The Coca-Cola Company Consumer Behaviour

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

Customer behaviour is influenced by psychological and sociological factors. The International brand Coca-Cola, the biggest soft drinks and Beverage Company in the world, is very successful in producing effects on consumer behaviours. The brand of Coca-Cola itself is a symbol of taste. However, although Coca-Cola is a successful brand and its business has covered more than 200 countries in the world, there are still lots of choices for customers in the supermarket shelves of beverage. Beside the effects of famous brand Coca-Cola has built, the company has continued to deliver its brand value to customers in both psychological and sociological.

Psychological influence

Before customers make their purchase decision, they collect and identify information they need. Customers get information of appearance, sound, taste, smell, touch of a product, and then choose their preferable one. These senses and information finally create sensation and perception in the mind of customers. Sensation and perception create basic acceptation of a brand. The taste of Coca-Cola is a distinctive element that make it different from others. Tastes of Coca-Cola carbonated drinks with unique formula are unique for customers. Surveys conducted by Coca-Cola place the impressive brand image of Coca-Cola into the minds of customers. Coca-Cola puts its ads in movies, puts lyrics in bottles, and provides sponsorships for sports.

Along with the positive brand spirit expressed in its exposures, Coca-Cola delivers an active lifestyle and a perception of a good life, which are accessible for customers. The perception is enhanced by its repeated exposures repeatedly through its ads in different ads, media, and places. With its recognizable brand image, brand associations are created in the process of learning and memory.

Sociological Influence

A significant factor that effects customers’ decision-making is the social-cultural differences between the brand and preferences of customers. Not only carbonated drinks, Coca-Cola provides product categories including juice, water, teas, coffee. In addition, the low & no calorie, caffeine free, low sodium categories are provided to customers with special needs. For customers in different age and different countries and regions, they can choose their preferred product category. However, the purchase decision making of Coca-Cola product categories based on the condition that customers highly accept the Coca-Cola brand.

CONSUMER BELIEF

A consumer may hold both positive beliefs toward an object as well as negative beliefs.  In addition, some beliefs may be neutral and some may be different in valance depending on the person or the situation.

The attitudes and beliefs of intensely brand-loyal consumers differ from those less involved is a brand-loyal consumer will not have anything else but that brand. For those less involved it did not matter to them which one they had, as long as it was tasteful. Less involved consumers go with the flow, they are loyal to any particular brand and usually do not complain about any changes the company makes however intensely brand-loyal consumers are very different. It is possible for consumers to be loyal to more than one type of soft drink. Some consumers are definitely brand-loyal however; if the competitor, Pepsi, is on sale they would buy that instead.

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

Interview 1

Q1. What is your gender?

Ans. Male

Q2. Which age group do you belong to?

Ans. 15 - 24

Q3. Which brand will you prefer if you buy soft-drinks?

Ans. Coca Cola

Q4. How do you feel the Coca Cola soft drinks (Diet Coke, Coke Zero, etc…) compared with those of Pepsi Co. soft drinks?

Ans. Coke products have better quality

Q5. How often do you purchases Coca Cola soft drinks?

Ans. 1-2 times per week

Q6. Which type of soft drink have you bought the most often?

Ans. Coca-Cola Diet

Q7. How long have you been buying its soft drinks?

Ans. More than 5 years

Q8. When you buy a bottled drink at a store, what drink do you normally choose?

Ans. Soft drink

Q9. What is(are) your reason(s) of purchasing Coca-Cola?

Ans. Reasonable price, Taste, Brand name, Personal needs.

Q10. Which of the following media will attract your attention to Coca-Cola?

Ans. Television

Q11. In what aspects you think coca cola is more impressive than others?

Ans. Marketing/ advertising

Interview 2

Q1. What is your gender?

Ans. Female

Q2. Which age group do you belong to?

Ans. 35 - 44

Q3. Which brand will you prefer if you buy soft-drinks?

Ans. Coca Cola

Q4. How do you feel the Coca Cola soft drinks (Diet Coke, Coke Zero, etc…) compared with those of Pepsi Co. soft drinks?

Ans. Coke products have better quality

 Q5. How often do you purchases Coca Cola soft drinks?

Ans. 1-2 times per week

Q6. Which type of soft drink have you bought the most often?

Ans. Coca-Cola

Q7. How long have you been buying its soft drinks?

Ans. More than 5 years

Q8. When you buy a bottled drink at a store, what drink do you normally choose?

Ans. Water

Q9. What is(are) your reason(s) of purchasing Coca-Cola?

Ans. Reasonable price, No remarkable reason

Q10. Which of the following media will attract your attention to Coca-Cola?

Ans. Road show

Q11. In what aspects you think coca cola is more impressive than others?

Ans. Accessibility of the products

Interview 3

Q1. What is your gender?

Ans. Female

Q2. Which age group do you belong to?

Ans. 15 - 24

Q3. Which brand will you prefer if you buy soft-drinks?

Ans. Coca Cola

Q4. How do you feel the Coca Cola soft drinks (Diet Coke, Coke Zero, etc…) compared with those of Pepsi Co. soft drinks? (You may select more than 1 choice)