Marketing Plan: Launching Coca-Cola's Snack Product - A Report

This marketing plan details the pre- and post-launch strategies for a new healthy snack product from Coca-Cola, aiming to compete with PepsiCo in the snack category. It outlines the objectives, situational analysis using SWOT, and competitive advantages of the product, focusing on a mix of nuts and berries at a reasonable price. The plan incorporates the SOSTAC framework to define the situation, objectives (pre- and post-launch), strategies (including integrated marketing communication), tactics, actions, and controls. IMC strategies leverage television, outdoor advertising, and internet marketing, including social media engagement and collaborations with food bloggers. The plan emphasizes sustainability in packaging and aims to build customer loyalty and increase product reach. The report concludes that the snack product will meet consumer needs by offering a healthy packaged food option.

Running head: MARKETING PLAN
MARKETING PLAN
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Executive Summary:
The purpose of this report it to stress on the pre-launch and post-launch strategies of a
product. This paper highlighted the diversification of Coca-Cola in the snacks category to
compete on equal grounds with PepsiCo. The paper highlighted the objectives, situational
analysis, and competitive advantage of the healthy snack product of Coca-Cola. In this paper,
the framework of SWOT analysis is also provide for the new snack product. The paper
discussed the Integrated Marketing Strategy for the snack product by mentioning the use of
different media tools. The report concluded by highlighting the feature of the product that
will satisfy the needs of having an option of healthy food in snacks category.

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Discussion..................................................................................................................................3
Launch of a new product under Coca-Cola Company:..........................................................3
SOSTAC of the Snack product of Coca-Cola:.......................................................................4
Conclusion:..............................................................................................................................10

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Introduction
The process of building a comprehensive report, which includes the overall efforts of
a company’s marketing strategies and the detailed requirement of resources for the
implementation of the strategies is known as a Marketing Plan. In this report, three
frameworks of marketing plan will be highlighted, SOSTAC, SWOT and IMC for the new
product launch of the company Coca-Cola in the snacks category. The report will briefly
present the opportunity of diversifying the company’s product range and the execution of a
new product launch.
Discussion
Coca-Cola captures a decent percentage of market share in beverages category but it
faces a tough competition form PepsiCo, which marks the opportunity for Coca-Cola
Company to diversify the product range (Alahi and Bass 2018). Entering in to the snacks
category can compensate one of the major weakness of the company (Coca-
Colacompany.com 2019).
Launch of a new product under Coca-Cola Company:
The introduction of a healthy snack category. The snack product will have mixed nuts and
berries composition with a reasonable price range. The product description of the new
product is given below:
 It will be a mix of nuts and berries.
 The snack could be for breakfast as a serial option and for snacking in evening.
 The product will have reasonable pricing unlike PepsiCo’s Nut Harvest (Van Doorn
and Miloyan 2018, pp.194).

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SOSTAC of the Snack product of Coca-Cola:
1. Situation:
 Marketplace SWOT
Strength-
i. This product will be a healthier alternative of snacks like crisps
and Doritos.
ii. Reasonable pricing so that it can also target college-going
students who are away from home.
iii. The new product will be coordinated with the company’s
approach on sustainability.
iv. The backing of an efficient and aggressive marketing
communication team (ABBASI 2017, pp.194).
v. Global presence of the brand Coca-Cola
Weakness-
i. Competition from PepsiCo (Kayabaº, Boyraz and Derdiyok
2017, pp.351).
ii. Change in the positioning of the brand of being a ‘total
beverage brand’ can be complex to implement.
Opportunity-
i. Improving lifestyle resulting in the awareness of health
consciousness
ii. Availability of health snack option for all category of
consumer with reasonable pricing
Threat-

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Indirect competitors like local snacks joints, local
grocery stores for nuts and berries.
 Customer analysis
i. The snack product will be targeted to lifestyle of psychographic
segment (health conscious people). It will target women (demographic
segment) as they indulge in healthy snacking more than men. It will be
targeted to the college-goers and office-goers.
ii. The increasing awareness and trend of health consciousness.
 Competitor analysis
The snack products of PepsiCo consists of a wide variety of snacking
products but the healthier options lacks global presence, their availability is
restricted to the west countries (Koschmann and Sheth 2016, pp.2).
 Core competencies-
This product will serve various purposes of being consumed as a cereal
bowl with milk and/or can be taken as a ‘on the go’ option of a
healthier snack. It will not contain artificial sweeteners. It will have a
sustainable packaging as Coca-Cola bottles (Jones and Comfort 2018,
pp.34).
2. Objectives:
 Mission-
The mission statement for this category can be- To create value by making the
availability of a healthier option in snacks and for spreading happiness and
care through this brand.
 Vision-

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Becoming a fast-moving category of Coca-Cola Company by offering
a portfolio of healthier snacks options, which satisfies the health conscious
factor in having a snack.
Pre-product launch objectives:
i. To make the consumers of Coke aware of the introduction of a new
category and to make the product easily available
S- SPECIFIC Making customers aware and
make the product readily
available
M- MEASURABLE To have customers reach for the
product for snacking and can
have it from every local
supermarket.
A- ACHIEVABLE To make the product available by
building distributor relationship
R- RELEVANT The launch is expected to be
successful by gaining the
acceptance of Coca Cola’s
presence in a new segment.
T- TIME BOUND The results are expected to be
reflected within three months
from the launch.

