Watching director of Marketing for Coca-Cola for the United States of America on CNBC World, Joseph Tripodi, I learned that the key to the drink’s marketing success is associating it to good moments in life. The quasi-documentary TV program, titled Coca-Cola, The Real Story Behind the Real Thing, it is important to relate the product not to just one moment, but several. Advertising usually involves family, sports, the sea, the sun and the idea of what can be considered freedom, happiness and fulfillment. The ads present this every time. In fact, I particularly like one of the ads. It targets young people (ages 12-18) and present many of them “when they are on their own”, doing what they like in their own space, and drinking coke. The TV ad ends with each of the teenagers falling on their backs on their beds, smiling with extasis.
According to Tripodi, their Marketing strategies are so good that in South Africa, for example, and many other developing countries, Coca Cola is well accepted, and marketed as the soda of soccer. Distributors drive their trucks on muddy roads and hand-deliver the cases to the supplier, who’s barely able to carry them on a wheelbarrow to be sold on his front-yard store.
The company continuously renovates in terms of product brands and marketing and, to keep up with the current times, they created the ‘freestyle machine’, a-state-of-the-art piece of equipment designed with the help of Ferrari engineering. The machine has virtually all soda flavors, flavored water, juices, and can dispense them in a jiffy. But the best part is the technology. All the information of customer consumer trends are sent electronically to their base of operations. That means that Coca Cola marketers always know where and which products are preferred around the USA. Recently, Coca Cola has been focusing on variety. They bought several brands and now supply Fanta, Minute Maid, Sprite, Bacardi Mixers, Dannon yogurt, Dasani Spring Water Del Valle fruit drinks, and many others. The list is really long.
So, what is really Coca Cola, or Coke? Nothing but artificial flavor concentrate, a secret ingredient (as cheesy as it sounds), carbonated water and sweetener mixed to perfection.
I wonder how could someone like Tripodi sit for a major TV chain and smile while he describes the attributes of his star product and system of delivery. While they do fabricate healthy product options, the Company’s emphasis continues to be the soda pop market.
He seems to ignore that obesity is in part a direct effect of his American dream. Coca Cola may be a just little part of the problem: they are not the only company selling junk, filled with empty calories, extra sodium and sugars we don’t need. But it is also true that, as the company got richer, Americans’ waists became bigger. In fact, Tripodi’s a bit overweight and, if I’m not mistaken, I saw his cheeks and parts of his forehead were bright red. I’m sure if he quits Coke any auto immune condition will be under control.
For Tripodi’s information, The World Health Organization offers the following data:
Key facts
- · Worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980.
- · In 2008, 1.5 billion adults, 20 and older, were overweight. Of these over 200 million men and nearly 300 million women were obese.
- · 65% of the world's population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight.
- · Nearly 43 million children under the age of five were overweight in 2010.
- · Obesity is preventable.
Obesity is also deadly. At least 2.8 million adults die each year due to obesity and its related conditions. This is called morbid obesity. Obesity plays an important role in causing or worsening heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, infertility, digestive problems, high blood pressure, circulatory problems, thyroid disease and others. The extra body weight carried by an obese person may permanently damage the joints and bones.
According to the WHO “Overweight and obesity are linked to more deaths worldwide than underweight. For example, 65% of the world's population live in countries where overweight and obesity kill more people than underweight (this includes all high-income and most middle-income countries)”1[i].
The good part is that obesity is not that hard to fight. First, there should be absolute changes in diet.
Definitely avoid:
- · Refined sweeteners, like the ones in Coca Cola- we are talking here of sucrose, saccharose, sucrose, corn syrup, etc. They are all great tasting and, believe me, even addictive but contribute too many empty calories. Calories are needed to produce energy, but empty calories contribute absolutely no nutrients, just the flavor. In fact, taste is everything for Tripodi. During the interview, he said that Coca Cola is by far better tasting than its closest competitor, Pepsi cola. He admitted having a bottle of Pepsi in his hand, but just the smell kept him for giving it a try. As I said, empty calories in refined sweeteners are just that: taste with no nutrients. Instead, use natural honey, which “contains 22 amino acids and a variety of minerals essential for its metabolism and hence is helpful in preventing obesity.[ii]” Another healthier options are sugar substitutes not containing
- · Refined carbohydrates –There are many types of carbohydrates, but they’re not all created equal. Avoid especially doughnuts, cake, cookies, made with refined wheat and added sweeteners, artificial colors. Prefer whole grains always. They not only contain more nutrients, but also contribute fiber. For healthy adults, the USDA recommends 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories consumed.
- · Processed foods (such as sausages, sandwich meats, hot dogs). Their high fat content, sodium and additives that make us sick.
I, indeed, recognize and understand that the Coca Cola company does a lot of community
work, but it would be much better if they really meant what they do.
I dare you to LOVE yourself enough to refuse anything that will make your body sick or weak. I dare you to choose water, vitamin water or 100% fruit juices instead of some sort of an artificial secret formula hanging somewhere in a mixture of artificially sweetened carbonated water. I dare you because I love you, dear reader.
