Coca Cola Might Have Just Shot Itself In The Foot.

It is safe to say that most Nigerians have had their fair share of the ongoing recession in the country, brands inclusive. This economic down turn has led to some brands going under while some have curiously grown stronger. Worthy of Note are the brands that have stayed true to their core values and has put the consumers first amidst the stifling economy.

Other brands have had to reduce the quality of service & products and still increased prices with the misconstrued mindset that the consumer is obviously aware of the situation of the country.

Getting to the top position is one thing, maintaining that spot is another because a myriad of factors has to be put in a check to stay above. You become a visible target to competitors, easy to spot your foibles and even super easy to feast on your weaknesses. One of such is captured in an article I wrote last year about how a new entrant forced the market Leaders-Coke and Pepsi to dance to its tune.

The threat Big Cola posed to both Coca Cola and Pepsi might have reduced and the battle seemed to have been won. Little wonder, the transition of both brands from 60cl to their classic 50cl. While one might have gotten it right, the other seemed to might have just goofed.

Recently I stepped into a restaurant to have lunch and for a moment it seemed my eyes were playing tricks on me until I moved closer to the refrigerator only to discover that there was a smaller PET Coca Cola there. Curious, I asked the price and I was told 35cl cost N100 while 60cl cost N150.

My first impression was that of chagrin and mixed feelings, we know there’s a recession but it shouldn’t really be rubbed on our faces. Taste might have been the difference between competing brands but the less is more the bottle was preaching wasn’t just working ‘for me’.

I was still ruminating on this ill-advised move when Pepsi commenced its #NoShakingCarryGo campaign which was/is geared at informing its consumers of its price revert to N100 and yes at 50cl quantity.

This creates an imbalance competition and obviously an opportunity that Pepsi is definitely not going to let slide under the carpet. For while Coca Cola 35cl sells for N100, Pepsi thrives at 50cl for the same price. This move might have been ignored by the undiscerning consumer if it were a monopoly but that’s not so. Taste is not just the difference, Price is too.

Pepsi as a brand, have mastered the art of what Al Ries and Jack Trout calls the Law of the Opposite, predicated on the ideology that in the strength of the leader there’s weakness, find it and do what it can’t. This has made Pepsi not to strive to be better but different, appealing to the ‘alternatives’ and the younger generation.

Pricing is a crucial element in the marketing mix which has the capacity to ruin a company’s business strategy if done foolhardy. Some schools of thought are still of the opinion that the reason Etisalat (now 9mobile) had a rough ride was that it priced itself above its competitor but that’s a conversation for another day.

In a fast paced, competitive climate, brands need to be quite thoughtful about the choices it makes. Truth is, Coca Cola is a strong brand with a remarkable equity but for every one consumer it loses due to a wrong decision, there are one thousand others queuing to be lost. 

Do you think Coke made an ill-advised move?