How to Do a Case Analysis for Coca-Cola
A case analysis are often conducted to determine a company's overall health, strengths, weaknesses and outlook for the future. Colleges often make case analysis assignments to business students to sharpen their researching and critical thinking skills. Coca-Cola has been a leading brand in soft drinks for over a century but that doesn't mean it is immune to market competition or inefficiency. A case analysis could reveal new ways Coca-Cola can increase its market share while also revealing pitfalls the company faces in moving forward. Doing a case analysis for Coca-Cola requires research and writing skills.
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Instructions
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Research Coca-Cola's history. While is important to know of its origins in the late 1800s, it is more relevant to your case study to focus on company news over the past 20 years. Examine additions to the Coca-Cola brand such as Dasani bottled water and Powerade sports drink. Examine pricing and marketing strategies as well as their sponsorships of such sporting events as NASCAR and the FIFA World Cup and how those affected its business.
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Read about Coca-Cola's competitors so you are well-versed on the business moves of Pepsico Inc., Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Red Bull and other competing brands. Three firms dominated over 89 percent of the domestic soft drink market in 2008, according to Philip Howard of Michigan State University. Focus on what competitors are doing to advance their sales and see if any of these tactics can be utilized by Coca-Cola as well.
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Write an introduction discussing Coca-Cola's origins and its evolution into one of the world's most recognizable brands. Describe the challenges you noticed during your research, such as how the addition of new brands can confuse the consumer and distract from Coca-Cola's core franchise. The introduction should touch on what you'll be covering later in the analysis in the order that you'll cover it.
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Conduct a SWOT analysis for Coca-Cola, meaning that you write individual sections covering Coca-Cola's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. A case analysis is incomplete without addressing each of these issues in detail. These developments may change over time so ensure the research you are using is as current as possible. For example, Coca-Cola changing its formula was a threat back in 1985 but it would affect its business today.
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Provide your solutions for the threats you have identified for Coca-Cola and your recommendations for what the company needs to do in the future to stay ahead of Pepsi in the consumer's mind while continuing to expand into other markets.
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Proofread your analysis once it is written to ensure it flows smoothly from one topic to another. Check for grammatical and spelling errors.
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References
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