Click to read the original text for details The appearance of cola dates back to 1886, when a pharmacist named Pemberton in Alexandria, USA, had a miraculous invention. One day, Pemberton added sugar, lime juice, citric acid, and other substances to a large glass of water, and also added a little caffeine and cocaine. The result was beyond everyone's imagination: besides having a special taste, because of the caffeine and cocaine, everyone who drank it felt particularly energetic. It was in this casual moment that the century-spanning绝世饮料 Coca-Cola was born. Coca-Cola was very popular as soon as it was launched. Pemberton was inspired, so the pharmacist turned businessman. He decided to market this drink, which combined refreshing and pain-relieving effects. Before marketing it, Pemberton needed to solve a problem: he had to give the drink a good name. At that time, a man named Robinson suggested to Pemberton to call it Coca-Cola. This name is actually an open secret: Coca is the coca plant, whose leaves are the raw material for cocaine, and Cola represents the kola nut, whose seeds contain 2% caffeine. So one is cocaine and the other is caffeine. It is because of these two substances that people felt so energetic after drinking Pemberton's new beverage. Thus, the name Coca-Cola was born. Robinson also designed a very beautiful logo for Coca-Cola, and then Coca-Cola was officially put on the market. In 1888, less than two years after Coca-Cola was introduced, its inventor Pemberton passed away. At that time, a businessman named Asa Candler acquired Coca-Cola. Initially, Candler only bought part of the shares. It was not until 1892 that Candler became the sole owner of the Coca-Cola Company. In this process, the most crucial step was that Candler bought the original formula of Coca-Cola. Pemberton had secretly added some trace mixtures to his drink, and in fact, this was the real secret of Coca-Cola. The secret formula of Coca-Cola is commonly known as 7X, because it is said to have seven ingredients. Since its birth in 1886, it has been kept in a safe for over 130 years. Fewer than 10 people in the world know the formula, but countless people have tried to decipher it. However, the results are the same: various imitation colas have strange tastes. It can be said that it has always been imitated but never surpassed. The mysterious 7X continues to maintain Coca-Cola's century-long glory. Besides the secret formula, what allowed the Coca-Cola Company to grow rapidly was its "franchise model." The Coca-Cola Company sells cola syrup to independent bottlers, who then mix and package the cola according to Coca-Cola's production standards and sell it. They are also allowed to use the Coca-Cola brand for marketing. This innovative model made Coca-Cola rise rapidly. The leader of the Coca-Cola Company, Asa Candler, was an excellent businessman who knew how to market his products. To promote Coca-Cola, Candler had people stand on the streets of Atlanta and hand out free drink coupons to passersby. He also trained some handsome young people to mix cola at the counter, preparing a special Coca-Cola for each customer. Candler also invented various promotional gifts that were easy to distribute, all containing Coca-Cola advertising information, and then distributed these items to thousands of people through the Coca-Cola sales system. It is estimated that by 1900, the Coca-Cola trademark appeared on one million products. At that time, walking on the streets of America, Coca-Cola signs were almost everywhere. This overwhelming advertising was the beginning of Coca-Cola's success. In addition, Candler also did the most successful advertising marketing plan for Coca-Cola: Santa Claus. Initially, Santa Claus was not the image people know today. The legendary Santa was a thin, tall old man wrapped in animal skins. The image everyone knows now was completely created by Coca-Cola. At that time, to boost winter sales, the Coca-Cola Company thought of having Santa drink Coca-Cola, so they specially commissioned a new image of Santa wearing a big red robe and holding a Coca-Cola. The result was unexpected: this new Santa image became popular along with Coca-Cola, to the extent that people later recognized this new image of Santa. The Coca-Cola version of Santa Claus can be said to have created the greatest brand influence in history. However, with the huge success of Coca-Cola, the problem of counterfeiting was unavoidable. Imitations appeared shortly after the cola was launched, and Candler's success again pushed the imitation trend to a climax. It is said that at one point there were as many as 153 imitation colas in the United States. Initially, Candler spent years fighting to protect his brand patent and interests, but later everyone realized that the significance of Coca-Cola was no longer just a bottle of drink. Inside the small glass bottle were struggle, passion, and creativity, and the power of Americans to pursue their dreams. These cannot be replicated, and any imitation is futile! Coca-Cola did not become famous overnight. Candler devoted 20 years of hard work to it. During these 20 years, this small bottle of cola entered the lives of every American, but more importantly, Coca-Cola had become a belief for Americans and part of their values. An American sociologist wrote a book called "Sweetness and Power," which constructed a scene that all American men yearn for: "watching a football game, eating potato chips, with a sexy girlfriend on his lap, and a familiar Coca-Cola beside him." It is not hard to imagine that in the American interpretation of "happiness," Coca-Cola has become an indispensable part. Twenty years passed quickly. After achieving such great success, Candler faced something that all family businesses must face: inheritance of property. After the final decision, in 1919, Candler made his eldest son Howard the chairman, and his other children also became directors of the company. But from that moment, the Candler family began to decline. In the first year after Candler handed over the Coca-Cola Company to his children, his children, for immediate interests, sold the Coca-Cola Company to a businessman named Woodruff without Candler's knowledge. Subsequently, it was Woodruff who made Coca-Cola cover every corner of the world. In 1939, the times gave Woodruff a powerful opportunity: the outbreak of World War II. Woodruff reacted immediately, and his decision is considered one of the wisest decisions in the world. Woodruff promised the U.S. military that wherever American troops went, the Coca-Cola Company would supply Coca-Cola to American soldiers at a price of 5 cents per cup. At that time, Coca-Cola employees risked their lives on the battlefield to fulfill this promise. Woodruff's decision allowed Coca-Cola to go global with the U.S. military. The American soldiers holding Coca-Cola became the symbol of America in that era, and they did enough advertising for Coca-Cola. Later, a new drink appeared on the streets of Shanghai, called "蝌蝌啃蜡" (kē kē kěn là), which was actually the Chinese transliteration of Coca-Cola at that time. Because of World War II, Coca-Cola achieved great success. It was not only a popular beverage in the United States but also the most influential brand globally. Behind it carried the world's understanding of American culture. Some even said that Coca-Cola is an American dream in a bottle! Time came to 1985, and another major event occurred in Coca-Cola's history. That year, to compete with Pepsi, Coca-Cola decided to change its formula and launch a new taste. However, the result was contrary to expectations: sales of the new Coca-Cola plummeted, and the company's stock price fell sharply. The New York Times said that Coca-Cola's formula change was one of the biggest mistakes in American business in a century. In the hearts of Americans, they could not accept such a change because Coca-Cola for them was a complete history of America, a living American dream. So to this day, Coca-Cola still maintains its original formula. Today, Coca-Cola sells in 200 countries, has 160 beverage brands, and 1.7 billion people consume Coca-Cola products every day. In 2016, in the ranking of the world's top 100 most valuable brands, Coca-Cola ranked third. With its unique formula, excellent design, successful marketing strategy, and innovative business model, through the unremitting efforts of several generations, the Coca-Cola Company has become a beverage giant with great influence. For 130 years, Coca-Cola has grown and thrived together with the United States. Its development history is a typical American myth about struggle and success. A former president of Coca-Cola once proudly said, "Even if you set fire to all the property of the Coca-Cola Company, I can rise again with the Coca-Cola brand." This fully demonstrates the power of the Coca-Cola brand! Coca-Cola is like a sexy beauty, exuding mysterious allure, always making people fascinated and crazy. And perhaps this is the charm of this 130-year-old super brand! -END-