Coca-Cola has a long-standing tradition as the first popular "cola" flavored soft drink.
Coca-Cola, though slightly more than 100 years old, has become an icon across cultures worldwide for not only its popularity as a soft drink, but also as a symbol of globalization. Many unique properties of Coca Cola products help set it apart from competing colas and soft drinks on the market, from its brand to its taste and color.
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Brand
The Coca-Cola brand is marked by its use of cursive lettering and red color. It was one of the first major brands to be produced in the United States. The company used the marque in its packaging, advertising, and on transportation trucks to help make Coca-Cola synonymous with drinking soda. The company first went international with the brand and product in the late 1920s and early 1930s, first expanding into Europe as a fountain soda and bottled soda.
Color and Formula
The original formula of Coca Cola is a closely-guarded trade secret, though that hasn't stopped many people from attempting to recreate the formula. It is said to contain a number of different oils and extracts including orange oil, lemon oil, coriander oil, neroli oil, water, citric acid, caffeine, caramel coloring, and granulated white sugar, which obviously dissolves among the mixture of oils and gives the drink its sweet taste. The dark, brown color of the Coca-Cola fluid comes from the caramel coloring.
Product Extensions
Leveraging the popularity of the type of Coca-Cola, the company went on to produce many other product lines that sometimes used the Coke trademark and name. Such products include Diet Coke, a reduced-calorie version of Coca-Cola, Coke Zero, a zero-calorie formula of Coca-Cola, as well as flavored offerings such as Diet Coke with Lemon, Vanilla Coca-Cola, and Cherry Coca-Cola.
Historical Properties
Coca-Cola was first created in 1886 as a fountain beverage by Dr. John S. Pemberton. As a fountain drink, it was originally made by combining soda water with the proprietary Coca-Cola syrup. Shortly after its introduction, it was patented in 1887 and finally registered as a trademark in 1893. By the year 1895, the drink was distributed in every United States territory. By 1989, the drink was officially franchised and bottling operations sprung up across the country.
