take. First, we
should define the target market (people who the brand wants to actively target).

Next, we should identify the target segments (segments of the target market that the
business expects 80 per cent of its revenues from). Note that both the target market
and the target segment should be measurable; something that many brand managers
forget.
 PEPSI MAX REPOSITIONS TO
TARGET HEALTHY MEN

PEPSI Max has unveiled a new TVC and brand sampling campaign-targeting men
following research into the minds of cola drinkers. Pepsi marketing director Tony
Thomas said research showed the split of the cola market into two key segments —
full sugar and diet—did not reflect consumer needs. “Diet is an out-dated concept,”
Thomas said “There are many consumers out there who embrace life and get the most
they can out of it and, while they are into staying in shape, do not buy into the diet
concept on the grounds of it being a taste and image compromise.” Pepsi Max targets
the 20–30 age group and is consumed by more men than women, unlike its competitor
Diet Coke. The campaign is spearheaded by a 30-second TVC showing a group of
friends who bring to life a mental fantasy. Emerging from a kombi van decked out in
white water rating life vests, helmets and armed with paddles, the six 20-something
guys and girls remove the rubbish from a large wheelie bin, get inside and then ‘raft’
it down the street and into the harbour, paddling away.
 Coke Strategy
(Plans to reach more villages)

AS part of its business strategy, Coca-Cola has decided to expand rural penetration in
West Bengal by targeting more than 5,000 villages and increasing the number of
distributors to more than 700 during the current summer.

In rural Bengal, now about 85,000 outlets sell Coca-Cola products.

Similarly, the company has also finalised its nationwide rural marketing policy aiming
at hiking its market share of carbonated soft drinks (CSDs). It plans to reach out to
40,000 more villages across the country with products affordable at price in PET
bottles and also in cheaper cartons. The company expects the per capita consumption
of colas in the country to go up to 15 "standard" bottles by the end of the current year
compared to the current average consumption of 10 bottles.

Mr Sunil Gupta, Vice-President (Public Affairs & Communications) of Coca-Cola

India, told newspersons here on Wednesday that the company has appointed about
400 distributors through out the country to market its sugar-free soft drink concentrate
in small sachets.

It expected to maintain 22 per cent growth rate in its CSD business as against the
national average of about 16 per cent. The company plans to generate greater market
share by increasing the affordability, availability and acceptability of its products
targeting the urban, and specifically, the rural segment.

The retail network will be expanded by 24 per cent during the current fiscal. The
company plans to push its popular Thums Up brand in West Bengal offering a Chhota
Thums Up - 200 ml bottle - at Rs 5. Bottles with the number `5' under the crown will
entitle consumers to prizes such as Mahindra Scorpios, Yamaha Enticers, Bangla
music cassettes, Hero cycles and sunglasses.

The company is setting up redemption centres all over the State to allow consumers to
bring their prize-winning crowns and exchanges the same for prizes.

The Paanch Mila Kya campaign features the leading actress Bipasha Basu leveraging
her popularity in West Bengal. This ad will be featured on all Bengali TV channels.
The promotion is being heavily supported with extensive hoardings, in-shop
merchandising, print advertising and a special rock road show
 Marketing Strategy
Coke
When it comes to marketing strategy blunders, pretty much everybody remembers the
nosedive failure of New Coke, right? But what most people don’t know is the
fascinating story behind the story, & the valuable lesson it reveals. In the early
eighties, Coke was about to lose a marketing trump card to Pepsi. Coke’s market
share had been in free fall since the end of the war, declining from 60% at that
time, to just 24% in 1983. Pepsi was about to be able to claim that not only did it
taste better than Coke (as proven in blind taste tests), but also that it was actually
more popular. This would have added even more fuel to Pepsi’s already
significant marketing momentum.

While Coke was also losing market share to other new market entries, and increasing
consumer preference for diet, citrus, & caffeine-free beverages etc., Pepsi’s
marketing strategy was continuing to win new customers. Obviously, people
preferred the taste of Pepsi! Better taste was the main thrust of their advertising.
Why else would anybody drink such an otherwise worthless mixture of
ingredients?
This fact was further born out with the runaway success of Diet Coke. Coke
actually developed it from the ground up to taste more like Pepsi, rather than
simply replacing the sugar content of the original recipe with artificial
sweeteners All of the facts & evidence pointed to Coke having a taste problem
with the original recipe. Coke had in fact been working in secret for years on a
new one. Drawing on the success of Diet Coke, Coke’s marketing strategy called
for the modification of that recipe to a sugar based drink. They felt they could
finally turn the tide by introducing “NEW Coke”, based on that formula. In pre
launch blind taste tests, people thought the new Coke tasted sweeter & smoother
than the original. Extensive research revealed that people preferred the New
Coke to both the original Coca Cola recipe & Pepsi. Statistically speaking, the
taste of New Coke was significantly preferable. New Coke was the solution, but
what to do with the original? If they kept both on the market, it was a surebet
that Pepsi would be able to claim that it was more popular than both, at least for
a time! And a marketing strategy that called for the promotion of a new & an old
Coke would only confuse the public & dilute the brand.

The original recipe was dropped. So what happened when new Coke was introduced?
It bombed completely, & utterly! Here’s the brilliant tagline that they used to
introduce it. “The Best Just Got Better, Coke Is It!” Gee, that looks like a
winner. People hated the new Coke, many without even having to taste it. And
they were incensed that the original had been “stolen” from them. One hundred
 years, & countless millions of dollars in advertising had made Coke Cola a part
of people’s

very identity. Drinking Coca Cola wasn’t about taste at all. It was about mental
association.

Emotional Opium!

