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Classic Brands

became associated with the American spirit of a can-do
attitude and became a global depiction of camaraderie and
refreshment.
After the war, Coca-Cola capitalized on the technol-
ogy of radio and television to continue to spread its brand
imagery. Its longstanding slogans and ad campaigns, such
as “It’s the Real Thing,” have permeated American life to
the point that they are no longer just advertising; rather,
they have become cultural icons. Coca-Cola’s commit-
ment to quality advertising continues in the twenty-first
century through its use of not one but five well-known
creative agencies whose primary focus is to maintain
Coke’s classic status.
This rich history, however, is not perfect. In the early
1980s, Coca-Cola tampered with perfection and launched
New Coke, a reformulated version of its product with a
new taste and new packaging design. Within weeks, con-
sumers were dissatisfied with the change, and Coke moved
swiftly to repair the damage that had been done. It quickly
produced Classic Coke, which was the original formula
that consumers had come to know and love. This proved
very costly to Coke not only from the production and bot-
tling side but also from the marketing side, where a correc-
tive marketing plan had to be rapidly implemented. Of
course, Coca-Cola rebounded with a resounding success,
and it continues to be the market leader.

FORCES BEHIND CLASSIC BRANDS
The success stories of the countless other classic brands
read much the same as Coca-Cola’s. These classic brands
all have one common thread throughout their history—
successful utilization of the four Ps of marketing, which
are product, placement, pricing, and promotion. It is the
balance of these four significant factors that takes a brand
from a name to a classic.
First and foremost is product. Brands must outper-
form their competition in order to become a classic. The
best placement, pricing, and promotion will not raise a
mediocre product to classic status, regardless of how many
marketing dollars are pumped into it. Before becoming a
classic brand, the product must taste better, go faster,
work harder, or last longer than other products it com-
petes against.
Second, a product must be properly placed in the
market in order to overshadow the competition. Its target
market must be carefully decided on and, in the case of
most classic brands, be rather broad. Most classic brands
appeal to a wide demographic range, rather than a small
slice of consumers. People from all walks of life use most
Coca-Cola Trade Card, ca. 1915–1925. ©LAKE COUNTY of the brands that have come to be considered classics.
MUSEUM/CORBIS Band-Aids, Coke, Levi’s, and Timex can be found in just

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