Institutional Research

With regards to institutional context, the type of company that would be involved with the production of my campaign, would be a multi-national company such as Coca-Cola. According to Wikipedia;

"The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, largest manufacturer, distributor and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups in the world and is one of the largest corporations in the United States. The company is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola, invented by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in 1886. The Coca-Cola formula and brand was bought in 1889 by Asa Candler who incorporated The Coca-Cola Company in 1892. Besides its namesake Coca-Cola beverage, Coca-Cola currently offers nearly 400 brands in over 200 countries or territories and serves 1.5 billion servings each day.[4]

The company operates a franchised distribution system dating from 1889 where The Coca-Cola Company only produces syrup concentrate which is then sold to various bottlers throughout the world who hold an exclusive territory.

The Coca-Cola Company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Its stock is listed on the NYSE and is part of DJIA and S&P 500. Its current president and CEO is Muhtar Kent.

The Coca-Cola Company brands include:

• Barq's
• Coca-Cola
• Coke Zero
• Dasani
• Diet Coke
• Glacéau
• Fanta
• Fresca
• Full Throttle
• Fuze
• Minute Maid
• Odwalla
• Powerade
• Pibb
• Sprite
• Thums Up
• Vault"

^^Source: Wikipedia

The main brand which stands out to me, regarding relativeness to my product, is Powerade.

Powerade is a sports drink manufactured and marketed by The Coca-Cola Company. First introduced in 1988, its primary competitor is PepsiCo's Gatorade. As of July 2007, Powerade has grown to take 14.5 percent of the United States market in its category. (Wikipedia)

Powerade is very closely related to my product, and knowing that The Coca-Cola Company distributes and markets these types of beverages, means that I can include this in my project.

As The Coca-Cola Company are 'the largest manufacturer, distributor and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups in the world', I feel that my product will perform better being manufactured by this company. Coca-Cola has sponsored the English Football League since the beginning of the 2004-05 season (beginning August 2004). Other major sponsorships include NASCAR, the NBA, the PGA Tour, NCAA Championships, the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the NRL and the UEFA European Football Championship, as well as the hit Fox singing-competition series American Idol. Coca-Cola is a sponsor of the nightly talk show on PBS, Charlie Rose. It has also sponsored Barcelona Olympic games in 1992.

Having The Coca-Cola Company be involved with my product, I believe that it will boost the sales and popularity of the sports drink immediately and create the best possible impact on the market. They have the experience and quality to get my product out on to the market quicker than anybody, and also with their expertise in drinks, and past experience from distibuting Powerade, they will offer the best option for me. The costs of the advertising and sponsorship space would be easily covered due to the multi millions the business have made. They are able to make a little risk by taking up a new sports drink.

Why would the Coca-Cola Company want to distribute my product?

With many sports and energy drinks at their feet, the company must know the most effective ways to connect with the audience. The beverages which the Coca-Cola Company distribute are; Aquarius, BPM Energy, Burn, Full Throttle, KMX, Monster Energy, Mother, NOS, Powerade, Powerplay, Relentless, Rockstar, Von Dutch, and Gladiator.