The act of raising that funny looking spiral bottle to your lips. The cane sugary
fragrance that followed. The sharp carbonated bite that set your throat a blaze
with each vigorous swig. For many people, it was anchored deeply to fond, albeit
sometimes even imaginary memories. Coke had no choice but to bring back the
original recipe, amid a huge fanfare of publicity, as though it were the second
coming. What a hullabaloo about nothing. Sugar water. For god’s sake! If
nothing else, this story should prove to you once & for all that it’s not what you
do that counts, it’s what you say & how powerfully you say it. And, that your
customer’s buy, or don’t buy, for all kinds of seemingly irrational reasons.
What’s critically important is not your product, but how your marketing strategy
relates ownership of that product to your buyer’s beliefs, feelings, & desires! It
also demonstrates that “me to” can be a very dangerous marketing strategy.
While huge companies like Coke can afford to blow through billion dollar
advertising budgets like there’s no tomorrow, as a Guerrilla marketer, I urge you
to avoid expensive frontal assaults & one-upmanship like the plague. Be
creative instead, & seek to outflank the enemy!
 Marketing Strategies of Pepsi

In 1975, PepsiCo introduced the Pepsi Challenge marketing campaign where PepsiCo
set up a blind tasting between Pepsi-Cola and rival Coca-Cola. During these blind
taste tests the majority of participants picked Pepsi as the better tasting of the two soft
drinks. PepsiCo took great advantage of the campaign with television commercials
reporting the test results to the public

In 1996, PepsiCo launched the highly successful Pepsi Stuff marketing strategy.
In 2002, the strategy was cited by Promo Magazine as one of 16 "Ageless Wonders"
that "helped redefine promotion marketing."Source: Promo Magazine, 2002.

Celebrity endorsers

As with most popular soft drinks, Pepsi and its associated beverages have had various
celebrity endorsers like Jeff Gordon,David Beckam and Christina Aguilera
 MARKETING OF THE PRODUCT
THORUGH ADDS & LAUNCHES

For over 100 years, Pepsi-Cola has produced some of the finest soft drink ads
available anywhere in the world. From today's "Joy of Pepsi," as sung by Britney
Spears, to yesterday's "Nickel, Nickel" (1939), our ads are as memorable as the
products we produce. Check out highlights of our favorite ads here.

2004: Pepsi unveils five new TV commercials for Pepsi and Sierra Mist on Super
Bowl XXXVIII, making this the 19th straight year that Pepsi has advertised in the big
game.
• On Super Bowl Sunday, Apple and Pepsi officially launch a historic promotion to
legally give away millions of free songs to Mac and Windows PC users from Apple's
iTunes Music Store.
• On the Academy Awards telecast, Diet Pepsi stole the spotlight as the country’s
fastest-growing major soft drink bowed a new advertising campaign with the tagline,
“Diet Pepsi. It’s the Diet Cola. The zero-calorie cola brand illustrates how it is the
best option to go with food and social occasions, much like its sister brand, Pepsi-
Cola.
• Two popular sportscasters help turn life’s everyday moments into a cause for
celebration in a new advertising campaign for Pepsi EDGE, the new cola with full-
flavored taste but half the sugar, carbs & calories of regular colas. The campaign
tagline, "This moment deserves a Pepsi EDGE," reminds consumers that they can
reward themselves with a Pepsi EDGE for completing even the simplest of tasks.
• Mountain Dew brings nostalgia back into pop culture as it introduces new
commercials featuring the classic Mad Magazine "Spy vs. Spy" characters — who
will stop at nothing to get their Dew.

2003: Pepsi-Cola unveils a new advertising campaign, "Pepsi. It's the Cola,"
which is the brand's first major campaign shift since 1999. The new campaign
highlights the popular soft drink that goes with everything from food to fun.
• Pepsi's last major campaign change was in 1999, when it debuted "The Joy of Cola,"
which became "The Joy of Pepsi" in 2000.
• Pepsi updates its look with a bolder, more contemporary image that better captures
the brand's youthful attitude.
• Mountain Dew offers its third line extension with Mountain Dew LiveWire,
combining the unique citrus taste of Mountain Dew with a bold orange flavor.
Available summer 2003.
• Pepsi's blockbuster summer promotion "Pepsi Play for a Billion" gives 1,000
consumers the chance to play for $1 billion on a live television show on The WB. A
guaranteed $1 million prizewinner will be chosen and will then have a chance to win

$1 billion without forfeiting the $1 million prize.

• In September, Richard Bay, a 42-year-old high school teacher from Princeton, West
Virginia, became a millionaire on "Pepsi Play for a Billion" on The WB. Bay and the
television audience then held their collective breath to see if he would also win the
billion dollars. Instead, his number was two digits off the billion-dollar number, but
Bay was still pleased with his cool million.

2002: In March, supermodel Cindy Crawford helps introduce a new look for Diet
Pepsi. The updated graphics better represent the brand's light, crisp, refreshing
qualities.
• Pepsi-Cola teams up with the National Football League, becoming its Official Soft
Drink Sponsor.
• Pepsi declares, "It's a blue thing," and unveils Pepsi Blue in July. A fusion of berries
with a splash of cola, the blue-hued soft drink is created by and for teens. Through
nine months of research and development, Pepsi asks young consumers what they
want most in a new cola. Their response: "Make it berry and make it blue."
• In December, American music and film sensation Beyoncé Knowles is welcomed as
the newest member of the Pepsi family.

2001: The popular "Joy of Cola" tagline gets an update, becoming the "Joy of
Pepsi." Three months later, Britney Spears stars in a blockbuster Pepsi commercial
that breaks during the Academy Awards. An hour before the telecast, the high-energy
spot debuts online, where more than 2 million fans click their way to Britney's own
version of the "Joy of Pepsi."
• Thirsty consumers are invited to "discover a sensation as real as the streets," when
cherry-flavored Mountain Dew Code Red is introduced.
• Pepsi puts a little twist on a great thing, unveiling the first national TV commercial
for new lemon-flavored Pepsi Twist.

2000: The popular Pepsi Challenge makes its return, and consumers across the
country let their taste decide the best cola and one-calorie cola. Helping launch the
Challenge are two of baseball's top sluggers – Sammy Sosa and Ken Griffey Jr.
• On the airwaves, the "Joy of Cola" campaign is a hit as "Pepsi Girl" Hallie
Eisenberg rocks with pop star Faith Hill and perennial rockers KISS.
• Among those doing the Dew is hip-hop artist Busta Rhymes, and Aquafina launches
its first-ever television advertising campaign
 Wrong side of Pepsi Ads
Creavitivity : Creativity according to me is putting something new before the
world. This ad-maker has really done a fantastic job and gone miles ahead of the
other Soft-drinks’ ad-campaigns.
My Dope on marketing fundas : My marketing professor always taught me of market
segmentation. Segmenting the customers as per their individual characteristics. This
helps in catering to the individual tastes of the consumers and keep him loyal to the
product. But then this is the fiercely fought market place by the cola makers and each
one is expanding their market reach as well as customer base. Everytime I meet a
Cola salesman he tries to convince me about the obvious reasons for cola
consumption poised to rise in India. The obvious reasons are how low is the per capita
consumption of cola in India vis-a-vis that in Pakistan and other nations.
So it means, if the existing population of consumers are not adding to the bottomline,
target new customers. To position the product before the new envisaged customers,
take out a new campaign to woo new customers like exposed bellies of bikini clad
babes, a guitar, a burger, light-poles at cricket stadium, a cricketer inside ur pocket
and yes, the great SRK !
This advertisement will go down in History of advertising world as the new
chapter written for wooing the non-alive and imaginery objects to buy the products.

