Coca-Cola and Pepsi have been at war for more than half a century.

It wasn't until 1978 that Pepsi won its first victory, surpassing Coca-Cola in sales in the United States. In the face of defeat, Coca-Cola hurriedly launched a new product, but it was useless, and it has been pressed to the ground by Pepsi for eight years.

How does Pepsi do it?

They brought in a group of people to do a street test, poured two glasses of unlabeled Coke for people to drink, and everyone said they preferred Pepsi. Immediately, Pepsi frantically advertised this street test, and the advertising bombardment exploded for months.

Do you think the means are very low-level? Very small pediatrics?

However, it allowed Pepsi's domestic sales to soar by 233% in half a year, surpassing Coca-Cola in one fell swoop.

By the mid-'80s, it took Coca-Cola 18 months and more than $4 million to develop a new formula. The new formula has been approved by more than half of consumers (market research), but at least one-third of existing customers have resisted it (actual situation). Coca-Cola received 5,000 calls a day, 8,000 calls a day in the second month, and 40,000 letters in a month and a half.

One of the complaints reads: "Can the Constitution and the Bible be rewritten? To me, changing the Coca-Cola recipe is as serious as rewriting the Bible." ”

Coca-Cola was almost on the verge of losing its local market, and in desperation, Coca-Cola had no choice but to announce the resumption of old formula production, so an unexpected situation appeared.

The old formula, which had been out of production for more than a year, was given unprecedented support from consumers when production resumed, and it achieved amazing sales in a short period of time - many old customers deliberately drank several bottles of Coke a day to express their attitude.

Feelings!

Only after losing it did it know that it was precious, and Coca-Cola put Pepsi down again.

Warren Buffett, the god of stocks, bought Coca-Cola stocks after that, bought the bottom, and grew crazy against the sky, achieving an investment myth.

In the 90s, Coca-Cola and Pepsi frantically competed for overseas markets, with the battle between South America and the Soviet Union (Russia) being the most intense. Pepsi once took the lead, but was defeated by Coca-Cola's various magic operations - Coca-Cola couldn't do it in the market, and immediately cooperated with the local snake, and even turned the local government into its own partner.

This summer, the cover headline of an issue of Fortune magazine was: "How Did Coca-Cola Kick Pepsi Ass?". The article quoted Coca-Cola Chairman Guo Sida as saying: "They (Pepsi) have become insignificant, and I don't need to take them to heart." ”

In China, Coca-Cola's sales are already twice that of Pepsi. In addition, Song Weiyang brought very Coke to stir up the situation, and Pepsi Cola was almost unable to hold on.

This is the global context, and PepsiCo has launched a counterattack not only in China, but also in South America and Europe.

……

Coca-Cola Headquarters, USA.

"That's the case, Mr. Guo Sida, we have to do our best," Li Lisheng, president of Coca-Cola China, stood in front of the boss and said, "Coca-Cola must cut prices, otherwise sales will continue to fall." ”

Coca-Cola's global president, Guo Star, is a Cuban who, like Li Lisheng, is a chemical engineer at Coca-Cola. At this time, he was at the peak of his life, fighting old rivals in various markets around the world, and even told reporters that "Pepsi is insignificant".

Guo Sida lit a Cuban cigar, bit it into his mouth and said, "You can't reduce the price." We should increase our advertising investment in the Chinese market, continue to improve our brand image, and at the same time make friends with local governments in China. ”

Li Lisheng said: "However, most of Coca-Cola's promotional expenses in China need to be allocated through negotiation with partner companies, and our partners are probably reluctant to do so." ”

Guo Sida puffed out smoke and said: "Then change this status quo! The headquarters sets up a special fund for China every year, and this year, I can give you 2 million US dollars, which will be used for advertising and activities in China." Is this money enough?"

"Enough!" Li Lisheng was overjoyed.

"So be it, go for it now. Guo Sida said.

Li Lisheng left the president's office and immediately called the Chinese side: "Immediately plan publicity and marketing activities, and the headquarters will pay for it, and use all the 2 million US dollars for me within half a year!"

"Mr. Li, I must report to you the latest news. Said on the other end of the phone.

"You speak. Li Lisheng suddenly felt bad.

The other end of the phone said: "Just got the news that Pepsi has launched the latest channel incentives. They divide the dealer's discount rebate into three types: cash deduction, annual deduction and special reward, and it is a cash distribution!"

