Source: SpeakUp
Language level: Advanced
Speaker: Chuck Rolando
THE REAL THING
source of the picture: http://www.sonshinetours.com
Coca-cola is one of the world’s most successful and famous brands. And if you want to get an idea of its remarkable story, then you should visit The World of Coca-Cola. This is in Atlanta, Georgia, the city where the drink was invented by a local pharmacist, John Pemberton, back in 1886. When Speak Up went to the World of Coca-Cola, we asked Karen Brunke (above), its marketing director, to define Coca-Cola.
Karen Brunke
(Standard American Accent)
Coca-Cola is magic. It’s truly the embodiment of happiness and joy and uplift and optimism that we have the privilege of lifting hearts and minds and souls universally around the globe. It is that magic in the bottle, it is what that brand stands for. The brand stands for that little piece that “My day is going to be better,” that hopes that “My day is going to be more optimistic and full of joy.” And we’re not over-promising, but that is truly what the brand stands for when you speak to consumers around the globe. So when you think about words that characterize the brand genuine, authentic, optimistic, joyful, refreshing, bubbly, these elements, both the emotional, as well as the functional, just combine beautifully and, quite honestly, in a very inexplainable way, to connect with consumers’ minds and hearts. And it’s a humbling privilege that we have. And we take it very seriously each and every day.
OUR BOYS
One of the more unusual chapters in the Coca-Cola story is the Second World War, when it became a truly global brand Robert Woodruff was the company president at that time.
Karen Brunke
When Robert Woodruff wanted to ensure that all American soldiers had a refreshing Coca-Col in their hands during the war he basically revolutionized our distribution system in that…that it was actually the root of our international distribution expansion, to support our military. So it’s really a fascinating story, but the fact that Coca-Cola’s a global brand, quite honestly, is in large part a tribute to Robert Woodruff and his vision of ensuring that our American troops had a little piece of America with them and a sign of hope and optimism with them, while they were, you know, defending our country abroad.