Objective of the advertisement was:

The objective of the bare bellies of bikini clad babes was to show that summer is
approaching and dont forget to carry ur Pepsi to quench thirst.The guitar signified
time to roam free since this is a vacation time and people develope and / or nurture
new hobbies ! Playing guitar is one of them !
The stadium flashlight wanting Pepsi reminded people of the ongoing cricket season
and reminded them of having Pepsi while watching the cricket. The singing burger
signified that eating out is a fashion now a days and since this is a holiday season,
people would eat more outside. While doing that don’t forget to have a Pepsi.
The hidden cricketer from the pocket was shut up to create one more shot at the model
of the rival cola company.

What it turned out in reality : Shahrukh Khan sporting his all time ’’I’m the Best’’
attitude on his face walking by few rich babes asking a Rs. 6 Pepsi because it is so
bubbly ! Come on babes, u can earn lifetime money for drinking your Pepsi by
working in the outfit in any remixes or any Vikram Bhat movie !
Forming of lips out of anything went so outrageous afterwards that and finally the
golden moment came....
The golden moment that made me stood up and salute the outrageous creativity of the
ad-maker and not to forget the foresight ness.
 MARKETING THROUGH
ADDS

The world's favourite drink. The world's most valuable brand. The most recognizable
word across the world after OK. Coca-Cola has a truly remarkable heritage. From a
humble beginning in 1886, it is now the flagship brand of the largest manufacturer,
marketer and distributor of non-alcoholic beverages in the world.
Coca-Cola returned to India in 1993 and over the past ten years has captured the
imagination of the nation, building strong associations with cricket, the thriving
cinema industry, music etc. Coca-Cola has been very strongly associated with cricket,
sponsoring the World Cup in 1996 and various other tournaments, including the
Coca-Cola Cup in Sharjah in the late nineties. Coca-Cola's advertising campaigns Jo
Chaho Ho Jaye and Life ho to Aisi were very popular and had entered the youth's
vocabulary. In 2002, Coca-Cola launched the campaign "Thanda Matlab Coca-
Cola" which sky-rocketed the brand to make it India's favourite soft-drink brand. In
2003, Coke was available for just Rs. 5 across the country and this pricing initiative
togetherwith improved distribution ensured that all brands in the portfolio grew leaps
and bounds.
Coca-Cola had signed on various celebrities including movie stars such as Karishma
Kapoor, cricketers such as Srinath, Sourav Ganguly, southern celebrities like Vijay
in the past and today, its brand ambassadors are Aamir Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Vivek
Oberoi and cricketer Virendra Sehwag.
Pepsi keeps price advantage through 60s and 70s, when Pepsi charged its
bottlers 20% less for its concentrate

With rising ingredient costs, Pepsi could no longer offer twice as much for the
same price. So it raised price to Coke’s level giving it a war chest to fuel an
aggressive ad campaign

Battle shifted from Price to Quality, with Pepsi targeting the youth

What followed was the Pepsi Challenge & “Real Thing” Coke ads

Perceived quality caught up. Deeper pocketed and lower cost Coke initiated a price
war in selective markets where Pepsi was weak in the 70s. Pepsi responded with
its discounts and by the end of the 80s, 50% of food store sales were on discount

Other companies moved into the lower left quadrant of the market. But the two
major players forced price down to “ultimate value.”

To break price spiral, Coke launched New Coke to keep Coke loyals and induce
switching among Pepsi buyers. Rejected by market.

Attempts to move to next arena via niches in caffeine and sugar substitutes
 COKE VERSUS PEPSI
The cola wars had become a part of global folklore - something all of us took for
granted. However, for the companies involved, it was a matter of 'fight or succumb.'
Both print and electronic media served as battlefields, with the most bitter of the cola
wars often seen in form of the comparative advertisements.
In the early 1970s, the US soft-drinks market was on the verge of maturity, and as the
major players, Coke and Pepsi offered products that 'looked the same and tasted the
same,' substantial market share growth seemed unlikely. However, Coke and Pepsi
kept rejuvenating the market through product modifications and
pricing/promotion/distribution tactics. As the competition was intense, the companies
had to frequently implement strategic changes in order to gain competitive advantage.
The only way to do this, apart from introducing cosmetic product innovations, was to
fight it out in the marketplace. This modus operandi was followed in the Indian
markets as well with Coke and Pepsi resorting to more innovative tactics to generate
consumer interest. In essence, the companies were trying to increase the whole market
pie, as the market-shares war seemed to get nowhere
This was because both the companies came out with contradictory market share
figures as per surveys conducted by their respective agencies - ORG (Coke) and
IMRB (Pepsi). For instance, in August 2000, Pepsi claimed to have increased its
market share for the first five months of calendar year 2000 to 49% from 47.3%,
while Coke claimed to have increased its share in the market to 57%, in the same
period, from 55%.
Media reports claimed that the rivalry between Coke and Pepsi had ceased to generate
sustained public interest, as it used to in the initial years of the cola brawls worldwide.
They added that it was all just a lot of noise to hardsell a product that had no inherent
merit.
 SOURCES SAYS:
Coke sources in 1996.
"When you're No 2 and you're struggling, you have to be more innovative, work
better, and be more resilient. If we became No 1, we would redefine the market so we
became No 2! The fact is that our competition with the Coca-Cola company is the
single most important reason we've accomplished what we have. And if they were
honest, they would say the same thing."
- Pepsi sources in 1998.
"Both companies did not really concentrate on the fundamentals of marketing like
building strong brand equity in the market, and thus had to resort to such tactics to
garner market shares."
Abstract
When the cola giants, Pepsi and Coke, entered the Indian market, they brought with
them the cola wars that had become part of global folklore. This case study details the
various battles fought in India by the two rivals with its focus on the publicity
campaigns where the two sought to steal each other's fizz. The case also outlines
battles fought on other fronts - conflicts with bottles, product modifications, attempts
to steal the rival's employees and other mini wars.

