Our target company is the Coca-Cola Company. It is an American multinational company that is headquartered in Atlanta Georgia. It is best known for its main brand product-Coca-Cola which was invented by the founder John Stith Pemberton in Columbus, Georgia in 1886. The formula and the brand were later sold to Asa Griggs Candler, who carried out extensive marketing and brand development. This saw the rise of the company to dominate both the local and as well the international market in the 20th Century. The company has maintained the product formula a trade secretes although there are numerous experimental products that have been showcase purporting to demonstrate how the product is being prepared. The company produces the concentrate in the mother company which then sold to the other licensed bottlers throughout the world. The concentrate is then mixed with water, sweeteners and the bottled, canned or sold to venders in many outlets (The Coca-Cola Company, 2015).
Over the recent years, people have become more aware of the products specifications and the health concerns over what they consume taken with many regards. As a result of this, the company has continued to lose the market share to fresh juice companies throughout the regions where it operates. Fresh juice companies brand their products as a better healthier alternative to carbonated drinks and thus dominating the market share. They pack their products in packages of all sizes such that they target all the market segments. Young adults have demonstrated zeal in taking care of their health and thus are the major target markets in all regions. Thus, it has continued to lose the market share to these products in spite of the fact that the product has been around for over a century, and no harmful effects have been reported. In addressing the consumer concerns over the safety of the product, the company should carryout research projects that are aimed at demonstrating that the products have no negative health implications and thus they are safe and refreshing as any other refreshment product. Thus, the problem is that the Coke beverage is losing the market share to other products that are branded as healthy and fresh without many additives.
In this research, the variables will include population that takes coke on daily basis, and another sample that does not take the Coca-cola products. The aim of the research will be to demonstrate to the consumers that Coca-cola soda has no negative health implications and thus it is as safe as the other fresh juices that are in the market. No other probable variable that can be included in the sample is a rider that will help to understand if the population that is campaigning for the healthy products are aware of the ingredients that are used in the healthy branded products. The research will also aim to determine the susceptibility of a consumer to giving up taking coke in favor of a new product that is labeled healthy. Through this study, the company will be able to devise a response strategy that will slow down the decline in the market share of the products. Thus, the variables are population that takes coke on daily basis, those who do not take coke in favor of other products and the susceptibility level of taking up another healthy branded product at the expense of Coca-cola product.
In the research, a controlled sample that will be monitored over a long period of time will be ideal as it will help in the determination of the overall impact of taking Coca-cola products more frequently. In this regard, loyal customers should be invited to participate in the product survey. An online application indicating the frequency of taking Coca-cola products will be carried out. Participant of the products are then asked to wave their rights to the privacy of their medical records. Thus, a researcher will monitor the intakes of the products against the patients’ visits to the health facilities and be able to correlate the data. Not all the health facility visits will be put to considerations. A qualitative analysis will be put to test to ascertain the conditions that are mostly associated with sugars and other ingredients that are used in the manufacture of the products.
In the determination of the susceptibility of the consumers giving up their coca-cola product in favor of a healthy branded product, research questionnaires will be distributed to the consumers. A range of questions designed to collect the information on the brand loyalty against the health concerns will be administered. This will hope to collect the information on how the consumers respond to the prompts and advertisements that targets to create a negative perception on the carbonated drinks in favor of the fresh juice products. By extension, the research will also seek to evaluate if the customers are aware of the ingredients that are used in the healthy branded products. Thus, the questionnaires will include questions such as how often does one takes coca-cola products against the number of times they take the other products. Then, they will be asked about their preferences between a given ranges of the product. A multiple answers will be suggested including the taste, health impacts, and brand loyalty amongst other reasons. If a consumer cite health concerns, they will b asked to name an ingredient in the coca-cola that they think is harmful that is not present in the other products. Thus, the researcher will know if the decisions are based on misinformation in the public domain or whether there is a real concern amongst the employees.
The quality of the data collected will be analyzed on a continuous basis. The researchers on the health implications of taking Coca-cola branded products will be assessed continuously to take note of any changes in other factors such as diet, environment or when diagnosed with other conditions. The research will be carried out by qualified professionals to ensure the quality of the data collected and as well quality control. In the questionnaires, the questions included will be designed by experienced researchers who will monitor the exercise to ensure that all the questions are answered satisfactorily. Online application will ensure that there is a wide geographical range in the coverage. This will ensure that they are not biased by the regions. An example is that people from Georgia value Coca-cola as a regional heritage and thus will tend to be more loyal even amidst the healthy concerns. This will ensure that the collected information is of high quality and that it will yield the desired results.
Thus, the research will be both qualitative and quantitative. The quantitative results will help the company devise advertisement strategies that will counter the perception that carbonated drinks are unhealthy. The qualitative results will determine the impacts of such advertisements to the consumers and thus an appropriate response strategy will be formulated.
References
The Coca-Cola Company. (2015). Our Company - The Coca-Cola Company: The Coca-Cola Company. Retrieved from http://www.coca-colacompany.com/our-company
