Coca-Cola on Facebook

9-511-110

REV: MAY 6, 2011

JOHN DEIGHTON LEORA KORNFELD

Coca-Cola on Fa a acebook k

In Los Angeles, 29-year-old Dusty Sorg w , worked as a professional ac ctor, with par in series su as rts uch The X X-Files, CSI, and Mad M Men. His 28-year-old friend Michael Jedrzejewsk worked a an l ki as entert tainment indu ustry writer. In August 20 Sorg and Jedrzejewski decided on a whim to cre 008 i eate a brand page on Fac d cebook. They chose Coke, a they later r as recounted the story, becau a bottle of Coke e use was a hand, ignor at ring the fact th there wer already abo 150 such p hat re out pages built by fans of the b y brand. They borrowed the company’s name, logo, a imagery w e and without perm mission, but a their motive was as simpl to express their genuine enthusiasm a fans of the brand, they t ly t as thought nothi of it. ing While other Coke fan pag followings ranged from a handful to a few h C ge s m l hundred thou usand follow wers, Sorg an Jedrzejews seemed to strike a ner with Cok lovers. Wi nd ski o rve ke ithin three m months they h had 1.2 milli ion followers Facebook e s. executives no oticed, and ca alled The Coca Cola Com mpany (TCCC to point ou that the sit was in vio C) ut te olation of thei terms of service. What, they asked, w ir would Coke like to do abo it? out

The C Coca-Cola Company

Th world’s mo popular br he ost randed soft d drink, Coca-Co (Coke for short) had be invented by an ola een Atlan Georgia pharmacist in 1886. By 201 the compan nta, p 11 ny’s product line included other carbo d onated and n non-carbonate beverages, bottled wate and juice. In addition t diet and fla ed , er, to avored versio of ons Coke, TCCC also manufactured such well-k , m d known brands as Odwalla Minute Mai and Dasan By a, id, ni. 2010 t company’s portfolio w made up of more than 3000 produc sold under 500 brand n the was n cts r names in 206 countries. Revenues in 2010 were $30.9 billion.1 6 R TC CCC employe 3500 peopl worldwide in its market ed le e ting...