Business Case Option #2: Marketing & Product Life Cycle Management (Do NOT do both - Pick one.)

REMINDER: You need to choose either this business case OR the HR Business Case for your submission. You do need to read and be prepared to discuss both of them in class towards the end of the semester; however - choose only one for your submission. 

This particular business case covers the importance of marketing strategies. The first step in completing this assignment is to get familiar with the companies and the issue as it impacts the industry. All preparation materials are included in this document: Case Study MGT1104 Fall 2021 coke-versus-pepsi-100-years-of-contention-case.pdf Download Case Study MGT1104 Fall 2021 coke-versus-pepsi-100-years-of-contention-case.pdf 

Or by visiting the following VT Libraries and the Sage Business Case link. 

Login Link for the Coke versus Pepsi Business Case 

NOTE: You will need to login using your VT Two-Way Factor. 

Learning Outcomes
After discussion of this case, students will be able to:

- explain the importance of an appropriate positioning strategy;
- describe how marketing could be utilized to differentiate two similar products;
- highlight the significance that celebrities play in brand endorsements;
- demonstrate comprehension of the complexity of developing strategies targeting Millennials and Generation Z; and
- evaluate the marketing strategies and tactics of the two cola leaders as they fight to maintain and grow market share in an increasingly global and competitive market.

For over a century, rivals Pepsi and Coke have jockeyed for position as America’s soft drink of choice. The Coca-Cola Company, created in 1886, is the world’s largest beverage corporation, offering over 500 brands to consumers in 200 countries. Pepsi-Cola, founded seven years later in 1893, is one of the world’s leading food and beverage conglomerates. In the early 1980s, the term “Cola Wars” was coined to describe the feud between the two companies. What makes the Coke/Pepsi rivalry so intriguing is that their products are basically identical. They are both brown, cola-flavored, syrupy, carbonated beverages. To some consumers, Coke and Pepsi don’t even taste that different. More so, the two industry leaders are practically the same size organizations with similar products and strategies. With the very low level of differentiation between Coke and Pepsi, their competition is cutthroat.

So why do these very similar products generate such passionate brand loyalty? Each cola giant has utilized similar advertising and marketing tactics to outperform the other. The ongoing warfare involves many weapons, such as offering an extensive assortment of flavors, using futuristic technology, celebrity endorsements, logos, slogans, co-branding, sponsorships, and creative promotions, and constantly thinking outside the can. In the United States, and most global markets, Coke dominates, but Pepsi is always present to poke fun at the original cola drink. The fact that Pepsi has survived, and even thrived, for so long is verification that its persistent brand storytelling and strategy of being a formidable underdog works. The war between the two iconic American brands has intensified, and there is no end in sight. Coke or Pepsi? It’s a question that’s been around longer than the oldest living person. The war rages on.

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For this assignment, you have been hired as an industry consultant to provide Dr. Pepper with a competitive overview. Write a one-page, single-spaced memo to the Chief Marketing Officer explaining your findings. You may use the following discussion questions as inspiration for your insightful memo.  You will not able to provide insights into all of these; therefore, pick 2 of them and focus your attention discussing the importance for the competition and perhaps some next steps. DO NOT SIMPLY answer each question in your MEMO. 

Grading - Please see the rubric below the assignment for grading details.

Since this assignment will be discussed in class immediately following the due date, late submissions will not be accepted.