Cola Wars: Going Global

Frank V. Cespedes

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Case | HBS Case Collection | December 2008 (Revised September 2009)

Cola Wars: Going Global

by Frank V. Cespedes

Abstract

This case is meant to be used in conjunction with the extant "Cola Wars" case studies. It outlines the global positions of Pepsi and Coca-Cola as of 2008 in the soft drink market, and then provides an overview of their competitive situations in three markets: Mexico, China, and India. The case raises the issue of whether any or all of these markets are a) structurally attractive for soft drink firms, and b) if so, how can Pepsi best "catch-up" with Coca-Cola in a given market.

Keywords: Global Strategy; Globalized Firms and Management; Industry Structures; Competitive Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Food and Beverage Industry; China; India; Mexico;

Format: Print

7 pages

Educators Purchase

Citation:

Cespedes, Frank V. "Cola Wars: Going Global." Harvard Business School Case 709-451, December 2008. (Revised September 2009.)

About the Author

Frank V. Cespedes

MBA Class of 1973 Senior Lecturer of Business Administration

Entrepreneurial Management

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Article | Top Sales Magazine

Get Ready to Sell

Frank V. Cespedes and Bud Hyler

The long-term impact of the pandemic is uncertain. Hope for a V-shaped economic recovery, but don’t count on it.

Citation:
Cespedes, Frank V., and Bud Hyler. "Get Ready to Sell." Top Sales Magazine (September 2020), 32–33. View Details

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Case | HBS Case Collection | February 2016 (Revised August 2020)

InsightSquared: Developing the Sales and Marketing Plan

Mark Roberge, Tom Eisenmann and Frank Cespedes

Fred Shilmover and Sam Clemens prepared for their fourth quarter board meeting. They were excited to have scaled their software startup, InsightSquared, to $2 million in revenue and secured an $8 million round of venture capital. However, they disagreed on the path ahead, specifically on the sales and marketing plan. Shilmover preferred a sales-centric approach to growth while Clemens preferred a marketing-centric one. Which strategy was optimal for their venture’s next phase of growth?

Keywords: Sales planning; Software; Marketing; Sales; Planning; Growth and Development Strategy;

Citation:
Roberge, Mark, Tom Eisenmann, and Frank Cespedes. "InsightSquared: Developing the Sales and Marketing Plan." Harvard Business School Case 816-074, February 2016. (Revised August 2020.) View Details

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Teaching Note | HBS Case Collection | July 2020

Shindigz

Frank Cespedes

Teaching Note for HBS Case No. 819-010. Shindigz sells party and celebratory items through its branded direct online channel, third-party retail and wholesale channels, and online marketplaces. Shindigz has for decades successfully executed a premium-priced branded strategy across its distribution channels. But market developments put this approach at risk. The teaching note discusses the impact of omni-channel buying processes on marketing requirements in an event-driven product category; the links between channel choice, pricing, and business strategy; and the requirements for change in response to market conditions that put pressure on established processes in a business model.

Keywords: ecommerce; e-commerce; pricing; Price; Strategy; Decision Making; Distribution Channels; Brands and Branding; Consumer Products Industry;

Citation:
Cespedes, Frank. "Shindigz." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 821-024, July 2020. View Details

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Cola Wars: Going Global

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