Environmental damage, bribery, sweatshops and health concerns are just some of the scandals and criticisms that The Coca-Cola Company has faced over the years. Yet, the Coca Cola net worth continues to climb, fuelled by our love-hate relationship with the sugary soft drink.
Adults should have no more than 30 grams of sugars per day. Children should have 24g at most. A 375ml can of Coke has 40g of sugar.
Drinking Coca-Cola is linked to an increased risk of developing obesity, type 2 diabetes, stroke, brittle bones, tooth decay and heart problems. Despite the risks, we drink 1.9 billion servings of Coke every day, or around 21,990 a second.
Coke is now the most popular soft drink in history and one of the world’s biggest brands. In fact, Coca-Cola ranks as the second most well known phrase in the world.
The fizzy drink brand’s popularity is unrivalled, but how did Coca-Cola reach the top?
Coca Cola net worth: From miracle medicine to bottled death
John Pemberton invented Coca-Cola in 1886. The pharmacist had developed a morphine addiction as a result of an injury suffered in the American Civil War. Coca-Cola was his cure.
The mixture was made up of sugar syrup, citric acid, vanilla, carbonated water and a pinch of cocaine. Pemberton claimed that Coke cured addiction, removed fatigue and relieve headache pains.
Pemberton passed away in 1888. However, prior to his death, he agreed to sell his formula to Asa Griggs Candler for $550.
The tycoon turned the drink into a business. He removed cocaine from the mix and hired salesmen to take his drink around the United States. Within 10 years, Coca-Cola’s popularity had spread and factories were churning out the beverage in a number of states.
Ernest Woodruff bought Coke in 1919. He decided to list the company on the stock exchange soon after, with an initial value of $25 million. 100 years on, Coke is sold as a soft drink in more than 200 countries. It brings in revenues of more than $41 billion a year.
Coke has earned itself a bad image over the years, due to a number of environmental scandals, poor treatment of workers and the various health risks that come with drinking it. Yet, the Coca Cola net worth has been largely unaffected.
Despite their issues, Coke counteracted these negative opinions with the perfect marketing strategy. They came up with a simple design that appealed to a wide audience and kept prices down to get them hooked. Likewise, they also used characters such as Santa Claus and the Coca-Cola polar bears to create iconic ad campaigns.
As a result, Coca-Cola’s market cap stands at $195.4 billion and continues to climb.
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