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What Does Coca-Cola Own?

what does coca cola own

The question of what Coca-Cola owns makes me laugh. Maybe one should ask what doesn’t Coca-Cola own. This statement would be more apt. In the space of 135 years, Coca-Cola has grown into the leading beverage corporation in the world. They now produce more than 2,800 products which are sold in more than 200 countries worldwide.

The scale of the corporation’s expansion is simply mind-blowing. Their products range from but are not limited to carbonated soft drinks, sports & hydration drinks, energy drinks, juice & smoothie drinks, tea, coffee, and alcoholic beverages.

The corporation’s net worth as of October 2023 is an estimated 240 billion US dollars cementing it well on top of the drinks leaderboard.

Coca-Cola’s most profound acquisition came in 2018. The corporation purchased Costa Coffee, the UK’s favorite coffee franchise, for six billion dollars. This pickup gave the drinks giant control of the world’s second largest coffee chain.

Coca-Cola’s Top 30 Brands

Sodas Coffee
& Teas
Sports &
Hydration
Non-Dairy
Alternative
Juice &
Smoothies
Bottled
Water
Dairy Alcohol
Coca-Cola Costa Coffee Powerade AdeS Minute Maid Dasani Fairlife Lemon-Dou
Sprite Georgia BodyArmor   Simply Beverages Ceil   Topo Chico
Hard Seltzer
Fanta FuseTea Smartwater   Innocent Drinks I Lohas   Jack Daniels
& Coca-Cola
Fresco Honest VitaminWater   Appletiser Topo Chico    
Barq’s Root Beer Doğadan Tea Aquarius          
Diet Coke Gold Peak Tea            
Schweppes              
Mello Yello              

For more information, jump straight to COCA-COLA’S TOP 30 BRANDS.

Humble Beginnings

Many might not know this, but Coca-Cola started as a medicinal elixir to heal all manner of ailments and conditions.

Its inventor, John S. Pemberton, was a pharmacist and renowned war veteran. In 1865, as a young lieutenant colonel in the 3rd Georgia Cavalry, Pemberton was severely injured at the battle of Columbus. It was the last major conflict of the American Civil war.

In a mounted skirmish on the edge of the battlefield, Pemberton was run through by a Union soldier’s sword. The resulting chest injury would haunt him for the rest of his life. Addicted to morphine, it’s hard to imagine that the suffering of a venerated cavalry officer would become the catalyst to creating the largest drinks empire the world has ever seen.

A Star is Born

The year is 1885. Pemberton has spent the last 20 years searching for alternative ways to alleviate his pain. The injury and long-standing laudanum addiction had taken their toll on his health and finances.

The solution, when it finally presents itself, comes a little too late. Of course, Pemberton didn’t know this at the time. He thought quite the opposite. Years of dedicated searching had finally introduced him to a patented medicinal wine mixture called Vin Mariani.

The fortified wine amalgam contains cocaine and alcohol to form coca-ethylene. This powerful concoction produces immediate pain relief, high energy, mental alertness, and self-confidence. With renewed clarity, Pemberton receives a long-awaited sense of hope. He now has an opportunity to solve his health and financial-related issues.

A Star is Born

Time for Some re-engineering…

Putting to task his unique set of pharmaceutical skills, Pemberton sets to work re-engineering Angelo Mariani’s health elixir.

His timing, however, was not that great. With newly enacted prohibition laws in Atlanta, Pemberton has to remove the wine content from the recipe. Fortunately for Coca-Cola, though, this is resolved with some canny creative license. Simply put, Pemberton substitutes the wine for loads of sugar, Coca plant extract, and caffeine from the Kola nut.

The thick sweet syrup produced would be mixed with carbonated water and dispensed in soda fountains. Frank Robinson, Pemberton’s accountant, and close friend, coins the name Coca-Cola after the two main ingredients and pens the calligraphic logo. The rest, as they say, is history. A star was born!

Passing the Baton

In 1888 Coca-Cola was sold to Asa Candler. John Pemberton’s health-related issues had taken a turn for the worse. Candler, a fellow druggist, and entrepreneur, first met Pemberton at Jacob’s Pharmacy in downtown Atlanta. It was here that Candler became fascinated with the flavor and thirst-quenching freshness of the drink.