On the whole, the case attempts to provide a comprehensive perspective regarding the
dimensions of the cola wars and the direction in which they are heading.
When the cola giants, Pepsi and Coke, entered the Indian market, they brought with
them the cola wars that had become part of global folklore. This case study details the
various battles fought in India by the two rivals with its focus on the publicity
campaigns where the two sought to steal each other's fizz. The case also outlines
battles fought on other fronts - conflicts with bottles, product modifications, attempts
to steal the rival's employee
 PEPSI VS. COKE
Making billions from selling carbonated/colored/sweetened water for over 100 years,
Coke and Pepsi had emerged as truly global brands. Coke was born 11 years
before Pepsi in 1887 and, a century later it still maintained its lead in the global cola
market. Pepsi, having always been number two, kept trying harder and harder to beat
Coke at its own game. In this never-ending duel, there was always a new battlefront
opening up somewhere. In India the battle was more intense, as India was one of the
very few areas where Pepsi was the leader in the cola segment. Coke re-entered India
in 1993 and soon entered into a deal with Parle, which had a 60% market share in the
soft drinks segment with its brands Limca, Thums Up and Gold Spot. Following this,
Coke turned into the absolute market leader overnight. The company also acquired
Cadbury Schweppes’ soft drink brands Crush, Canada Dry and Sport Cola in early
1999

Coke was mainly a franchisee-driven operation with the company supplying its soft
drink concentrate to its bottlers around the world. Pepsi took the more capital-
intensive route of owning and running its own bottling factories alongside those of its
franchisees. Over half of Pepsi’s sales were made by its own bottling units

Though Pepsi had a lead over Coke, having come in before the era of economic
liberalization in India, it had to spend the early years fighting the bureaucracy and
Parle’s Ramesh Chuahan every step of the way. Pepsi targeted the youth and seemed
to have struck a right chord with the market. Its performance was praiseworthy, while
Coke had to struggle to a certain extent to get its act right. In a span of 7 years of its
operations in the county, Coke changed its CEO four times. Media reports about the
troubles faced by Coke and the corrective measures it adopted were aplenty
 BOTTLING:
Biggest area of conflict.
Bottling was the biggest area of conflict between Pepsi and Coke. This was
because, bottling operations held the key to distribution, an extremely important
feature for soft-drink marketing. As the wars intensified, both companies took pains to
maintain good relationships with bottlers, in order to avoid defections to the other
camp.

A major stumbling block for Coke was the conflict with its strategic bottling partner,
Ramesh Chauhan of the Parle group of companies. Coke alleged that Chauhan had
secretly manufactured Coke’s concentrate. Chauhan, in turn, accused coke of
backtracking on commitments to grant him bottling rights in Pune and Bangalore and
threatened legal action. The matter almost reached the courts and the strategic alliance
showed signs of coming apart. Industry observers commented that for a company like
Coke that was so heavily franchisee driven, antagonizing its chief bottler was suicidal.
 Coke Vs. Pepsi
(MARKETING)

Control of market share is the key issue in this case study. The situation is both Coke
and Pepsi are trying to gain market share in this beverage market, which is valued at
over $30 billion a year (98). Just how is this done in such a competitive market is the
underlying issue. The facts are that each company is coming up with new products
and ideas in order to increase their market share. The creativity and effectiveness of
each company's marketing strategy will ultimately determine the winner with respect
to sales, profits, and customer loyalty (98). Not only are these two companies
constructing new ways to sell Coke and Pepsi, but they are also thinking of ways in
which to increase market share in other beverage categories. Although the goal of
both companies are exactly the same, the two companies rely on somewhat different
marketing strategies (98). Pepsi has always taken the lead in developing new
products, but Coke soon learned their lesson and started to do the same. Coke hired
marketing executives with good track records (98). Coke also implemented cross
training of managers so it would be more difficult for cliques to form within the
company (98).
On the other hand, Pepsi has always taken more risks, acted rapidly, and was
always developing new advertising ideas. Both companies have also relied on
finding new markets, especially in foreign countries. In the foreign markets, Coke has
been more successful than Pepsi. For example, in Eastern Europe, Pepsi has relied on
a barter system that proved to fail. However, in certain countries that allow direct
comparison, Pepsi has beat Coke. In foreign markets, both companies have followed
the marketing concept by offering products that meet consumer needs (99) in order to
gain market share. For instance, in certain countries, consumers wanted a soft drink
that was low in sugar, yet did not have a diet taste or image (99). Pepsi responded by
developing Pepsi Max. These companies in trying to capture market share have relied
on the development of new products. In some cases the products have been
successful. However, at other times the new products have failed. For Coke,
changing their original formula and introducing it as “New Coke” was a major
failure. The new formula hurt Coke as consumers requested Classic Cokes’ return.
Pepsi has also had its share of failures. Some of their failures included: Pepsi Light,
Pepsi Free, Pepsi AM, and Crystal Pepsi. One solution to increasing market share is to
carefully follow consumer wants in each country.
The next step is to take fast action to develop a product that meets the requirements
for that particular region. Both companies cannot just sell one product; if they do they
will not succeed. They have to always be creating and updating their marketing plans
and products. The companies must be willing to accommodate their “target markets”.
Gaining market share occurs when a company stays one-step ahead of the competition
by knowing what the consumer wants. My recommendation is to make sure the
company is always doing market research. This way they are able to get as much
feedback as possible from consumers. Next, analyze this data as fast as possible, and
then develop the new product based upon this data. Once the product is developed, get
it to the marketplace quickly. Time is a very critical factor. In my opinion, with all of
these factors taken into consideration any company should give any company a good
jump on market share
 HC SETTLES COKE/PEPSI CO

