CASE STUDY
Is Coke losing its Fizz?
“The Coca-Cola Company exists to benefit and refresh everyone it touches” 
Coca-Cola ’s mission statement
Can Coca-Cola, one of only a handful of truly global brands, really be in trouble? Amidst adverse media coverage and concerns about the sugar content of its core brands, Coca-Cola’s share price has taken a nose dive. The drinks giant has been hit by the explosion of the obesity time bomb! Worse still, industry experts are accusing the company of panic as it struggles to bolster market share with a host of new product launches. Diagnosing Coca-Cola’s malaise reveals rising public expectations about the behaviour and responsibilities of such corporates. The danger is that consumers angered by food companies’ role in the obesity crisis will use their spending power to enforce higher ethical standards.
“some consumers are becoming edgy”
The nation is suffering from a serious weight problem. With a 400 percent rise in obesity levels in just 25 years and weight problems set to overtake smoking as the main cause of premature death, the scale of the problem is huge. Faced with headlines dominated by scare stories about childhood obesity and ‘pester power’, some consumers are becoming edgy.
The problem for Coca-Cola is that these concerns are hitting sales of its core brands such as Coca-Cola, Sprite and Canada Dry. At a time when junk food and sugar-laden fizzy drinks are taking some of the blame for this weighty crisis, the government is getting tough on the food industry. Schools are switching off branded vending machines, campaigns to promote healthy lifestyles are in full flow and bans on junk food advertising may be just around the corner.
So are Coca-Cola and others in the food and beverages sector really responsible for the failing health of the nation? While health experts agree that inactive lifestyles and poor