How did Coca-Cola become a love brand and what can you do with it?

22 May 2023

My own teenage room was one big Coca-Cola commercial. Everything that could be found from Coca-Cola was found in it. With compliments and thanks to my parents, by the way, who went along with it so sweetly. The wallpaper, duvet cover, barrel, mirror, all the cans and bottles and posters I could find... Coca-Cola. I don't know why exactly, but the story, the curly letters in combination with the bright red, the cheerful advertising images and commercials and of course just the lemonade itself. Coca-Cola was my hero. My very first love brand. And not just from me.

But... whether it was due to this commercial (1987, feel old yet?) I doubt 😂 Do you still recognize it?

From medicinal syrup to worldwide fame

Water, sugar, caramel color (E150d), the flavors vanilla, cinnamon and citrus oil, phosphoric acid and caffeine. That's all it is, and yet the turnover of the Coca-Cola Company in 2021 is more than $ 37 billion. How?!

Sometime in 1886, John Pemberton mixed approximately the above ingredients into a medicinal syrup for fatigue, headaches and stomach problems and he called it 'Coca-Cola'. Within a year, the drink became quite popular. Businessman Asa Griggs Candler saw the potential and bought Pemberton's recipe for $2,300.

Candler then invested in an aggressive marketing strategy, advertising Coca-Cola as a refreshing beverage promoting "health and vitality." He used various marketing tactics, such as free samples and sponsorship of events and sports teams, to boost sales. And the rest is history.

Coca cola bottles

How did Coca-Cola become a love brand?

Coca-Cola has become one of the most iconic brands in the world and is considered a love brand due to its huge popularity and consumer loyalty. There are several factors that contribute to Coca-Cola's status as a love brand:

History and heritage
Coca-Cola was first produced in 1886 and has a long and rich history. The brand has adapted to the changing times, but has always maintained its core values and iconic visual identity.
Strong brand identity
Coca-Cola has a strong brand identity consisting of the red curly letter logo, the curvy bottle, and the distinctive taste and smell. The brand has also followed a recognizable and consistent marketing strategy over the years.
Emotional connection
Coca-Cola has focused on creating an emotional connection with consumers through marketing campaigns that focus on happiness, friendship and community. The brand has also focused on social responsibility, allowing it to identify with a larger and more inclusive audience.
Global reach
Coca-Cola is available worldwide and has adapted to different cultures and languages. This has helped create a universal and ubiquitous brand experience.
Innovation and diversification
Coca-Cola has always focused on innovation and diversification, keeping the brand relevant for new generations. For example, the brand has developed products such as Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero to align with health trends, and has expanded into other beverage categories such as water and juice.

All these factors combined have contributed to Coca-Cola's status as a love brand, associated with happiness, fun, and unforgettable moments.

To underline that, here is a nice compilation of Coca-Cola commercials over the years.

What can you as a brand learn from Coca-Cola?

Brands can apply the success factors of Coca-Cola as a love brand by focusing on the following aspects:

Focus on building a strong brand identity
Brands should focus on developing a recognizable and consistent brand identity that reflects the brand's core values. This can be done by developing your own distinctive branding with a unique logo, color scheme, typography and tone of voice in communication.
Create an emotional connection with consumers
Focus on creating an emotional connection with your customer. Do that through stories that resonate with your audience's emotions and resonate with their values and lifestyle.
Stay relevant by innovating
Adapt to changing trends and needs. Keep innovating and differentiating. This can be done by offering new products, but also by using other marketing strategies as needed. For example, immerse yourself in AI and automation to make your entrepreneurial life easier.
Global brand experience
Do you want to cross national borders? Then focus on creating a universal and ubiquitous brand experience that bridges the cultural and linguistic differences of different markets. This can be done by developing a universal branding and running a multilingual professional web shop that is accessible and understandable anywhere in the world.
Social responsibility
Love brands often focus on social responsibility, which allows them to identify with a larger and more inclusive audience. This can be done through investments in socially responsible projects and sustainable business practices. Look at what Kiva is doing, it's a great initiative to help others on their way.

By focusing on these aspects, your brand can also achieve love brand status, gaining consumer loyalty and popularity.

And this... is my favorite Coca-Cola commercial. If it wasn't already my love brand, it became that immediately after seeing this beautiful minute.

❤️ This is how your brand becomes a love brand!

It is definitely worth investing in building a strong brand identity, brand experience and customer relationship to become a love brand and enjoy the many benefits that come with it!

How do you do that?
I will be happy to explain that thoroughly to you soon Love brand strategy . Put yourself (without obligation) on the waiting list and maybe you will soon build your brand from the foundation to the smoking chimney. Differentiate yourself and win the heart of your customer. This is going to be epic, sign up and be the first to know EVERYTHING!