After several failed attempts, it appears that the Cola giant has been able to strike the right cord with the Indian consumer. Pankaj Priya traces the saga.Beverages, especially of the Cola category have witnessed the toughest marketing warfare all over world and the same has percolated into the Indian market. Despite the late re-entry into India, they have been successfully building up their brand. Their brand building efforts have relied on better understanding of customers and creating a brand identity by giving it a `local flavor'. Taking a strategic view of building the brand asset, Coco-Cola went in for product variation (Diet Coke), different types of packaging (Can, 200 ml, 500 ml), price discrimination (panch matlab) and innovative distribution and logistics (using franchise bottling spread over vast geographic areas). It has also tried to increase its brand visibility by putting up "Georgia" vending machines and bottled mineral water "Kinley" at small grocery stores in every neighborhood. Among all these efforts by Coke one stands out i.e., putting up meticulously planned and executed TVCs, which have been effective in communicating about the brand to the masses.

These ads not only convey the (re)positioning of Coca-Cola as Thanda matlab but also have many overtones and subtle messages. Beverages belong to the lifestyle product category where functional benefits are minimal but the value customers perceive should primarily convey this functional aspect if trial is to be induced to Indians. Thanda matlabdepicted it aptly as a thirst quencher. This new positioning of Coca-Cola opened up new vistas and challenges for the brand. It was clear that anything perceived as "thanda" drink by Indians was its competitor. It further created that "down-to-earth" feel and brought about an element of "Indianness" in the brand, which hitherto had been seen as representing an alien culture. The same was applicable to the tag line Paanch Matlab... It is important that brand culture makes the consumer comfortable in order to at least try out the product.