Why does Coca-Cola need commercials?

[madd069]

This is truly an off topic question. Why does Coke and other soda companies need commercails? Do they think we will forget thier product? Its not like someone will hate coke, then see a comercial and say, "Im ganna go try that". Dont we all know if we like coke or not. Hasnt everyone heard of Coke? What does multiple commercials do? I am not talking about when they have new products (cherry coke, etc.) Please reply.

[shadepanther]

Actually Coca cola isn't number 1 in Scotland. Go Irn-Bru!
http://www.irn-bru.co.uk/

[madd069]

That wasnt my point. Not number 1 in USA in my opinion either.

[RusskiSoldat]

Believe it or not, the people will forget without commercials.

There was an experiment about this int eh 1930s, and people will forget unless you remind them that your product is awesome.

[madd069]

I see about 1 coke commercial a day. I dont think ill forget. Dr. Pepper is my favourite. I never see commercials for it. I still think its my favourite.

[AlexanderII]

I dont think its so much that people will forget, it's more that it will slip their minds...which isnt always a bad thing for the people.

[MadBurgerMaker]

I see about 1 coke commercial a day. I dont think ill forget. Dr. Pepper is my favourite. I never see commercials for it. I still think its my favourite.

Bah...I see frickin lame, annoying Dr. Pepper commercials all the time here (along with all the Coke, Pepsi, etc, ones). Id have to say the absolute worst ones are the Fanta commercials, though. Good God.

I dont think its so much that people will forget, it's more that it will slip their minds...which isnt always a bad thing for the people.

Yeah...The companies wouldnt want you to forget to buy their product whenever youre at the store, so they bombard us with "reminders." Terribly annoying, but every company does it (except cigarette makers...they actually now have to pay for commercials that bombard us with reasons NOT to use their products....).

[ajimenez3]

Actually they need them to get the kids to pester their parents to buy them sodas. After all they always need to target that up and comming generation.

Also commercials are also aimed at stealing other soda drinkers away from the other sodas.


Semper Fi

[madd069]

But its not like if you hate coke and like DP you see a coke commercial and say, Ill go drink a coke. I see 1 DP commercial a month, I dont forget it, i still buy DPs when at restuarnats.

[shadepanther]

Yeah, Coke's nice and all buts its not likely you can forget it. I prefer C&C stuff. They have 7UP, Pepsi (in the whole or Ireland at least) as well as Club range, club lemon and my personal favourite Rock shandy (mix of lemon and orange)

They have pretty much no advertising but Club orange is nuber 1 orange soda in the republic of Ireland

[RusskiSoldat]

(except cigarette makers...they actually now have to pay for commercials that bombard us with reasons NOT to use their products....).

Especially in Europe from what I heard. It's pretty tame in Russia, and almost non existant in America.
EDIT: not that I mind. I fully now how dangerous smoking is.

[Lord Tomyris]

I've seen about one coca cola advert when I was seven. That has been all.

[Erik]

Coca Cola needs to advertise because there are companies like Pepsi who make cheap immitations of their products.

It's called open-market competition and it ensures that consumers have to pay 3X as much.

[bfanboy]

Actually, it ensures that we DON'T pay 3x as much. If Coca-Cola had no competition, they would be classified as a monopoly and product price would go sky high because there would be no substitute good for the consumers to purchase.

I also would not classify Pepsi as a "cheaper product". They are usually the same price at the store, unless one is on sale. And it seems to alternate weekly which one is on sale.

[krazykarl]

I think that the main reason is to get you to drink MORE coke. You see a coke commercial, you are thirsty, you think to youself, hmm i should go get a coke out of the fridge. Then you drink your case of coke faster, causing you to have to go buy more of it, and coca cola inc makes money off you. If advertising didnt work, corporations wouldnt shell out massive amounts of money for space. There is enough advertising in the world to financially support large portions of the internet and pretty much all non-pay TV.

[Erik]

Actually, it ensures that we DON'T pay 3x as much. If Coca-Cola had no competition, they would be classified as a monopoly and product price would go sky high because there would be no substitute good for the consumers to purchase.

I also would not classify Pepsi as a "cheaper product". They are usually the same price at the store, unless one is on sale. And it seems to alternate weekly which one is on sale.

Pepsi was the cheap alternative when they started out.
But then Pepsi started advertising too, and it became as expensive as Coca Cola.

If you buy a bottle of Coke the vast majority of your money goes to advertising, next is distribution, and then a few percent go to production and a minute fraction goes to profit.

If the price was controlled by the government they could make 100X as much profit and still be cheaper for the consumers.

Not that I want to make a serious sugestion because I know that advertising makes things like watching TV cheaper, so in the end it doesn't matter.

[Aaron88]

Advertising = Profit
2 x Advertising = 2 x Profit
and so on....

It's basic marketing, the more a product is in the public mind, the more it is purchased. It doesn't matter how popular a product is, if people don't see it on t.v. anymore, they stop thinking about it. People are more comfortable buying something they see all the time.

[Dan_Grr]

Actually, it ensures that we DON'T pay 3x as much. If Coca-Cola had no competition, they would be classified as a monopoly and product price would go sky high because there would be no substitute good for the consumers to purchase.

I also would not classify Pepsi as a "cheaper product". They are usually the same price at the store, unless one is on sale. And it seems to alternate weekly which one is on sale.

Exactly, just remember back in the old days of Henry Ford: "You can choose the car's color, as long as its black"

[shadepanther]

IIRC Radio advertising means that you are 33% more likely to buy their product. So it is quite important for them. Ever notice how Coca cola always have a huge advertising campaign not long after Pepsi start one?

[Wild Bill Kelso]

People do forget about products. I know this from personal experiance. In Japan there are plenty of North American goods that I don't see and don't remember anymore. The same thing happens with many kinds of foods I grew up with. I don't have cravings until I am reminded about them.