The Coca-Cola Company
In July 1886, pharmacist John Stith Pemberton from Columbus, Georgia, invented the original Coca-Cola drink. The product was advertised as helpful in the relief of headache and placed on sale primarily in drugstores as a medicinal beverage. Pemberton had been severely wounded in the American Civil War and had become addicted to the pain medication morphine. At that time, cocaine was being promoted as a cure for opioid addiction. He developed the beverage as a patent medicine in an effort to control his own addiction. The formula contained stimulants from coca leaves and caffeine from kola nuts which acted synergistically. Frank Mason Robinson, Pemberton's bookkeeper, named the product and created its logo. Robinson chose the name because of the two main ingredients and because it is an alliteration. The first advertisement read Coca Cola Delicious Refreshing Exhilarating Invigorating.
Asa Griggs Candler purchased the Coca-Cola formula and brand for $2,300 in 1889. He incorporated the company in Atlanta in 1892. By 1895, Coca-Cola was being sold nationwide. In 1919, the company was sold to Ernest Woodruff's Trust Company of Georgia. It was soon reincorporated under Delaware General Corporation Law that same year. The company acquired Minute Maid in 1960 for an undisclosed amount. In 1982, it bought Columbia Pictures for $692 million. They launched entertainment takeovers including Merv Griffin Enterprises and Embassy Communications in the mid-1980s. Coca-Cola sold Columbia to Sony for $3 billion in 1989. In 1993, they acquired the Indian cola brand Thums Up. The company purchased 50% of Inca Kola shares for $200 million in 1999. In 2001, it acquired Odwalla for $181 million. A 2009 bid to buy Huiyuan Juice Group ended when China rejected its $2.4 billion offer. In August 2014, it acquired a 16.7% stake in Monster Beverage for $2.15 billion. On the 3rd of January 2019, the acquisition of Costa Coffee from Whitbread closed for £3.9 billion.
The company has operated a franchised distribution system since 1889. It largely produces syrup concentrate which is then sold to various bottlers throughout the world who hold exclusive territories. These bottlers produce the finished product in packages from the concentrate and beverage base combined with filtered water and sweeteners. Outside the United States, these bottlers also control the fountain business. In the U.S., the company bypasses bottlers by manufacturing and selling fountain syrups directly to authorized fountain wholesalers. Since the 1980s, the company has actively encouraged the consolidation of bottlers. In January 2006, the company formed the Bottling Investments Group to strategically invest in select bottling operations. Large scale multi-national bottlers include Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PLC headquartered in the UK. Coca-Cola FEMSA operates in Argentina Brazil Costa Rica Guatemala Nicaragua Panama Colombia Mexico Uruguay and Venezuela. Arca Continental covers Mexico Ecuador Peru Argentina and parts of the southwestern U.S. Swire Coca-Cola operates in China Hong Kong Macau Taiwan Vietnam Cambodia and 13 states in the U.S. Company-owned bottling operations are now managed under BIG covering Bangladesh Cambodia India Malaysia Myanmar Nepal Oman Singapore and Sri Lanka.
As of 2020, the Coca-Cola Company offers more than 500 brands in over 200 countries. The company produces a number of other soft drinks including Fanta introduced circa 1941 and Sprite. Fanta's origins date back to World War II during a trade embargo against Germany on cola syrup. Max Keith the head of Coca-Cola's German office decided to create a new product for the German market made only from products available in Germany at that time. In 1961, Coca-Cola introduced Sprite as a lemon-lime soft drink. Tab was Coca-Cola's first attempt to develop a diet soft drink using saccharin as a sugar substitute. Introduced in 1963, the product was sold until fall 2020. During the 1990s, the company responded to growing consumer interest by introducing Minute Maid Juices to Go Powerade sports beverage and Nestea flavored tea. In 2001, the Minute Maid division launched Simply Orange brand of juices. Starting in 2009, the company invested in Innocent Drinks increasing its stake to 90% in 2013. On the 25th of May 2007, Coca-Cola announced it would purchase Glaceau for $4.1 billion in cash.
Coca-Cola advertising has been among the most prolific in marketing history with a notable impact on popular culture. The company spent approximately $4.24 billion on advertising in fiscal year 2019. Fan engagement spans 86 million globally across social media channels. Major sponsorships include the AFL NHRA NASCAR PGA Tour NCAA Championships Olympic Games FIFA World Cups Premier League and UEFA European Championships. Coca-Cola sponsored Walt Disney's first television show One Hour in Wonderland broadcast on Christmas Day 1950. They sponsored the 1965 airing of A Charlie Brown Christmas. The company also sponsored American Idol from 2002 until 2014. In October 2018, Coca-Cola started sponsoring the Formula 1 team McLaren. Since 2019, Coca-Cola has been the title sponsor of the Uzbekistan Super League. In February 2025, Coca-Cola became a sponsor of the Northern Super League. The company also operates visitor centers in Israel Belgium and Turkey. It formerly sponsored the Coca-Cola London Eye and the Coca-Cola Orlando Eye.
The Coca-Cola Company produces over 3 million tonnes of plastic packaging each year including 110 billion plastic bottles. Local villagers have testified that Coca-Cola's entry in Kaladera Rajasthan intensified lower water sources. Water levels dropped by almost ten meters during the next five years after the plant became operational. Documents from the government's water ministry reveal water levels remained stable from 1995 until 2000. A research study published in 2025 showed that Coca-Cola together with PepsiCo and Nestlé contributed 14 to 21 million tons of plastic waste to aquatic environments between 2000 and 2023. In November 2000, Coca-Cola agreed to pay $192.5 million to settle a class action racial discrimination lawsuit. In March 2012, 16 workers of color sued Coca-Cola claiming they had to work in a cesspool of racial discrimination. As part of its corporate propaganda campaign, the company funded front organizations like the Beverage Institute for Health and Wellness led by Rhona S. Applebaum. The Global Energy Balance Network was designed to arrive at conclusions set in advance and cherry picked data to support its corporate public relations agenda.
Up Next
Continue Browsing
Common questions
Who invented Coca-Cola and when was it created?
Pharmacist John Stith Pemberton from Columbus, Georgia invented the original Coca-Cola drink in July 1886. The product was initially sold as a medicinal beverage to help relieve headaches.
When did Asa Griggs Candler purchase the Coca-Cola formula and incorporate the company?
Asa Griggs Candler purchased the Coca-Cola formula and brand for $2,300 in 1889. He incorporated the company in Atlanta on the 1st of January 1892.
What major acquisitions has The Coca-Cola Company made since 1980?
The Coca-Cola Company acquired Columbia Pictures for $692 million in 1982 and sold it to Sony for $3 billion in 1989. On the 3rd of January 2019, the acquisition of Costa Coffee from Whitbread closed for £3.9 billion.
How many brands does The Coca-Cola Company offer and how many countries does it operate in?
As of 2020, The Coca-Cola Company offers more than 500 brands in over 200 countries. The company produces soft drinks including Fanta introduced circa 1941 and Sprite launched in 1961.
Why was Coca-Cola advertising considered prolific and what were some major sponsorships?
Coca-Cola advertising has been among the most prolific in marketing history with a notable impact on popular culture. Major sponsorships include the Olympic Games FIFA World Cups and the Formula 1 team McLaren starting in October 2018.