The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, that manufactures, sells, and markets soft drinks including Coca-Cola, other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, and alcoholic beverages. Its stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and is a component of the DJIA, S&P 500, and S&P 100 indices. The company was founded in January 1892, but its signature product was developed earlier, in May 1886, by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton. Pemberton, who had become addicted to morphine after being wounded in the American Civil War, created the beverage as a patent medicine, seeking a "cure" for his addiction. The drink originally contained cocaine from coca leaves and caffeine from kola nuts, ingredients that worked synergistically and gave the product its name. It was promoted as a "healthy tonic." Pemberton’s bookkeeper, Frank Mason Robinson, named the drink Coca-Cola and designed its logo. In 1889, the formula and brand were sold to businessman Asa Griggs Candler for $2,300. Candler incorporated the company in Atlanta in 1892 and was an early adopter of merchandising in advertising. By 1895, Coca-Cola was sold nationwide. The company has operated a franchised distribution system since 1889, largely producing syrup concentrate sold to exclusive bottlers worldwide. In 1919, the company was sold to Ernest Woodruff’s Trust Company of Georgia and reincorporated under Delaware law. By 1948, Coca-Cola held about 60% of its market share, though this declined to 21.8% by 1984 due to new competitors. The company’s 29-story Atlanta headquarters, One Coca-Cola Plaza, was completed in 1980. Over the decades, Coca-Cola has acquired numerous brands, including Minute Maid in 1960, the Indian cola Thums Up in 1993, Barq’s in 1995, a stake in Inca Kola in 1999, Odwalla in 2001, Fuze Beverage in 2007, Honest Tea in 2011, ZICO coconut water in 2013, a stake in Monster Beverage in 2014, and Costa Coffee in 2018. It also owned Columbia Pictures from 1982 to 1989, selling it to Sony for $1.5 billion.
- headquarters
- Atlanta, Georgia
- field
- Beverage manufacturing and distribution
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Coca-Cola soft drink, franchised distribution system, global brand presence
Lore & Background
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange as a component of the DJIA and the S&P 500 and S&P 100 indices. Its defining product, Coca-Cola, was invented in May 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton. Pemberton, a wounded Civil War veteran addicted to morphine, developed the beverage as a patent medicine to control his addiction, using coca leaves and kola nuts as ingredients. These two components gave the drink its name and initially contained the stimulants cocaine and caffeine, which acted synergistically. The product was promoted as a healthy tonic and sold primarily in drugstores as a medicinal beverage for headaches. Pemberton’s bookkeeper, Frank Mason Robinson, named the product and created its logo. In 1889, the formula and brand were sold to Asa Griggs Candler, who incorporated the company in Atlanta in 1892. The company has operated a franchised distribution system since 1889, largely producing syrup concentrate sold to bottlers worldwide with exclusive territories. By 1895, Coca-Cola was sold nationwide. The company’s 29-story headquarters, One Coca-Cola Plaza, was completed in 1980. Over time, the company acquired numerous brands, including Minute Maid, Thums Up, Barq’s, Fuze Beverage, Honest Tea, ZICO, Topo Chico, Costa Coffee, and others, and held stakes in Monster Beverage and Bodyarmor. It also briefly owned Columbia Pictures and other entertainment assets before selling them.
Reader's Guide
The Coca-Cola Company originated from a pharmacist’s attempt to manage his morphine addiction after being wounded in the American Civil War. In 1886, John Stith Pemberton created a beverage containing cocaine from coca leaves and caffeine from kola nuts, ingredients that acted together and gave the drink its name. It was initially marketed as a medicinal tonic for headaches and sold in drugstores. The company’s bookkeeper devised the alliterative name and logo. After Pemberton sold the formula and brand in 1889, Asa Griggs Candler incorporated the company in Atlanta in 1892 and expanded distribution nationwide by 1895. The company has always used a franchised system, producing syrup concentrate sold to bottlers with exclusive territories. Early advertising emphasized the drink as delicious, refreshing, and invigorating, and Candler pioneered merchandising strategies. By 1948, Coca-Cola held about 60 percent of its market, though competition later reduced its share to around 22 percent by 1984. The company has grown through many acquisitions, including Minute Maid, the Indian brand Thums Up, Barq’s, and Costa Coffee. It also briefly owned Columbia Pictures and other entertainment assets before selling them. Its headquarters, a 29-story building in Atlanta, opened in 1980. The company’s stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange and is part of major indices.
Did You Know?
- Coca-Cola originally contained cocaine from coca leaves and caffeine from kola nuts, promoted as a 'healthy tonic'.
- The name 'Coca-Cola' was created by Pemberton's bookkeeper Frank Mason Robinson as an alliteration of its two main ingredients.
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