Coca-Cola: Evolving Products and Delivery Channels Research Proposal

This research proposal examines the strategic management of Coca-Cola, focusing on the relationship between evolving products and delivery channels. It begins with an introduction to strategic management and its importance in the business context, followed by background information on Coca-Cola's history and market position. The proposal outlines the project topic, which centers on the challenges Coca-Cola faces, including competition and health concerns, and the need for effective communication channels like social media. A literature review explores the concepts of evolving products and delivery channels, their relationship, and relevant theories like Product Growth Theory and coalition theory. The research aims to highlight the importance of social media for Coca-Cola, suggest marketing strategies, and propose the development of healthier beverage options. The methodology involves a deductive approach and the use of secondary data from books, journals, and company websites. The conclusion emphasizes the significance of strategic management, effective distribution channels, and the potential for enhancing Coca-Cola's brand image. The proposal also includes a detailed reference list of sources.

Running head: STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Research proposal on evolving products and delivery channels: A case study of Coca-Cola
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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Table of contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Background................................................................................................................................2
Project topic...............................................................................................................................3
Literature review........................................................................................................................3
Concept of evolving products................................................................................................3
Concept of delivery channels.................................................................................................3
Relation between evolving products and delivery channels..................................................4
Purpose of the research..............................................................................................................5
Research method........................................................................................................................5
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................5
References..................................................................................................................................7

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Introduction
Management is a crucial component within the business activities. Exposing strategic
approach towards management is effective in terms of systematizing the business operations.
Adopting strategic management helps the companies and organizations in maintaining the
competitive pace with the contemporary brands (Robson 2015). This research proposal
attempts to peek into the strategic management of Coca-Cola in terms of maintaining
effective relations with the customers. The main focus of the proposal would be on the
relationship between the management of evolving products and the channels for
communicating the customers about the products.
Background
When Coca-Cola initiated their operations, low cost strategy was used for luring the
customers. The offer was easily accepted by the customers, as Coca-cola was an innovation
into their platter. With the passage of time, target marketing added value to the business.
However, originality was maintained in the product, coke (Coca-cola.com 2018). Along with
this, position mapping helped the company to gain awareness about the current strategic
position in the competitive ambience of the market. Adherence to the standards and protocols
of Ethical Code of Conduct helps in maintaining a fair relationship with the customers.
Typical evidence of this lies in the undertaking of Responsible Marketing Policy in terms of
advertisements (Coca-cola.com 2018). These advertisements make the customers aware of
newly launched products and services. Community service enhances the corporate social
responsibility of the company. Drive towards generating value for the communities, develops
trust, reliance and indicates positive changes (Coca-cola.com 2018).

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Project topic
Rivalry with the competitors is one of the biggest challenges, which Coca-Cola is
facing. Brands like Pepsi aggravate the difficulties for Coca-Cola in terms of achieving
customer satisfaction. This is in terms of the dry taste of Pepsi, which the customer find more
appealing. Moreover, carbonated drinks are adversely affecting the health of the people in the
current fast paced life. Negative publicity and low profits in the strong areas necessitates the
needs for effective communication channels (Coca-cola.com 2018). This research proposal
would shed light on the need of social networking sites for increasing the sales revenue and
profit margin for Coca-Cola.
Literature review
Concept of evolving products
In every business, products are the agents for luring the customers towards the brand
image. At the initiation, certain kinds of products are developed for assessing the response of
the customers. However, new products evolve for attracting certain kind of audience (Hill
2017). This is in terms of increasing the sales revenue and the profit margin. In most of the
cases, it is seen that the companies and organizations, renovate the existing products for
restoring the lost position within the markets. This is done through the means of technology,
which brings automation within the services. Moreover, Hill, Jones and Schilling (2014)
opines that technology helps in finishing the production process within the stipulated time, so
that delay in delivering the orders can be averted.
Concept of delivery channels
After the production of the products has been completed, they need to be delivered to
the customers. There are various channels through which the products are delivered. This can
be segregated into direct and indirect forms. According to the arguments of Wheelen et al.

