Strategic Marketing Plan for Coca Cola Company in Canada

This report presents a strategic marketing plan for the Coca-Cola Company, focusing on its operations in Canada. It begins with an executive summary and table of contents, followed by an introduction that provides background information on the company's history and product line. A thorough situation analysis examines demographic, socio-cultural, economic, technological, competitive, and regulatory forces influencing the company. The report then delves into the company's target market profile and positioning statement, including a positioning map. The marketing program section covers product, place, price (including strategies and tactics), and promotion. It also includes sales forecasts, marketing budget, and implementation, monitoring, and controlling plans, alongside market research and factors influencing consumer choice, culminating in a conclusion and recommendations.

Running Head: COCA COLA COMPANY STRATEGIC MARKETING PLAN 1
Coca Cola Strategic Marketing Plan
Student’s Name
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Executive Summary
The Coca Cola Company is known to the giant in the soft drink industry, although over
the past year its managerial systems has been questioned by its prospective shareholders about its
ineffectiveness in conducting a marketing research plan. As a result, the company is in questing
of acquiring help from the various service providers in drafting a brilliant marketing plan which
will be useful for the firm in attaining its stated objectives and goals in an effective manner.
Furthermore, it will greatly help the company recuperating the initial dominance in the soft drink
market industry. Through the institution of the reincarnation of the company’s marketing plan
every section of the firms plan will be critically evaluated and keenly examined through research
(Wang, 2015). On the contrary, the examination will take into account various techniques such
as conducting marketing research, auditing, evaluating the company’s present economic progress
and poring over the potential openings for Coca Cola in the soft drink marketplace.

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Table of Contents
Executive Summary.............................................................................................................2
Introduction..........................................................................................................................5
Background......................................................................................................................5
Coca Cola’s Product Line................................................................................................5
Situation Analysis................................................................................................................6
Demographic forces.........................................................................................................7
Socio-cultural forces........................................................................................................7
Economic forces..............................................................................................................8
Technological forces........................................................................................................8
Competitive forces...........................................................................................................8
Regulatory forces.............................................................................................................9
Market Product Focus..........................................................................................................9
Coca Cola Target Market Profile and Persona Canada...................................................9
Positioning Statement....................................................................................................10

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Positioning Map.............................................................................................................12
Marketing Program............................................................................................................13
Product...........................................................................................................................13
Place...............................................................................................................................14
Price...............................................................................................................................14
Pricing Strategies and Tactics....................................................................................15
Pricing methods.........................................................................................................15
Promotion......................................................................................................................16
Sales Forecast, and Marketing Budget..............................................................................16
Implementing Plan (Marketing Plan)................................................................................17
Monitoring and Controlling...........................................................................................18
Market Research........................................................................................................19
Factors Influencing Consumer Choice......................................................................20
Conclusion and Recommendation.....................................................................................20

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Introduction
Background
Coca Cola Company in Canada was initially established in 1886. In this period Dr John
Pemberton sold one drink to his potential consumers at 5 cents. From this period the company
stood up dominating within soft drink global market with a workforce of about 700,000 and
carried along around 500 brands in the market (William, S. & Hein, 2010). The industry covers
international regions whereas in the region of operations the company establishes itself as a
domestic firm, as well as that in Canada. From 1936, Coca Cola Company has been in Canada,
although its commercial existence in the country was set up in 1979 through the licensing of its
supply and bottling channels by the local corporate partners who are the F&N (Kraus, 2018)..
Coca Cola’s Product Line
The Coca Cola Company has a vast product line with the company’s product portfolio
comprising of about 3,500 produced in the Canadian industry. With Inca Kola and the BonAqua
water which are produced in Canada, thus showing the vast range of product line produced by
the company in other global markets (George , 2008, p. 344). The primary products produced by
the Coca Cola Company in Canada include: The Dasani water, Splice, & Mexican Coke, Minute
Maid, Bacardi Mixers Fruitopia, Flavored Cokes such as Cherry and Vanilla, Barq’s Root Beer,
Powerade, Nestea, Tahiti Treat, and the Mello Yello.

