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Essay / Coca-Cola Company's Fight Against Obesity - 989
This document will provide a detailed analysis of Coca-Cola's public affairs campaign to fight obesity: Coming Together. The Coca-Cola Company, a global leader in the beverage industry, has the highest market share in the soft drink industry, with net sales exceeding $48 billion. Since obesity was brought to the forefront of health concerns in the United States, a combination of consumer skepticism of artificial sweeteners and accusations that soft drinks contribute to obesity has led to a decline in industry sales. This campaign is being launched because the company does not want to risk being labeled an apathetic contributor to one of the biggest health problems in the United States. Its goal is to inform the public about Coca-Cola's corporate social responsibility efforts by calling on the public to unite in efforts to combat obesity. Obesity is one of the most concerning health problems in the United States. Statistics show that two-thirds of adults and one-third of children are overweight or obese in this county. Although there are various reasons leading to obesity, consumption of soft drinks is considered to be the main cause among a number of various factors. Although the industry has been actively working to offer more low- or no-calorie options and to increase consumer awareness of the nutritional values of soft drinks, it is not enough to simply offer low-calorie drinks. The company must improve its communication to allay consumers' health concerns. In order to revitalize its sales, Coca-Cola Company faces a public relations challenge very similar to what cigarette companies have faced for years. They must strike a balance between supporting anti-obesity efforts and continuing to sell their most popular products such as Coca-Cola and Diet Coke that many claim to help...... middle of paper.. .... is to neglect the media and health professions as key audiences. It is clear that Coca-Cola made no effort to communicate with these two groups in the first phase, even though they are the main opinion leader in this matter. To truly solve the problem, Coca-Cola needs to really convince or at least provide enough evidence to this group that their claims are true and credible before releasing them to the general public. Another problem is the lack of sincerity of the message. The second video highlighting Coca-Cola's 140 "Happy Calories" gives a strong feeling of insincerity due to its marketing attempt. The final point concerns the unconvincing nature of Coca-Cola's approach to this issue. Seen as the direct cause of this problem, Coca-Cola's attempt at social responsibility, particularly on this issue, is very unlikely to achieve any result due to its strong association..