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(2017), in direct form, the customers get the orders products directly from the manufacturers.
In indirect form, wholesalers and distributors act as agent for delivering the orders to the
customers. In the food and beverage industry, long distribution channels are used for
delivering the goods to the clients and the customers. On the other hand, Rothaermel (2015)
is of the view that the organization hierarchy is three tiered, where the law entrusts the
producer to sell the product to a wholesaler and then to a retailer. Finally the retailer sells the
finished product to the customers.
Relation between evolving products and delivery channels
Until and unless the evolved products are delivered to the clients, value is not
generated to the business. Strategic approach is planning for the prospective delivery channel,
as the product reaches the final stage. Keeping sufficient time for evaluation helps in the
altering the delivery channel, so that the product reaches to the customer in a proper manner
(Lasserre 2017). Here, Product Growth Theory can be brought. The main components of the
theory are the time of initial purchase of the new products and growth rate behaviour.
Morschett, Schramm-Klein and Zentes (2015) states that these components act assistance for
the personnel in terms of estimating the channel, which would be prospective for increasing
the sales revenue and profit margin. Moreover, it would also be productive in terms of
widening the scope and arena of the supply chain network (Bettis et al. 2014).
Coalition theory is also relevant in terms of exploring the dynamics of distributing the
newly evolved products. As a matter of specification, the theory projects the dominance of
powerful channel entities (social media) on the weaker channel members (door to door
marketing) (Trigeorgis and Reuer 2017).

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Purpose of the research
The purpose of this research is to shed light on the importance of social media for
Coca-Cola in terms of engaging with a large number of audiences at a single time. Along
with this, the research proposal aims to suggest the means of campaigning on social
networking sites for increasing the sales revenue and profit margin (Hill, Jones and Schilling
2014). Apart from this, the research proposal would suggest the production of drinks, which
have low carbonate amount. This would be effective in terms of controlling the health
conditions, especially, those suffering from diabetes and are fond of cold drinks (Hill 2017).
Data collection would help in providing an insight into the approaches of the people
regarding the use of different channels for distributing the newly evolved drinks. Analysis of
the collected data, would further, be assistance in terms of deducing relevant results on
supply chain network.
Research method
In the research proposal, deductive approach would be followed for gaining an
insight into the channels adopted by Coca-Cola for delivering the newly evolved cold drinks
and other beverages (Mackey and Gass 2015). Data for the research would be collected
through secondary data. As a matter of specification, books, journals and company websites
would be used for collecting relevant data. Themes would be developed regarding the
evolving products and the distribution channels in case of brands like Coca-Cola. This would
suffice the need for data analysis process (Taylor, Bogdan and DeVault 2015). Along with
this, other case studies would be referred for developing a competitive study between the
brands of the food and beverage industry (Bettis, Gambardella, Helfat and Mitchell 2014).

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Conclusion
This research proposal aims to excavate the impact of different distribution channels
on delivering the newly evolved products to the customers. Purpose of the research clarifies
the doubts of the readers regarding the need for strategic management within the current
competitive ambience of the market. Background of the research is a base, which addresses
the significance of strategic management in case of Coca-Cola for overcoming the
weaknesses like weak publicity and low profit in the strong areas. Literature review enhances
the knowledge, skills and expertise of the readers regarding the impact of different
distribution channels on the effective use of the newly evolving products. Research
methodology sheds light on the methods through which the collected data would be analyzed.
Here, deductive approach is crucial in terms of deducing relevant results in terms of
enhancing the supply chain network in case of brands like Coca-Cola. Using proper
distribution channels would help Coca-Cola in enhancing their brand image in a global
perspective.

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References
Bettis, R., Gambardella, A., Helfat, C. and Mitchell, W., 2014. Quantitative empirical
analysis in strategic management. Strategic Management Journal, 35(7), pp.949-953.
Coca-cola.com 2018. About us. Available at: http://www.coca-cola.com/global/ [Accessed on
6th Nov 2018]
Hill, C.W., Jones, G.R. and Schilling, M.A., 2014. Strategic management: theory: an
integrated approach. Cengage Learning.
Hill, T., 2017. Manufacturing strategy: the strategic management of the manufacturing
function. Macmillan International Higher Education.
Lasserre, P., 2017. Global strategic management. Macmillan International Higher Education.
Mackey, A. and Gass, S.M., 2015. Second language research: Methodology and design.
Routledge.
Morschett, D., Schramm-Klein, H. and Zentes, J., 2015. Strategic international
management (pp. 978-3658078836). Springer.
Robson, W., 2015. Strategic management and information systems. Pearson Higher Ed.
Rothaermel, F.T., 2015. Strategic management. McGraw-Hill Education.
Taylor, S.J., Bogdan, R. and DeVault, M., 2015. Introduction to qualitative research
methods: A guidebook and resource. John Wiley & Sons.
Trigeorgis, L. and Reuer, J.J., 2017. Real options theory in strategic management. Strategic
Management Journal, 38(1), pp.42-63.

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Wheelen, T.L., Hunger, J.D., Hoffman, A.N. and Bamford, C.E., 2017. Strategic
management and business policy. pearson.