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Figure 1: Canada's Coca Cola's product line
Situation Analysis
In this section the paper specifically focuses on the internal and the external factor which
influences the Coca Cola’s business within the Canadian environment. Thus it is essential for
marketer keenly evaluate the company’s internal and external features of the company as well as
the environmental changes that occur within the business. Close evaluation of the business’s
impacts of the environmental changes will result to growth and endurance of the company in the
market. The internal business environment is said to be within the company’s reach thus it can be
easily manageable by the company managerial system (Arab, 2018). Therefore the main aspects
which should be instituted within the Coca Cola industry are improving on the production rates,
which are aided through quality communication and managerial skills.
Demographic forces – Within the demographic segment, the coca cola market share is always
sub-divided into various segments centered in different variables such as social class, occupation,
religion, family status, level of education, age, nationality, and generation. Demographical
factors are important considerations which should be pointed out in order to differentiate the

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company’s customers. This is due to the fact that consumer consumption rates, and taste &
preference are always linked to the stated demographic variables. Additionally, it is much easier
for Coca Cola Company to carry out demographical analysis through the use of surveys and
questionnaires which enables obtain a proper segmentation analysis.
Socio-cultural forces – Social factors are highly valued in the process of structuring the Coca
Cola Company’s marketing plan. This will be initiated through the enactment of the Coca Cola
Zero brand which will be suitable in satisfying the needs of the 21st century consumers.
Additionally, providing sport and bottled water can be an awesome strategy to be used by the
company. In order for the Canadian Coca Cola company to maintain its current position in the
market place it must uphold its current healthy standards outlined within the company’s product
line.
Economic forces – Since Canada is presently facing a substantial economic decline, various
factors such as higher inflation, increased unemployment rates, rising cost of living are
encountered thus making most consumers experience reduced disposable wages thus influencing
their buying abilities. Due to the linkage of bottling company all around the world, which
influences the distribution levels of beverages.
Technological forces – basically technology plays a major role in any business process.
Therefore huge business such as the Coca Cola Company should endow their attention on
technological advancement in order to be effective, and in due course will be great rivals in the
marketplace. Technologically, the company should focus on advancing in the company’s sales

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recording and monitoring, the supply chain and the manufacturing process which will eliminate
external technological dangers.
Competitive forces – There has been vast disparity within Coca Cola tastes and consumer needs
over time. As a result of much attention on the health standards and high nutritional levels such
as obesity majority of customers are developing dissimilar characters and choices if products.
Due to this reason bottled water, energy drinks and tea is upheld compared to the normal soft
drinks. This tends to be a major danger affecting the Coca Cola Company, since the vast change
in consumer tastes and preferences have significantly led to the emanation of huge number of
rivals in the soft drink industry (Noe, 2013).
Regulatory forces – On the other hand regulatory forces can highly impact on the Coca Cola
environment greatly due to various legislations enacted pertaining food and beverages handling.
Advocates are currently working hard for the Canadian government to institute laws regarding
product labeling and promotion in the soft drink industry. Due to the fact that there is vast
number of policies regarding this issue, additional implementation of any other law could lead to
a downturn of the company’s profit and thus increase its expenses.
Market Product Focus
Coca Cola Target Market Profile and Persona Canada
Since the situational analysis has been handled in the prior section, with the Canadian
Coca Cola Company product line achieved this section will entirely focus on the company target
market. Thus based on the situation analysis it is thus seen that the main target market of the