As the summer begins to withdraw, the cola war in India seems to have settled down
for now with the Delhi High Court ruling that comparative advertisements are
admissible under Indian law.
The battle between Coca-Cola and Pepsi started well before spring and only judicial
intervention enabled the marketing guns from blazing through electronic channels
right to living rooms of the thirst-choked Indian consumer.
The game of one-upmanship between the two companies started when Pepsi roped in
Shahrukh Khan as its brand ambassador in an apparent response to Coke’s own
promo star— the latest Bollywood heartthrob Hritik Roshan.
Pepsi’s ad features Shahrukh being spurned by an adolescent girl for a Hritik look-
alike, only to later find out that he had ugly teeth. Pepsi freak Shahrukh Khan
eventually turned out to be the right choice for the girl.
This television commercial virtually set the tone for a one-on-one negative
promotional campaign among the cola majors.
The issue that really took the matter to court rooms was Coca-Cola’s Thumbs Up and
Sprite campaign that began in the later half of February this year building into the
peak summer season.
The Thumbs Up commercial titled the `Thumbs Up Challenge’ campaign featured a
bottle of Thumbs Up and a fictitious bottle bearing the name PAPPI and globe device
with red and blue colours in it, but without the wave in the middle that is contained in
the Pepsi Globe Device.
The other commercial under challenge was the Sprite commercial which parodied an
earlier Pepsi roller coaster commercial
Pepsi submitted that there was “slighting” of Pepsi’s product as the Thumbs Up
advertisement was portraying in a negative manner to dilute its brand equity.
Pepsi held that its rivals were using “globe device” on which the company has a
copyright. The company also pleaded that fictitious cola with the name of “Pappi” in
the advertisement should also be stopped as there were only three cola products in the
market and two of them being held by Coca-Cola.
Pepsi’s contention was that the purpose of Coca-Cola’s comparative advertisement
was to injure Pepsi’s reputation in the eyes of the younger generation.
Coca-Cola contented that there was no prima-facie case of violation of rights as
mentioned in Pepsi’s petition.
The registration of the" globe device" does not prevent another trader from using a
circular device. Nor is Pepsi entitled to any exclusivity in respect of the colours
employed by the company in its "globe device" Coca-Cola contended.
Coca-Cola contended, “The entire campaign only signifies trade puffing which is
always there in trade rivalry. We are not comparing the product in our advertisement
to defame, dilute or disparage the product of our rival”.
The Delhi High Court ruled that “prima facie no case is made out for disparagement
and the defendants (Coca-Cola India) are not passing off their goods as those of the
plaintiffs (Pepsi)”.
There is no material on record to show that the advertisement given by the defendants
(Coca-Cola) harm the business of the plaintiffs (Pepsi) or the goods of the plaintiffs
are bad...”, the court further held.
According to marketing experts, the court’s judgement establishes the fact that
comparative advertisement is gaining ground in India. Comparative advertising has
been and continues to be widely used in the USA and much of the western world
 Pricing and Marketing Strategies
(Pepsi\coca cola)

APART from the high-decibel price wars and the usual battle over market shares, cola
brands Coca-Cola and Pepsi have been in a quiet behind-the-scenes skirmish - to
reach the rural masses. After an almost stagnant growth in this segment for the last
two years, both Coke and Pepsi have made efforts this year to penetrate deep into the
rural markets by substantially increasing their retailer and distribution network and
with innovative pricing and marketing strategies.
While the per-capita consumption of carbonated soft drinks in rural areas is just
2.8 litres compared to the 7.4-litre consumption nationally, the cola majors say
this renewed effort has helped step up sales in the rural markets considerably. While
Pepsi says that the contribution of the rural sales to the overall sales of the company
has been in the range of 10 to15 per cent this year, Coke spokesperson's, in a recent
interview to Catalyst, has been quoted as saying that the company has increased its
rural share from nine per cent two years ago to 25 per cent this year, by penetrating as
many as 40,000 villages.

However, both the companies feel that the rural markets are still largely
untapped and a lot needs to be done. Both of them feel that there is substantial scope
to further increase the contribution of the rural markets to the overall sales.
Speaking to Catalyst, on the sidelines of a seminar on rural marketing, organised by
Direcway, the global education wing of Hughes, George Kovoor, Executive Vice-
President, Traditional Trade, Pepsi Foods Ltd, says: "The major challenge which we
face in the rural markets is availability. Since soft drinks are sold in returnable glass
bottles, one cannot sell through the conventional FMCG wholesale channel to drive
availability in rural markets."
Therefore, the company, says Kovoor, has chosen a `hub and spoke' format of
distribution. "The spoke is typically closest to the retail outlets and is serviced by a
hub distributor who is supplied directly from the plant or the company's warehouse.
This format allows for large loads travelling longer distances and short loads doing
short distances which is cost-effective."

Similarly, Coca-Cola also has a hub and spoke distribution format. "We use all
possible means of transport that range from trucks, auto rickshaws, cycle rickshaws
and hand carts to even camel carts in Rajasthan and mules in the hilly areas, to cart
our products from the nearest hub," says a Coke spokesperson.
Once available, the focus is then on getting the consumer to try the product by giving
him a reason to buy. This also means making the product available in a chilled form at
the neighbourhood store, getting the pricing and packaging right.
According to the Coke spokesperson, due to the poor and erratic power supply in
villages, the company has invested in non-electric chilling equipment to ensure the
availability of chilled products to the consumers. Also he says, "We have doubled the
number of refrigerators in the market to five lakh in the last one year."
With the rural market being extremely price sensitive, the soft drink companies have
to make sure that they strike the right balance as far as pricing is concerned. "We try
and make our products affordable in terms of unit price point. We also take into
consideration the price of the `alternate beverage' options that the consumer has in
these areas," says Kovoor.
However, considering the price-sensitive nature of the consumers in these areas, it is
only the glass bottles that allow the price to be as low as Rs 5, says Kovoor.
"If the same bottle was non-returnable, the end price would have been more than
double because of the cost of the package and that is not a great price offering for the
rural consumer," he says. "However glass bottles are tougher to distribute and sell
since they have to be brought back and the outlets have to deposit glass and crates to
sell our products," he adds.
Apart from pricing, reworking the pack size was also necessary. "The introduction of
200 ml packs at highly affordable prices provided us with a strong product
offering, as our international quality products are made available at affordable prices.
This has helped us compete and increase our share and presence in this market,"
points out the Coke spokesperson.
In fact, a powerful driver for both the companies in the rural markets has been the 200
ml packs.
But attractive pricing and convenient packaging is not enough to sell the brand in
these markets. The greatest challenge is to convince the consumer the need to buy this
product. Says Kovoor, "The issue in the rural markets is not spending power. In fact,
most rural consumers have the spending power, but they have to be given a tangible
reason to buy a soft drink when they have other options to quench their thirst, such as
water or a homemade sherbet."
Therefore, while marketing the product, it is also important for these companies to do
something, which is of relevance to the consumers. In fact, Kovoor feels that
operating rural vans with Pepsi campaigns painted on them is not a very effective idea
to connect with the consumers. "We instead try to participate in various rural
activities such as melas, undertake display drives in mandi stalls, run on-pack promos
and focus a lot on price communication."
Apart from associating in the various mela and haat activities Kovoor points out that
the rural consumers relate a lot to celebrities. "Celebrities have worked out like a
dream for us," he says. A poster of Bollywood star such as Amitabh Bachchan or
cricketer Sachin Tendulkar in a mandi or a mela for instance, says Kovoor, heightens
the aspirational association of their products.
"In fact the Amitabh and Sachin campaign of Pepsi in which the two stars are engaged
in a kite fight or the Sachin campaign in which he is in the midst of a group of
children is focused on our rural audience and have done wonders for us," he says.
Simiarly, Coke's Thanda Matlab campaign as well as the Chota Coke campaign,
points out the Coke spokesperson, also targets the rural masses. "Apart from this, all
our outdoor and indoor communications are also integrated to capture the `consumer
connect' that is established through our TV ads," he says.
Therefore it's not just right pricing and packaging, but it is the ability to establish the
right connect with the consumers which helps a brand to make it big in rural India.
 COKE VERSUS PEPSI