When Pemberton became seriously ill, Candler took hold of the baton. He purchased the rights and formula to Coca-Cola, eventually incorporating the company in 1892. Candler then expands Coca-Cola’s reach through aggressive marketing and distribution strategies.

Expansion

Coca-Cola continues to march forward. Candler, however, realizes that he is only targeting a small part of the available market. In 1903, to increase Coca-Cola’s reach, Candler eliminates all traces of cocaine from the formula. Why sell a medicinal elixir to a small portion of the market when you could sell a refreshing effervescent drink to everyone? Extraction is a simple chemical process. The flavor of the drink is primarily derived from the coca leaves themselves.

Coca-Cola’s key to expansion is marketing. To this end, the company begins to re-invest more and more of its profits into advertising. This results in Coca-Cola’s annual operational budget surpassing the 1 million dollar mark in 1911.

Expansion

Six Decades of Stewardship

By the time 1916 came around, the Coca-Cola Company had contracts with over 2,500 wholesale bottler operations and over 400,000 retail outlets across the United States.

To further strengthen the brand, the iconic Coca-Cola bottle is designed and patented by the Root Glass Company. The classic hourglass shape is readily accepted by the independent Coca-Cola Bottlers Association.

In 1919 the Candler family shareholdings were sold, paving the way for six decades of stewardship under Robert W. Woodruff. The company expands rapidly under his ambitious leadership. By World War 2’s end, Coca-Cola is established worldwide with bottling operations in over 50 countries.

Multiple Strings to One’s Bow

Coca-Cola’s rise to prominence came on the back of its signature namesake brand. It needed to expand its reach and establish its market share. Once this was achieved, however, the business would come down to maintaining and building the company’s holdings.

Generations change, ideas change, tastes change, and competition grows. To stay ahead of the pack, Coca-Cola needed to reinforce, innovate and acquire.

In 1955 Fanta is re-developed in Italy to offer choice. The world loves fruity-flavored carbonated beverages, and Coca-Cola needs to secure this market. Fanta is a huge success. Fanta is also the most flexible brand the company owns. Its recipe, color, and promoted flavors differ depending on the country of sale. Today Fanta ranks as the 11th most popular non-alcoholic brand worldwide, with Orange, Grape, Strawberry, and Pineapple as the leading flavors.

1960 sees the acquisition of Minute Maid. This is the Coca-Cola Company’s first non-carbonated fruit juice concentrate drink. The brand goes on to create over 100 natural flavor-based beverages and becomes pivotal in future brand developments.

Multiple Strings to One’s Bow

A year later, Sprite is developed…

Sprite is a clear, zesty, lemon-lime-flavored beverage that tickles the tongue and refreshes the senses. It’s an immediate hit. So much so that Sprite is the Coca-Cola Company’s second most popular brand behind Coca-Cola itself.

Five years on and Fresca becomes the first low-calorie, sugar-free drink created by the company. Its original tart grapefruit and lime flavors are predominantly suitable for cocktails and more mature palates. Today, Fresca is a legendary brand that has cemented a permanent place in Coca-Cola’s history.

Although not as popular as Coca-Cola, Fanta, or Sprite, it has never wavered as one of the company’s front-line labels. Marketed now as a sparkling soda, Fresca comes in Grapefruit, Black Cherry, Blackberry, and Peach Citrus flavors.

The years roll by, and Coca-Cola develops a plethora of other brands. Notable mentions include Mello Yello and Diet Coke.

In 1995 Coca-Cola secures another major acquisition, Barq’s Root Beer, a brand with a 100-year history and a taste that packs a punch! Barq’s goes on to become a leading competitor in the root beer crème soda market.

If this is not enough…

Coca-Cola develops Powerade in 1992. The brand holds a small 15% of the US sports drink market. Coca-Cola wants more. In 2018, the corporation set out to acquire Bodyarmor. The purchase price rivals that of Costa Coffee. Together, the two brands currently secure 25% of the US sports drink market and intend to take more.