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Canadian Coca Cola Company is vast and thus gratifies many needs of the Canadian people,
varying from the health standards of individuals through the introduction of Diet Coke.
Generally, Coke foodstuffs always make happy many people based in the age levels since
according to research analysis it is postulated that many Coca Cola users love using Coke
(Mokhov & Ryabukhin, 2018). Consequently, soft drink industry is harbors many participants
thus creating allowance to product diversification within the industry.
Positioning Statement
According to Coca Cola positioning statement, “Sales in Canada has outperformed other
countries in the world” which shows that the company’s positioning statement is essential since
it aids the company in crafting visage of the company as projected by the customers in the
market. Since Coca Cola and PepsiCo both produce soft drink beverages PepsiCo may rival with
Coca Cola in the marketplace. Therefore product positioning is essential in assisting Coca Cola
potential customers in comprehending the uniqueness of the product produced by Coca Cola
with that of PepsiCo (Liem & Sigurjonsson, 2014).
Positioning Map
According to Coca Cola Company previous financial analysis the company has been in a
position of acquiring substantial profits with the use of an effective brand positioning map. This
map is effectively used due to the fact that the Canadian market has less competition compared
to other regions of the world where other Coca Cola companies have been established. Through
the vast collection of soft drink within the Coca Cola industry, the company is in a position of

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getting a wider and rigid grasp of the market. The below diagram shows the product positioning
of the Coca Cola Company:
Figure 2: Coca Cola Positioning Map in Canada
The above concise map of Coca Cola Canada shows the company’s positioning with the
market outlining the brands offered in the company. Consequently the map also shows four
possible consumption factors such as the trend, flavor, price, and health standards.
Marketing Program
The scheme of marketing is definitely the most fundamental step of planning the
marketing process in any business. This scheme allows marketers to apply tactics on every
product. Market mix defines a collection of four fundamental factors such as product, place,
prices and promotion). These factors also define the foundation of a particular business and its
strategies. In the stage of planning for the market, the market mix is formulated to fulfill the
demands of the targeted market or attain certain organizational objectives.
Product: Different products are characterized by various physical objects that the company
owns or purchased by potential clients. However, the definition of the term ‘product’ is beyond

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its physical appearance of the goods. In the perspective of marketing, a product may also refer to
a particular services; for instance a movie or holidays services, which allows clients to enjoy as a
form of recreation.
Place: This market mix is significant to the Coca-Cola Company since it will be able to consider
fundamental issues connected to physical supply of its products. Five fundamental components
of geographical distribution are warehousing, order processing, material handling, transportation
and inventory control. The company needs to further aim at balancing their activities with more
fundamental distribution channels. Coca-Cola strategic management practice does not allow any
form of delays in the consumer delivery process (i.e. product delivery to selling points), since
this is insufficient organizational activity that depicts a defective image of services and products
in the company.
Price: this market mix is significant as its affect both the company’s demand and supply chain.
Coca Cola’s price of products is a fundamental factor that might influence the choices of
potential clients. Often, this factor will form the difference that will stimulate consumers to
purchase the product over its competitors. Due to this aspect, policies on pricing have to be
formulated considering other external factors and consumer interests. Fulfilling the demands of
customers is fundamental to achieving a firm balance between the covering of costs of
production and sales expenses.
Pricing Strategies and Tactics

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The strategy on pricing of a firm focusses on attained the speculated market objective,
support product positioning or evaluate all the necessary external factors like competition and
economic influences affect the business. There are five fundamental pricing strategies to be
utilized in any business: penetration forms of pricing, market skim pricing, loss leader, discount
pricing and price points. Over the past decades, the company has utilized the penetration for of
prices as a means of acquiring a position in the competitive market. This strategy has enabled the
company to win a large portion of the market share since its products penetrated in the market
effectively.
Pricing methods
Cost-centered Pricing, Market-centered pricing and Competition-centered pricing are
some of the methods. Considering the past few decade, the company has lost its game in terms of
pricing, only to regain it recently. The company has retained the pricing strength when it utilized
the competitive-centered methodology, which enhanced competition in the soft drinks industry.
Leader-follower Pricing happens when one firm business takes position in the market.
Promotion: In the competitive marketing world established today, getting the best products in
the strategized place at the best time cannot guarantee production success. However, the ability
to embrace effective communication skills target the expected market to enhance the success so
the business and the product (Yuvaraju, Subramanyam & Rao, 2014).
Sales Forecast, and Marketing Budget