The cola wars had become a part of global folklore - something all of us took for
granted. However, for the companies involved, it was a matter of 'fight or
succumb.' Both print and electronic media served as battlefields, with the most
bitter of the cola wars often seen in form of the comparative advertisements.
In the early 1970s, the US soft-drinks market was on the verge of maturity, and
as the major players, Coke and Pepsi offered products that 'looked the same and
tasted the same,' substantial market share growth seemed unlikely. However,
Coke and Pepsi kept rejuvenating the market through product modifications and
pricing/promotion/distribution tactics. As the competition was intense, the
companies had to frequently implement strategic changes in order to gain
competitive advantage. The only way to do this, apart from introducing cosmetic
product innovations, was to fight it out in the marketplace. This modus operandi
was followed in the Indian markets as well with Coke and Pepsi resorting to
more innovative tactics to generate consumer interest. In essence, the companies
were trying to increase the whole market pie, as the market-shares war seemed
to get nowhere
This was because both the companies came out with contradictory market share
figures as per surveys conducted by their respective agencies - ORG (Coke) and
IMRB (Pepsi). For instance, in August 2000, Pepsi claimed to have increased its
market share for the first five months of calendar year 2000 to 49% from 47.3%,
while Coke claimed to have increased its share in the market to 57%, in the same
period, from 55%. Media reports claimed that the rivalry between Coke and
Pepsi had ceased to generate sustained public interest, as it used to in the initial
years of the cola brawls worldwide. They added that it was all just a lot of noise
to hard-shell a product that had no inherent merit.
 Qualitative Research for Beverage Industry

Beverage Industry
Beverages category can be divided into four parts
Carbonated Drinks:

Coco-cola Company  Coke, Thums-up, Fanta, Sprite.

Pepsi  Pepsi, Miranda, Mountain Dew, 7up

Non-Carbonated Drinks:

Coco-cola Company  Maaza

Pepsi  Mangola

Research Objective

• To find out the stocking pattern & fastest moving product in the beverage
category. (Area wise differentiation)

• To find out the brand visibility and promotional initiative taken by all the
brands.

• To check the outlet serviceability by coke.

• To understand consumers purchase pattern and triggers for purchase.

• To understand consumer perception and behavior towards the beverage

category

• To gauge the shift in trend from carbonated to non carbonated and juices

• To find out the reasons for a brand switch

• Lastly to gather dealer and consumer recommendations

Methodology
Research Design: Personal Interviews

Sample Size: 71 Respondents

Target Profile

(Andheri to Colaba)

16 Retailers (Khirana Stores and Big Retail outlets)

07 Pan Bedi Shops
12 Consumers
02 Eatery

Total: 37
(Borivali to Andheri)

13 Retailers (Khirana Stores and Big Retail outlets)

10 Pan Bedi Shops
08 Consumers
03 Eatery

Total: 34

Research Finding

(Andheri to Colaba)
16 Retailers (Kirana Stores) + 7 Pan Bedi Shops + 2 Eatery
(Total 25 Dealers)

(Borivali to Andheri)
13 Retailers (Kirana Stores) + 10 Pan Bedi Shops + 3 Eatery
(Total 26 Dealers)

Highest Selling Category

(Andheri to Colaba)
75% Dealers said that the Carbonated beverages are the highest selling category.
25% Dealers said that the Carbonated and Non-Carbonated beverages are the
highest selling category.

(Borivali to Andheri)
85% Dealers said that the carbonated beverages are the highest selling category.

15% Dealers said that the Carbonated and Non-Carbonated beverages are the
highest selling category.

Highest Selling Brand

(Andheri to Colaba)
The highest selling brand is Thums-up (coca cola) followed by coke(coca cola).

(Borivali to Andheri)
The highest selling brand is Pepsi followed by Thums-up. (coca cola)

Overall highest selling brands are

1st Thums-up and Pepsi

2nd Sprite
3rd Mirinda

Coke act as a substitute for Thums-up

Brand Visibility

Pepsi spends more on POP’s, Posters, Danglers, Stand and other items.

Pepsi provides regular gifts to retailers.

For Example: Toaster, Glass Dinning Set, Watch, Wall Clock, VIP Bags, Glassware,
T-shirts and Iron.

Coke has not provided any gifts to retailers since last 2 years.

Pepsi and Coke provide similar schemes.

Example: Two 600ml Bottle free with One Box (24 SKU’s) of 600ml Bottles.
Pepsi easily provides fridge to dealers. There are so many dealers who have asked for
fridge from Coke Company but they have not yet received it.

Coke doesn’t pay anything to retailers for their display. Whereas Pepsi pays around
Rs.1500/ Month to their dealers those who are located at prominent area for their
display.

Who influence the buying decision?

(Andheri to Colaba and Borivali to Andheri)

At all retailers shops kids are the main influencers of the buying decision.

At all paanwala shops, smokers themselves are the decision makers.

Outlet Serviceability.
(Andheri to Colaba and Borivali to Andheri)

Coke (brand) is not easily available in an area between Borivali to andheri.

