Standardization vs. Customization free essay sample

Running head: COKE A Coke is a Coke ITT Tech PROBLEM Why do some of us have such strong soda preferences? Theres all this uproar of Coke vs. Pepsi, and really looking at the ingredients, the products arent all that different. Both are made of carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, sugar, phosphoric acid, caffeine, citric acid and natural flavors (Pendergrast, 2000, p. 6). The natural flavors are where they differ. Coke includes a secret ingredient known as Merchandise 7X, which sounds all mysterious and daring Pendergrast, p. ). According to Pendergrast, the slightest bit can make a big difference! But its hard to say why one person likes something while another person cant stand it. Though each soda has been around for more than a century, the two are still (and most likely always will be) competing for the worlds taste buds. Some may find it absurd to fght an ideological battle over the sodas, especially over two products whose only difference is a few chemical compounds, but for others, this is serious business. We will write a custom essay sample on Standardization vs. Customization or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants and vending machines internationally. The Coca-Cola Company claims that the beverage is sold in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke or (in European) as cola, pop, or in some parts of the U. S. , soda (Pendergrast, p. 6). Originally intended as a patent medicine when it was invented in the late 19th century by John Pemberton, Coca-Cola was bought out by businessman Asa Griggs Candler, whose marketing tactics led Coke to its dominance of the world soft-drink market throughout the 20th century (Pendergrast, p. 6). The first Coca-Cola recipe was invented in a drugstore in Columbus, Georgia by John Pemberton, originally as a coca-wine called Pembertons French Wine Coca in 1885 (Pendergrast, p. 8) . When launched, Coca-Colas two key ingredients were cocaine (benzoylmethyl ecgonine) and caffeine. The cocaine was derived from the coca leaf and the caffeine from kola nut, leading to the name Coca- Cola (the K in Kola was replaced with a C for marketing purposes) (Pendergrast, p. In 1886, when Atlanta and Fulton County passed prohibition legislation, 8). Pemberton responded by developing Coca-Cola, essentially a non-alcoholic version of French Wine Cola (Pendergrast, 2008, p. 12). The first sales were at Jacobs Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 8, 1886 (Pendergrast, p. 12). It was initially sold as a patent medicine for five cents a glass at soda fountains, which were popular in the United States at the time due to the belief that carbonated water was good for the health.