Introduction
Mirroring the world's condition with reference to our postmodern consciousness is something that is borderless, encompassing, limitless and even groundless. This consciousness pasted into our mind is an offshoot of the proliferation of modern science, political and social trickeries, and more so economical maneuvering of most powerful elites and multinational organizations across the continents. This phenomenon recognizes no frontiers not only geographical but cultural. This is best known as globalization.
One of the contestants in an International Speech Contest held in London, four years ago, was a college student studied in one of the prestigious universities in the Philippines took the grand price when she impressed the jurors of her provocative, critical and intellectual sharing of ideas about the topic on globalization. She entitled her speech A Borderless World. It speaks of a world wherein everything is in constant communication. Distance is no longer an adversary for two loving individuals who are separated a thousand miles away. The advent of the new technology and the spontaneous growing of a homogenous consciousness bridges people closer to their families, friends, and loved ones. This is the world that is borderless—a world that strives to be homogenous.
Coca-Cola: In economical perspective
It is to be considered that one of the major commodities in the world is soda, aside from the universal solvent which is water; soda becomes a substitute as a drink. Coca-Cola in this line became successful in launching and introducing their product to different continents specifically, Latin America, Africa, and North America. This success was brought by the open trade and exchange products between countries, and now was become more open due to globalization. Coca-Cola became effective in implementing an early global marketing tactic to penetrate and eventually influenced the indulgence drives of the people. As Julia Galeota analyzed it, Coca-Cola became innovative and unique in bringing and introducing to people their products. Furthermore, the reason why people are easily attracted to the American product is just a matter of marketing, she reiterated:
"It is easy enough to convince Americans of the superiority of their culture, but how does one convince the rest of the world of the superiority of American culture? The answer is simple: marketing. Whether attempting to sell an item, a brand, or an entire culture, marketers have always been able to successfully associate American products with modernity in the minds of consumers worldwide. While corporations seem to simply sell Nike shoes or Gap jeans (both, ironically, manufactured outside of the United States), they are also selling the image of America as the land of "cool." This indissoluble association causes consumers all over the globe to clamor ceaselessly for the same American products (2004)."
Coca-Cola Advertising Campaign
Coca-Cola used the available communication tools in bringing to people their products. Media in this contemporary times place a great importance. In this Age of Information we only rely on the information given by media institution even though we recognized their inability to bring an objective and impartial stories, we do nothing but to be "hooked". Nonetheless, we still manage to purify information and bring the residue in trash. This becomes an influential tool which Coca-Cola used in order to effectively influence the consciousness of the consumers. Again, let me quote Julia Galeota (2004):
In the same vein, this product can bend into a local taste by using local personalities to promote the product like for example, in India, a Coke commercial was done by a local Indian personality named Hrithik Roshan, a Bollywood star, appeared last 2000. The same was made in various continents like Africa, Latin America and Asia. Coca-Cola used the local personalities or even their legua franca in order to situate and connect themselves in their looking way of life. Like in Columbia, what they did was to make commercials using Castillian as the medium used in order that audiences can be able to relate with them. As to the content of Coca-Cola's commercials, they are not only labeled as aesthetically sophisticated but promote values and local culture. The commercials are driven not for profit but by promoting certain ideology. The ideology is embodied in the whole package of commercial, however, to question what ideology it promotes is a difficult task to examine and evaluate.