Coke doesn’t send their mechanics promptly to repair their fridge, which they have
given to their dealers. And dealers are suffering losses due to this.

Dealers face problems in exchanging damage SKU’s from salesmen.

Purchase Led by?

(Andheri to Colaba and Borivali to Andheri)

Purchase is led by Teenagers and Executives.

We can consider smokers as our new target group because they like to have a cold drink along with
their cigarette.

Research Finding (Consumers)

(Andheri to Colaba)
12 Consumers

(Borivali to Andheri)
8 Consumers
Total 20 Consumers

What do you prefer to drink ?

(Andheri to Colaba)

In Carbonated drinks consumer prefer Thums-up, sprite and coke

And in Non Carbonated drinks consumers prefer Maaza and Mangola

In this area consumers are more health conscious so they are moving towards Non
Carbonated Drinks and Juices.

Juices are the part of their morning diet and they prefer Maaza or Mangola with their
lunch and snacks.

(Borivali to Andheri)

In Carbonated drinks consumer prefer Pepsi and Thums-up followed by sprite.

Ladies of age group 30+ said they prefer drinking Mirinda in carbonated drinks.

And in Non Carbonated drinks consumer prefer Maaza.

Reason to Consume?
(Andheri to Colaba and Borivali to Andheri)

Two most important reasons to consume Carbonated and Non Carbonated drinks are
firstly to quench their thirst and secondly for taste.

Purchase pattern ?
(Andheri to Colaba and Borivali to Andheri)

Consumers prefer drinking 200ml and 300ml bottles when they are standing and
drinking at retailer’s outlet.

Office executive mostly prefer 200 ml bottles.

Consumers prefer 1.5 Ltr and 2 Ltr bottles for their home.
Triggers to Purchase?
(Andheri to Colaba and Borivali to Andheri)

Consumers prefer to purchase Pepsi and Mirinda for their guests, but few also prefer
Rasna because it is cheap and easy to make.

Consumers don’t prefer to stock Carbonated drinks at home, they prefer to stock fruit
juices at home.

Consumers also like to have cold drinks along with their food.

Main triggers to purchase for home is guests and Booze.

Consumers prefer Thums-up, coke and sprite with their Booze.

Likes, Dislikes and Recommendation about your brand. ?

(Andheri to Colaba and Borivali to Andheri)

Most of the consumers are not brand conscious, taste of the product is more important
for them.

Strong consumer recommendation was that 200 ml and 300ml bottle should also be
made available in plastic bottles like Frooti so that a consumer can conveniently carry
it and move on, he doesn’t have to finish drinking it at the retailer’s outlet.

These 600 ml plastic bottles are highly convenient.

Coke should change their taste a bit, because it is too strong (gassy).

Consumer feels that Maaza is not being promoted much like the remaining coke
products and at the same time it is becoming thinner each day, it is not as thick a
Mangola.

Mountain Dew looks and taste like piss.

Consumer feels that shape of latest 7up bottle is great it is physically

attractive/appealing and brands should go in for innovative shapes like these.
Have you tried coke?
(Andheri to Colaba and Borivali to Andheri)

All the consumer have tried coke atleast once, but they don’t drink coke regularly
because

 they don’t like taste

 they feel it is very strong
 It is not easily available in area between Andheri to Borivali.

What is the reason for brand switching.

(Andheri to Colaba and Borivali to Andheri)

Some reasons of brand switch are

 They like the taste of new brand.

 Flamboyant/Glamorous image of the other brand.
 Shape of the bottle (Physical attraction. Example 7up)

Consumers have switched to juices from coke and Thums-up because of health
reasons and they feel that it contains harmful pesticides.

Consumers have switched to sprite and Mirinda from black drinks firstly because they
feel that black cold drinks have more fizz, which means they are stronger than
transparent and orange cold drinks and secondly it is the weightage and influence of
these brands on their mind.

Highlights & Observations

 Most of the consumers are not brand conscious, they drink whatever is
available and taste of the product is more important for them.

 Myth: Consumers feel that Black cold drinks like (Coke, Thums-up and Pepsi) are stronger
than transparent and Orange cold drinks. (Sprite, 7up, Mirinda and Fanta)

 Consumers of age above 20 years are moving towards juices and Non-
carbonated drinks.

 Consumers of age group between 14 and 20 years are still consuming

carbonated drinks.
 For working executives who eat a lot outside juice form a part of morning diet.
Maaza and Mangola preferred with lunch or evening snacks and cold drinks is
just a thirst quencher.

 Triggers for purchase of cold drinks are guests and Booze.

 Coke (brand) is not easily available in an area between Borivali to Andheri.

 Lack of prompt service from Coke Company for fridge repairing and also
replacement of damage SKU’s.

 Brand can enter in a home through kid, because now a days kid also influences
the buying decision.

 Pepsi’s officials’ even middle level management visits small dealers to

paanwala’s in order to push their product, they make the dealer feel important.
This shows that even the higher-level management goes to grass root level to
push sales.

 Consumers and dealers recommend launching plastic bottle of 200ml and

300ml

 Youngsters and Executives are our target group, but new target group is
smokers, because they drink cold drink (carbonated) along with their cigarette.

 Margins to dealers are same from Coke and Pepsi.

 Pepsi pays Rs.1500/month for their display.

 600 ml bottles are good value for money (Rs. 20)

 Retail outlets giving home delivery say that it is usually for 600ml, 1.5 Ltr and
2 Ltr, whereas 200 ml is a huge success for consumption at the outlet itself.

 Dealers want coke companies fridge, but they is not able to provide it.

 Dealer is a King; only that brand will sell in the market which dealer wants to
sell. This Coke had realized before Pepsi and they used to pamper the dealers,
but they have stopped doing it from the last 2 years whereas Pepsi has
continued to do it all along because of which they are reaping the benefits of
higher sales.
 Evolved Target group consider carbonated cold drinks as the next best option
for water as a thirst quencher whereas non evolved target group consider
carbonated cold drink as a good substitute for water. The ratio to evolved target
group to non-evolved target group is 25:75

 Paanwala’s give 60 % sales of what retailers give, but they are not getting their
due importance, why so? They are selling more carbonated drinks because of
smokers.

