Welcome to the Coke Side of Life

This blog will be about the Coca-Cola brand. It will focus on what the company is doing within the media and what promotions they are having that are newsworthy (or PR-worthy). I have selected this company because first it was familiar to me. Even though I have never been on the website to actually look around before this assignment, I knew the brand and have heard about it in the media. After examining the site, I found alot of interesting information about the company that helped persuade my decision.The companies business is pretty obvious. They are the Coca-Cola Brand that makes drinks such as Coke, Vitamin Water, Minute Maid, Powerade, Fanta and much more.


Upon researching on the Internet I have found many criticisms and problems associated with Coca-Cola. Some are obvious while others astonished me that this was alleged to occur. (The following criticisms were found at www.wikipedia.com.) These include negative health effects resulting from consumption of its products, exploitative labor practices, high levels of pesticides, building plans in Nazi, Germany that employed slave labor, environmental destruction, monopolistic business practices, hiring paramilitary units to murder trade union leaders and marketing unhealthy products to children. Throughout the blog I will not focus on all of these issues that were addressed. I will focus on the main issues that are big right now in the media. They are negative health effects, marketing unhealthy products, and environmental destruction. These will be the main points but I will try to touch upon the other issues as well.


To communicate their reputation the company is using it's websites, brands and who they are sponsoring to show how the company really is. They are using the website to show what they have accomplished throughout the years and what initiatives they are taking to help improve the environment. They have been a sponsor of athletic events since the early days of coke. They are attached to a physical activity that helps them seem not as bad for you. They are also starting a new campaign with Heidi Klum and Diet Coke to help raise awareness about your health. Finally, in the Superbowl commercial they were airing how they are giving back to the community by donating to the Boys and Girls Club.


The PR people are doing a good job with getting this company good PR. They are putting the name on activities and groups that are showing the public that Coca-Cola cares about them and is trying to help them live a better life. Also, that they care about the environment and by changing the way they are producing drinks it is helping to make the environment cleaner.

Check out the website at www.cocacola.com