Coca-Cola Segmentation, Positioning, Targeting, and Branding
(Classic Cola, Diet, and Powerade)
The Classic Cola segmented in various markets. In most of countries, the presentation of classic cola is widely appreciated and consumable compared to other coca-cola products. Since, this classic cola is more of the typical carbonated drink, and is more sweetened compared to diet or light, the segmentation varies to consumers. For example, in the Philippines what is most appealing and usually drink by the people is the classic cola, the segmentation therefore varies according to the taste of its consumers while the positioning of its market is similar with diet/light and other carbonated products. The diet coke is segmented and positioned as offered to those who are health conscious and older people to prevent the level of sugar content and to avoid diseases like diabetes and other sugar-related illness. The target audience of the classic coke and diet coke are different than the Powerade in which it serves to offer a drink for endurance, meaning those who are in sports. Powerade just like Gatorade is all about a supplementary drink for endurance and sustenance of energy. In order to boost one's energy during a basketball or any kind of exhaustive sports, Powerade is on that position. The branding of these drinks are different according to marketing and visual effects that would fundamentally attract the consumers. The packaging of classic coke is different from the diet, in which classic is packaged as to look like a classic coke, while diet or light coke is packaged using visual colors and plastic that looks to the eyes as light as content itself.
Conclusion
The issue of globalization and cultural imperialism matter so much so that each individual should be aware of. Its importance does not only rely on theories that proved to be true and valid or just because it was then brought to light, but on how we become vigilant and conscious about it. This academic endeavor serves not only to comply with the requirements rather to shed light and knowledge to all of us who are consumed consciously or unconsciously by this prevailing phenomenon. Moreover, the idea of understanding the marketing concepts like segmentation, positioning, targeting and marketing mix are important. Although Coca-Cola became globalized due to its effective marketing strategy was suffered from various economic and marketing injuries. It was not an easy thing for them to operate globally, without the good and best tactical procedures in segmenting, positioning, and mixing effective strategic options to attract consumers to buy and somehow, eventually be addictive.
Coca-Cola on the other hand, as based on my analysis does not primarily promote globalization rather economic profit and cultural values with the locales where they are located. Glocalization becomes an effective remedy used by Coca-Cola to make its image good and credible so much so that consumers will patronize them more and love them much. Each products are segmented, positioned, and packaged in a way that it offers a distinct taste and reflect the best of its content.
Mirroring the world's condition with reference to our postmodern consciousness is something that is borderless, encompassing, limitless and even groundless. This consciousness pasted into our mind is an offshoot of the proliferation of modern science, political and social trickeries, and more so economical maneuvering of most powerful elites and multinational organizations across the continents. This phenomenon recognizes no frontiers not only geographical but cultural. This is best known as globalization.
One of the contestants in an International Speech Contest held in London, four years ago, was a college student studied in one of the prestigious universities in the Philippines took the grand price when she impressed the jurors of her provocative, critical and intellectual sharing of ideas about the topic on globalization. She entitled her speech A Borderless World. It speaks of a world wherein everything is in constant communication. Distance is no longer an adversary for two loving individuals who are separated a thousand miles away. The advent of the new technology and the spontaneous growing of a homogenous consciousness bridges people closer to their families, friends, and loved ones. This is the world that is borderless—a world that strives to be homogenous.
Coca-Cola: In economical perspective
It is to be considered that one of the major commodities in the world is soda, aside from the universal solvent which is water; soda becomes a substitute as a drink. Coca-Cola in this line became successful in launching and introducing their product to different continents specifically, Latin America, Africa, and North America. This success was brought by the open trade and exchange products between countries, and now was become more open due to globalization. Coca-Cola became effective in implementing an early global marketing tactic to penetrate and eventually influenced the indulgence drives of the people. As Julia Galeota analyzed it, Coca-Cola became innovative and unique in bringing and introducing to people their products. Furthermore, the reason why people are easily attracted to the American product is just a matter of marketing, she reiterated:
"It is easy enough to convince Americans of the superiority of their culture, but how does one convince the rest of the world of the superiority of American culture? The answer is simple: marketing. Whether attempting to sell an item, a brand, or an entire culture, marketers have always been able to successfully associate American products with modernity in the minds of consumers worldwide. While corporations seem to simply sell Nike shoes or Gap jeans (both, ironically, manufactured outside of the United States), they are also selling the image of America as the land of "cool." This indissoluble association causes consumers all over the globe to clamor ceaselessly for the same American products (2004)."