 Maaza and Mangola are considered good and economical substitute for juices.
 Cold Drinks make you charitable
When was the last time you bothered to check the MRP on your cold drinks bottle ?
When was the last time you matched the MRP against what you paid ? When was the
last time you got bugged about the fact that you are paying more than the MRP at
your local

Cinema hall, paanwalla’s shop, restaurant or even 5 Star Hotel ? Probably all the
answers to these questions are ’’I don’t remember’’ - I wish I could tell you that you
should not be alarmed but fact of the matter is on a basic estimation a restaurant with
a company provided freezer and electricity paid by the respective beverage company
earns upto 3500/- Rs extra due to the excess amount charged over and above the MRP
of the bottle.

In other words you help contribute Rs 42000 to the local shop due to your generous
ways. Irritated and cheated to the limit - thats what has set me to write a series of
articles on the MRP issue at this very site. Possibly this will help people seek redress
on the issue and you never know public opinion has a way of growing and escalating
to the point that companies and government departments jump up and take notice.

Article 1
The MRP issue on beverages hurts to say the least . The important point is that who
does this hurt in the long run ? - The Dealer - certainly not - he gets paid for the
freezer, the electricity for cooling, and of course his margin. - The Beverage Company
- certainly not - if he clamps down on such activities his products will not be stocked
by dealers and if you believe that the Paanch! Campaign from Coke was a step in the
direction of educating customers it didnt help one bit because you are still paying Rs 6
for a Rs 5 bottle of beverage. And of course the beverage companies shout from the
roof top talking about helping in the arrests of dealers overcharging on MRP.

Only point is that I don’t remember the last time I heard of any beverage company
being involved in the arrest of corrupt dealers. - The consumer - You Bet! The
average beverage-drinking consumer easily shells out an exces of Rs 250 per year on
beverages - not a small amount for every consumer. Coming up in the next article -
How do u seek redress on the same? Hope u will be back - after all this has
significance for one and all
 SAVE INDIA !!!

U CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE TO THE INDIAN ECONOMY BY

FOLLOWING FEW SIMPLE STEPS. Hi friends, Please spare a couple of minutes
here........for the sake of India... our country. I got this article from one of my friend,
but it’s true, I can see this from day to day life, Small example, Before 5
months! ; 1 CAN $ = IND Rs 32After 5 months. Now it is 1 CAN $ = IND Rs
37. I don’t think so, Canadian Economy is booming, but Indian Economy is Going
Down ..Our Economy is in our hands. Do u know this, INDIAN economy is in a crisis
- As you are all aware ! INDIA like many other ASIAN countries, INDIA is
undergoing a severe economic crunch. Many INDIAN industries are closing down.
The INDIAN economy is in a crisis and if we do not take proper steps to control
those, we will be in a critical situation. More than 30000 crore rupees of foreign ex!
change are being siphoned out of our country on products such as cosmetics, snacks,
tea, beverages...etc which are grown, produced and consumed here . A cold drink that
costs only 70/80 paise to produce is sold for NINE rupees, and a major chunk of
profits from these are sent abroad. This is a serious drain on INDIAN economy. Did
you know that ’’ COCA COLA ’’ and ’’ SPRITE ’’ belong to the same multinational
company, ’’ COCA COLA ’’ ? On one hand coke advertisements say that ’ JO
CHAHO HOJAYE, COCACOLA ENJOY’ (i.e . whatever the hell, let it happen, you
drink coke) ; and on the other hand, Sprite says that ’BHUJAO ONLY PYAS, BAKI
ALL BAKWAS’ (i.e. drinks can just quench thirst all other claims are false). What
can you do ? You can consider some of the better alternatives to aerated drinks. For
that matter PEPSI is also the same you can drink LEMON JUICE, FRESH FRUIT
JUICES, CHILLED LASSI (SWEET OR SOUR), BUTTER MILK, CO! CONUT
WATER, JALJEERA, ENERJEE, MASALA MILK.......... Everyone deserves a
healthy drink, including you! Over and above all this, economic sanctions have been
imposed on us. We have nothing against Multinational companies, but to protect our!
r own interests we request everybody to use INDIAN products only for next two
years. With the rise in petrol prices, if we do not do this, the rupee will devalue further
and we will end up paying much more for the same products in the near future. What
you can do about it?
1. Buy only products manufactured by WHOLLY INDIAN COMPANIES.
2. ENROLL as many people as possible for this cause. Each individual should
become a leader for this awareness. This is the only way to save our country from
severe economic crisis. You don’t need to give-up your lifestyle. You just need to
choose an alternate product.
 Aamir's pride, Bubbly's envy
(Article)
Our very own bottle of ’Coke’ or black carbonated water. Summers are back and
so are the days of Aishwarya Rais, Aamir khans and Hrithik Roshans who would
charge crores of bucks to endorse their favourate drink. According to market
share, Coke isnt India’s favourate drink (read soft-carbonated-pesticide-infused-
drink). So, what do Indian like . Aaaaaaaaaa Coke’s archrival Pepsi (the drink
that could titilate every hamburger in town) . No Noways.
The soft drink that rules the heart of Indians (with 23% market share of soft drinks) is
our very own ’’Hai Dum’ Thumbs-Up. Could we actually diffrentiate between these
three black drinks on basis of taste. Perhaps, regular drinkers can answer this one
better and they can do a better job out of it. For me, only way I could differentiate
between the trio is through the brand ambassadors. Or may be through the packaging.
People round the world are evenly divided towards Coke or Pepsi. In India Pepsi has a
slight advantage over Coke. A recent report printed in some newspaper came out with
a very significant fact. According to the report, the people who prefer pepsi over Coke
are SRK fans (more or less) while others follow AK.(Aamir Khan) If that is the
criteria then Pepsi should lead the pack with heavyweights like AB, SRK and co. But
may be Indians still believe in Swadeshi Movement. Probably thats why, Thumbs up
still gets a thumbs up from people while Pepsi and Coke are still laging far behind.
So, its hard to judge which one is better. Why dnt u take your own pic depending on
your favorite actor
 That dark sugary liquid,
Whose colour is of the night.
Those bubbles of carbon dioxide,
Which give me such delight.

Its intensifies that velocity,

With all the energy it does contain.
And to think of life with out it,
Gives an addict mental pain.

But addiction is a bad thing

Remember: smoking kills
Sorry, I just needed a rhyme
To show off my poetic skills ;)

The drink evokes magic

Have you ever wondered how?
This nursery rhyme is getting tedious
I think I’ll shut up now :)