Possible SWOT Analysis Ideas for the Coca-Cola Company
Coca-Cola is one of the strongest fast moving consumer goods (FMCG’s) brands in the world. Its flagship product was launched in the 1800s and the company has expanded successfully internationally and has developed a very broad range of beverage products.
Here are some possible ideas to feed into a swot analysis for Coca-Cola – as you can see, being such a strong established brand, they probably have less weaknesses than other firms.
Strengths for Coca-Cola
| Good corporate culture |
| Stable cash flows |
| Successful international expansion |
| Sophisticated marketing-mix models |
| Manufacturing expertise |
| Highly automated systems |
| Efficient logistics system |
| Effective use of marketplace data |
| Good identifier of market insights |
| Ability to leap-frog competitor’s technology |
| Strong retailer relationships |
| Strong brand equity |
| Consumer “love” for the brand |
| Lots of key locations |
| Highly effective sales team |
| Successful product line extensions |
| Broad product range |
| High share of target markets |
| Clear value proposition |
| Clear segments targeted effectively |
Weaknesses the Coca-Cola
| Strong existing competitors |
| Many substitute competitive products |
| Broad competitive set |
| Significant channel conflict |
| Seen as being disinterested in corporate social responsibility |
| Targeting price elastic markets |
| Reducing customer lifetime values |
| Limited number of new customers |
| A high-cost logistics system |
Opportunities for Coca-Cola
| Extend our brand into new areas (brand extension) |
| Develop new products for international markets |
| Broaden our product range to target new segments |
| Add more product line extensions |
| Target more price inelastic markets |
| Attract new customers through special offers |
| Use automation to improve performance |
| Leverage our superior logistics system |
| Improve our analytical marketing capabilities |
| Data mining of our customer database |
| Demand for home delivery services |
| Aggressively challenge substitute offerings |
| Leverage bargaining power with retailers |
| Expand number of retailers |
| Acquire a competitor’s successful brand |
| Conduct more marketing experiments |
| Supply private label brands for key retailers |
| Reposition weaker products |
| Introduce low-cost products under a new brand name |
| Identify and pursue relevant market gaps |
Threats for Coca-Cola
| Key competitors gaining market share |
| Inability to grow the customer base long-term |
| Products becoming outdated |
| New products cannibalizing our existing sales |
| Lost of unique product features |
| Failed brand extensions |
| Decline stage of the product life cycle |
| Reaching market saturation |
| Declining share-of-customer |
| A disconnected, and less loyal, customer base |
| Health concerns |
| Increase in commodity prices |
| Home delivery competitors |
| Industry price-war |
| Growing competitive set |
| Competitors targeting our product gaps |
| Retailers not accepting our product line extensions |
| Loss of a key retailer/channel |
| Organized consumer lobby groups |
| Adverse media attention |
Summary SWOT Analysis for Coca-Cola
Helpful further information for a SWOT Analysis for Coca-Cola
Repositioning Coca-Cola and Pepsi in the Cola Wars era
A Little Bit About Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola history began in 1886 when the curiosity of an Atlanta pharmacist, Dr. John S. Pemberton, led him to create a distinctive tasting soft drink that could be sold at soda fountains. He created a flavored syrup, took it to his neighborhood pharmacy, where it was mixed with carbonated water and deemed “excellent" by those who sampled it. Dr. Pemberton’s partner and bookkeeper, Frank M. Robinson, is credited with naming the beverage “Coca‑Cola" as well as designing the trademarked, distinct script, still used today.
Source: Coca-Cola History
What are FMCG’s?
Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), also called consumer packaged goods (CPG), refer to products that are highly in-demand, sold quickly, and affordable. Such items are considered “fast-moving" as they are quick to leave the shelves of a store or supermarket because consumers use them on a regular basis.
Source: Corporate Finance Institute