Coca-Cola Advertising Campaign
Coca-Cola used the available communication tools in bringing to people their products. Media in this contemporary times place a great importance. In this Age of Information we only rely on the information given by media institution even though we recognized their inability to bring an objective and impartial stories, we do nothing but to be "hooked". Nonetheless, we still manage to purify information and bring the residue in trash. This becomes an influential tool which Coca-Cola used in order to effectively influence the consciousness of the consumers. Again, let me quote Julia Galeota (2004):
"An early example of this global marketing tactic was found in a Coca Cola commercial from 1971 featuring children from many different countries innocently singing, "I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony/I'd like to buy the world a Coke to keep it company." This commercial illustrates an attempt to portray a U.S. goods as a product capable of transcending political, ethnic, religious, social, and economic differences to unite the world. "
In the same vein, this product can bend into a local taste by using local personalities to promote the product like for example, in India, a Coke commercial was done by a local Indian personality named Hrithik Roshan, a Bollywood star, appeared last 2000. The same was made in various continents like Africa, Latin America and Asia. Coca-Cola used the local personalities or even their legua franca in order to situate and connect themselves in their looking way of life. Like in Columbia, what they did was to make commercials using Castillian as the medium used in order that audiences can be able to relate with them. As to the content of Coca-Cola's commercials, they are not only labeled as aesthetically sophisticated but promote values and local culture. The commercials are driven not for profit but by promoting certain ideology. The ideology is embodied in the whole package of commercial, however, to question what ideology it promotes is a difficult task to examine and evaluate.
Coca-Cola Segmentation, Positioning, Targeting, and Branding
(Classic Cola, Diet, and Powerade)
The Classic Cola segmented in various markets. In most of countries, the presentation of classic cola is widely appreciated and consumable compared to other coca-cola products. Since, this classic cola is more of the typical carbonated drink, and is more sweetened compared to diet or light, the segmentation varies to consumers. For example, in the Philippines what is most appealing and usually drink by the people is the classic cola, the segmentation therefore varies according to the taste of its consumers while the positioning of its market is similar with diet/light and other carbonated products. The diet coke is segmented and positioned as offered to those who are health conscious and older people to prevent the level of sugar content and to avoid diseases like diabetes and other sugar-related illness. The target audience of the classic coke and diet coke are different than the Powerade in which it serves to offer a drink for endurance, meaning those who are in sports. Powerade just like Gatorade is all about a supplementary drink for endurance and sustenance of energy. In order to boost one's energy during a basketball or any kind of exhaustive sports, Powerade is on that position. The branding of these drinks are different according to marketing and visual effects that would fundamentally attract the consumers. The packaging of classic coke is different from the diet, in which classic is packaged as to look like a classic coke, while diet or light coke is packaged using visual colors and plastic that looks to the eyes as light as content itself.
Conclusion
The issue of globalization and cultural imperialism matter so much so that each individual should be aware of. Its importance does not only rely on theories that proved to be true and valid or just because it was then brought to light, but on how we become vigilant and conscious about it. This academic endeavor serves not only to comply with the requirements rather to shed light and knowledge to all of us who are consumed consciously or unconsciously by this prevailing phenomenon. Moreover, the idea of understanding the marketing concepts like segmentation, positioning, targeting and marketing mix are important. Although Coca-Cola became globalized due to its effective marketing strategy was suffered from various economic and marketing injuries. It was not an easy thing for them to operate globally, without the good and best tactical procedures in segmenting, positioning, and mixing effective strategic options to attract consumers to buy and somehow, eventually be addictive.
Coca-Cola on the other hand, as based on my analysis does not primarily promote globalization rather economic profit and cultural values with the locales where they are located. Glocalization becomes an effective remedy used by Coca-Cola to make its image good and credible so much so that consumers will patronize them more and love them much. Each products are segmented, positioned, and packaged in a way that it offers a distinct taste and reflect the best of its content.
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