"What? Pepsi is crazy!" Li Lisheng was shocked.

Pepsi is really crazy, even if it is a local beverage company in China, the rebate to the distributor is also settled in the form of goods. That is, how much Coke you helped me sell, how much rebate I should give you, and how much Coke can be used to buy Coke. And now Pepsi Cola directly gives money, distributes some money in the month, and distributes the rest of the money at the end of the year, and the monopoly promotion is also an immediate rebate and money.

This channel stimulation method has greatly increased the financial pressure of production enterprises, and enterprises with less money can not bear it at all, and the company's cash reserves are likely to increase several times.

Historically, Pepsi in the mid-90s almost monopolized the cola market in Xikang Province with this means.

If Pepsi's price reduction sales are aimed at Coca-Cola. So now the channel cash rebate is aimed at Xifeng Company, which wants to fire at the two opponents at the same time!

Li Lisheng hurriedly ran back to see Guo Sida, and after reporting the situation, he said: "Mr. Guo Sida, there are only two ways to deal with it now. Either reduce the price and fight a price war, or reduce the profit handed over to the headquarters in China every year, and fight a channel war with Pepsi!"

Guo Sida had a headache and said: "Did Pepsi get stepped on the cat's tail?"

"The dog jumped off the wall in a hurry. "Li Lisheng's Chinese has improved very quickly recently.

"Is it a Chinese proverb that dogs are forced to jump over walls?" is interesting," Guo said, laughing, "You stay in the United States for a few days, and then I have to have a meeting to make a decision." Well, you also have to attend the meeting and explain the situation in China. ”

"Okay, but please as soon as possible. Li Lisheng said.

Guo Sida lit another cigar and said, "I will...... Ahem, ahem!"

As soon as he took a puff of his cigar and only said two words, Guo Sida began to cough wildly, covering his mouth and almost coughing out his lungs.

"Sir, what's wrong with you?" Li Lisheng said with concern.

Guo Sida spread out the hand that covered his mouth just now, looked at the blood in his palm, and frowned: "I think, I should go to the doctor first." ”

Hospital test result: lung cancer...... Advanced!

The global president of Coca-Cola was hospitalized for chemotherapy. The big things in the Chinese market turned into small things in an instant, and the senior management of Coca-Cola was instantly caught in intrigues, and everyone's eyes were fixed on the throne of the global CEO.

Even, the presidents of the Far East, Europe, and South America began to inquire about the headquarters in various ways.

For more than two years after that, Coca-Cola's management was in a state of disarray. Although Guo Sida knew that his fate was not long in coming, and let his deputy Ivester succeed him, it did not help at all.

Guo Sida is the legendary CEO of Coca-Cola, who was appointed to take over the mess at the company's worst and then increase the market value of Coca-Cola from $4.8 billion to $18.5 billion. At Coca-Cola, he is God, he is the monarch, he is everything.

Just last year, Guo Sida often repeated a statement made by a shareholder: "You should never retire like the Pope of Rome!"

Guo Sida has never thought of retiring, and the people who are qualified and capable of threatening his position at the top of the company have been forced away by him, and the rest are executors who only know how to act according to orders. Even, when Guo Sida was in the advanced stage of lung cancer, he was still unwilling to hand over the power in his hands, but let his deputy give orders on his behalf.

As a result, after Guo Sida died of illness next year, the CEO handover of Coca-Cola was a mess.

Although Deputy Ivester succeeded in ascending to the position, he was simply not enough to convince the public, and he always lived in the shadow of Guo Sida. When the job is done well, people feel that he is not good enough, far worse than the legendary CEO Guo Sida, and if the work is bad, it is even more difficult to escape the blame, and people will say that if Guo Sida was still alive, he would definitely not do it.

Ivester is a tragedy, and during his tenure he was criticized and even accused of having a faulty character. In order to force him to give way, other high-level executives tried their best, and there were all kinds of people who violated the law and deliberately messed around, causing Coca-Cola's global business to shrink wildly, and Pepsi, which almost couldn't turn over, took the opportunity to encroach on the market.

In just two years, the global CEO of Ivester was gone, replaced by Duda Fu, the president of the Far East, who accompanied Song Weiyang to visit the museum.

From the fall of 1996 to the winter of 1999, Coca-Cola was a sick giant that lost the ability to think and execute, unresponsive, inefficient, and unmotivated.

This is also a good opportunity for the development of Song Weiyang and Very Coke!