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ii. To encourage people for incorporating healthy snaking habit in their
healthy lifestyle and to eliminate the guilt of having healthy food from
a packaged food
S- SPECIFIC Gaining acceptance of a healthy
snack item in the form packaged
food.
M- MEASURABLE The customer base will gradually
increase and thereby acquiring
share of mind for snacking needs.
A- ACHIEVABLE By conducting interactive session
in social media for understanding
consumer psyche.
R- RELEVANT Capturing the share of mind for
the product will increase the
frequency of buying the snack
T- TIME BOUND The result is expected to be
reflected within 3 months from
the launch.
Post-Launch objectives:
i. To increase the reach of the product by 12% thereby make buying
and sharing a ritual which is connected to certain emotions, occasion
or festivals
S- SPECIFIC Converting the decision of

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buying and sharing to a ritual
M- MEASURABLE The customer base will increase
by 34%.
A- ACHIEVABLE By constructing the advertising
content based on emotional and
seasonal theme
R- RELEVANT To establish the product in the
healthy snack category
T- TIME BOUND The result is expected to be
reflected in a year from launch
ii. To build loyal customers like Coke’s
S- SPECIFIC Building loyalty for the product
M- MEASURABLE To gain a significant percentage
of market share in healthy snack
category
A- ACHIEVABLE By organizing campaigns and
increasing customer’s
involvement in the process of
sustainability
R- RELEVANT Having a strong customer base as
close to Coke
T- TIME BOUND The results will be observed in
the 12th month from the launch

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3. Strategy:
 IMC strategies- The Integrated Marketing Communication plan of the
product can be linked with the existent communication channels of Coca-Cola
with a different positioning statement through the tools like Television
advertisements, outdoor advertisement and internet/interactive marketing.
Pre-launch marketing and communication startegies:
i. Television and outdoor (billboard) advertisements both static and
mobile for making people aware of the new category of Coca-Cola.
ii. The power of social media can be used to have a discussion on health
related topics
iii. Building relationship with the food bloggers so that they can become
the influencers of the product and enlighten consumers on how a
packaged food can add value to a healthy lifestyle.
iv. By initiating two way conversations in social networking sites about
the health benefits of a snack item and letting the customers market the
product to the retailers by asking its availibility. According to
Krzywoszynska (2015, pp.491), nowadays youtube have become a
trend among the youngsters, youtubers can also be sponsered for
communicating about the product.
Post-launch marketing and communication startegies:
i. The internet marketing can be facilitated through the Coca-Cola
website (ABBASI 2017). Organizing contests for winning a gift
pack of healthy goodness for your loved ones.

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ii. By posting consumer involvement initiatives in the websites where
consumers can help voluntarily with the recycling of plastic bags
used for packaging.
iii. Planning advertisement content based on occasions and festivals.
 Targeting and Positioning-
Target customers- Office and college goers, women, people with healthy
lifestyle.
Positioning- For people with a healthy lifestyle or are conscious about what
they consume, Coca-Cola is introducing a healthy snack product for spreading
happiness and care in the world by creating a positive difference in people’s
lives as well as the product will be based on the demand of the consumers.
4. Tactics:
The communication strategies can be implemented by using web marketing tool where
the new product can be communicated through youtube advertisements and website engaging
activities like contest of posting an advertisement for the snack with festive themes. The
content of the marketing message of this product can be “ spreading happiness with care”.
Bloggers can be appointed to include the product as an example in their healthy food blog
content.
5. Actions:
Pre-launch-
i. Sourcing nuts and berries from local farmers for supporting their livelihood.

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ii. The guidelines of packaging will utilize sustainable methods by recycling plastic and
paper from the soda bottles with the voluntary contribution of customers and
agencies.
Post-launch-
i. To have an internal team for packaging for ensuring sustainibility
ii. Providing better distributor margin so that exclusive distributors of Coke and
Thums Up can also push the snack brand to the retailers.
6. Control:
Pre-launch-
The success of the category will be assessed by customer satisfaction surveys in colleges,
offices and through social media platform.
Post-launch-
The results form the survey will help in making improvements in the slection of
communication medium and message for the product.
Conclusion:
Therefore, the paper can be concluded by the strategies of the pre-launch and post-
launch of a healthier snack option as a diversified category of the Coca-Cola Company. The
product will satisfy the consumers’ needs by eliminating the guilt of having packaged food as
a healthy alternative.

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References:
ABBASI, H., 2017. Marketing Strategies Of Coke: An Overview. Kaav International Journal
of Economics, Commerce & Business Management, 4, pp.194-199.
Alahi, A. and Bass, E., 2018. COCA-COLA’S FUTURE GROWTH STRATEGY:
DIVERSIFICATION?
Coca-Colacompany.com (2019). The Coca-Cola Company. Coca-Cola Journey Homepage.
[online] Available at: https://www.coca-colacompany.com/ [Accessed 24 Feb. 2019].
Jones, P. and Comfort, D., 2018. The Coca Cola Brand and Sustainability. Indonesian
Journal of Applied Business and Economic Research, 1(1), pp.34-46.
Kayabaº, T.D., Boyraz, G. and Derdiyok, R., 2017. Examining Coca-Cola and Pepsi Brands
under the Basis of Globalisation and Multinational Companies. International Journal of
Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 7(12), pp.351-358.
Koschmann, A. and Sheth, J.N., 2016. Do brands compete or coexist? Evidence from the cola
wars. Kilts Center for Marketing at Chicago Booth–Nielsen Dataset Paper Series, pp.2-051.
Krzywoszynska, A., 2015. Wine is not Coca-Cola: marketization and taste in alternative food
networks. Agriculture and human values, 32(3), pp.491-503.
Van Doorn, G. and Miloyan, B., 2018. The Pepsi Paradox: A review. Food Quality and
Preference, 65, pp.194-197.