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History of Coca-Cola: Origins of The Formula

Coca-Cola was invented in 1886 by Dr. John Pemberton and was first sold as a patent medicine. It was later acquired and incorporated by Asa G. Candler who expanded distribution and promoted the beverage. Demand increased significantly leading Joseph Biedenharn to begin bottling Coca-Cola in 1894, making it portable. The Coca-Cola Company continued expanding globally under Robert W. Woodruff's leadership in the 1920s-1940s, building bottling plants overseas to meet increased demand from soldiers during World War II, establishing Coca-Cola as a global brand.

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63 views2 pages

History of Coca-Cola: Origins of The Formula

Coca-Cola was invented in 1886 by Dr. John Pemberton and was first sold as a patent medicine. It was later acquired and incorporated by Asa G. Candler who expanded distribution and promoted the beverage. Demand increased significantly leading Joseph Biedenharn to begin bottling Coca-Cola in 1894, making it portable. The Coca-Cola Company continued expanding globally under Robert W. Woodruff's leadership in the 1920s-1940s, building bottling plants overseas to meet increased demand from soldiers during World War II, establishing Coca-Cola as a global brand.

Uploaded by

Sylvester Bello
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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History of Coca-Cola

Origins of the Formula

Coca-Cola was first introduced on May 8, 1886 by a pharmacist named Dr. John S.
Pemberton. The recipe for Coca-Cola removed the alcohol present in Pemberton’s
previous drink recipe for Pemberton’s French Wine Coca, as prohibition legislation
had been passed in Atlanta, Georgia. The original recipe was initially sold as a patent
medicine in soda fountain stores with the claim that it would be a remedy for ailments
including heartburn, nausea, and headaches. Dr. Pemberton’s bookkeeper, Frank M.
Robinson, is credited with designing the trademarked logo and with naming the
beverage “Coca-Cola”.

Expansion

Prior to Pemberton’s death in 1888, he sold portions of his company to a few different
parties with a majority of the business being sold to a local Atlanta businessman
named Asa G. Candler. By 1889, Candler acquired the rights to the formula as well as
the “Coca-Cola” name and brand. He incorporated The Coca-Cola Company in 1892
and expanded distribution of the Coca-Cola syrup concentrate to soda fountains
beyond Atlanta. Candler also promoted the drink by giving away free drink vouchers
and outfitting pharmacies and soda fountains with items bearing Coca-Cola branding.

Bottling

The marketing and promotions of Coca Cola led to a significant increase in demand,
and in 1894 a Mississippi businessman by the name of Joseph Biedenharn began
bottling the beverage, making it portable. By 1895, Candler had built syrup plants in
multiple cities including Dallas, Chicago, and Los Angeles to deal with increasing
demand. Although Candler was a savvy businessman, he did not realize that the future
of Coca-Cola would be in portable bottles rather than soda fountains. In 1899,
Candler sold the exclusive rights to bottle the beverage to two lawyers named
Benjamin Thomas and Joseph Whitehead.

As the beverage continued to gain popularity in bottle form, counterfeit Coca-Cola


beverages began being produced by copy-cats. This led to The Coca-Cola Company
advertising its product as genuine and running campaigns to urge the public to
“demand the genuine”. In 1916, the first contour-shaped bottles began being
manufactured. This signature bottle design allowed The Coca-Cola Company to
distinguish its product from the imitations.

Going Global
In 1919, The Coca-Cola Company was sold to a group of investors led by a man
named Ernest Woodruff. In 1923, his son Robert W. Woodruff was elected President
of the company. Woodruff expanded the company and brought Coca-Cola to the rest
of the world. Coca-Cola began distributing bottles as “Six-packs”, encouraging
customers to purchase the beverage for their home. In 1928, Coca-Cola was
introduced as a sponsor for the Olympics Games, giving the company even more
international exposure and starting a tradition that continues to this day.

In 1941, the U.S. entered World War II, and the demand for Coca-Cola from U.S.
soldiers serving overseas increased tremendously. Under Woodruff’s leadership, The
Coca-Cola Company began building bottling plants overseas to meet demand. From
the mid 1940s until 1960, the number of countries with bottling plants almost
doubled, laying the foundation for Coca-Cola to do business abroad

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