As we enter the 21st century, there is an increased demand for fresh juices. Health and wellness are trending again. People are looking for healthier alternatives that are not made from concentrate.

Simply Beverages was founded in 2001 by Minute Maid. In 2023, the brand will deliver over 30 fruit juice and smoothie options to a more discerning niche. Coca-Cola also owns Innocent DrinksAHA and Appletiser. These five brands and the line of beverages they produce serve the juice, smoothie, and sparkling water markets worldwide.

Plus, good old H2o…

This type of market coverage applies to water as well. Coca-Cola owns DasaniCeilTopo Chico, and I Lohas. Consumers who lead healthy, active lifestyles are looking to hydrate with nature’s own. The drinks giant knows that the key to success is choice. Glacéau’s Smartwater and Vitaminwater, along with Aquarius (the official drink of the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona), are Coca-Cola’s bedrock hydration brands.

By now, you should see where this is going. We all know that coffee and tea command a significant share of the drinks market. After all, caffeine, the world’s favorite pick-me-up, is a part of every person’s daily life. Coca-Cola does not neglect this demand. If the corporation doesn’t step in, competitors will. Costa CoffeeGeorgiaFuseTeaHonestDoğadan Tea, and Gold Peak Tea are Coca-Cola’s vanguard brands.

And dairy?

In case you’re wondering about dairy, Fairlife was fully acquired by Coca-Cola in 2020. The brand offers DHC ultra-filtered milk beverages, and Core Power Protein shakes. For people who enjoy nourishing milk-based products, Fairlife claims ethical farming operations. They partner with small, animal-friendly operations to ensure a stress-free, natural, high-nutritional quality of life for the producing farm animals.

For those that prefer not to consume animal-based products, Coca-Cola acquired AdeS in 2016. The Spanish acronym translates to food from seeds. AdeS offers a range of beverages that blend soy, coconut, and almonds with a wide variety of fruit juices. These non-dairy drinks are high in vitamins and minerals and provide a flavorful taste alternative.

To round out Coca-Cola’s leading Sodas, as of 2023, the Company owns Schweppes in 21 European countries and a few US territories. The historic lightning-in-a-bottle brand is a leading player in the European drinks economy. To complement Schweppes in the European market, Coca-Cola also acquired Dr. Pepper. Together, they form a formidable front of beverage choice across the EU.

The First Calls for Alcohol

The First Calls for Alcohol

The Coca-Cola Company’s first ready-to-drink alcoholic beverage is what the Japanese call a “Chu-Hai.” Lemon-Dou was developed in 2018 to compete in this marketplace. The drink, made from carbonated water and crushed whole lemons, is infused with alcohol. The brand is a lemon-sour delight for cocktail drinkers.

The next call for alcohol came when Topo Chico infused their sparkling mineral water and juice mixes to create Topo Chico Hard Seltzer. The eight unique and refreshing flavors have set the market on fire. Coca-Cola’s next planned ready-to-drink inclusion will be the bar-top favorite, Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola.

Want to Know More about Coca-Cola?

Then check out our informative looks at Who Owns Coca-Cola and our in-depth Coca-Cola Mission and Vision Statement Analysis.

Or, if you’re thinking of a career with Coca-Cola, then it’s well worth checking out our in-depth guide to the Coca-Cola Application. But, if you happen to have a criminal record, be sure to find out Does Coca-Cola Hire Felons in 2023.

Or, if you want to know more about company ownership, then our guides on Who Owns Dr. PepperWho Owns HersheyWho Owns PopeyesWho Owns TwitterWho Owns DreamworksWho owns Netflix, and Who Owns ESPN may well be worth a look.

Final Thoughts

In closing, the Coca-Cola brand started as a refreshing, uplifting, effervescent drink providing high energy and mental alertness.

One hundred and thirty-five years on, apart from the myriad of brands now on offer, nothing much has changed. The corporations’ products are still designed, albeit now in a more refined, scientific way, to give you that same professed boost.

The brands are vitamin and mineral-rich, protein-or caffeine-stacked, and loaded with antioxidants, nutrients, and electrolytes. 

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