Welcome to Day 4 of "25 Brands Unwrapped." Throughout this campaign, we are utilizing synthetic personas generated from U.S. government data to conduct deep-dive audits into major global brands.
Today, we analyze Coca-Cola
The following data represents the responses from 1,000 synthetic respondents. The survey covers brand perception, leadership sentiment, product value, and competitive threats.
What is the first word that comes to your mind when you hear Coca-Cola?
'Classic' (76.4%)
'Refreshing' (13.4%)
'Refresco' (2.6%)
How would you describe the "typical" customer of Coca-Cola?
'A wide range of people — from families to older folks — who enjoy a familiar, sweet soda as an occasional treat. Mostly mainstream, not picky, and looking for something comforting and consistent.'
If you could rename Coca-Cola to describe what it actually is, what would you call it?
'Classic Cola'
'Everyday Cola'
Describe Coca-Cola in exactly three words.
Sweet
Classic
Familiar
If you could fire the CEO of Coca-Cola, would you?
No: 99.9%
Yes: 0.1%
If you met the CEO of Coca-Cola, what is the first question you would ask them?
'How are you balancing consumer health concerns (like sugar) with keeping Coca‑Cola’s classic taste and brand identity?'
'How do you plan to keep the brand relevant for younger generations while staying true to what made it iconic?' 'How are you balancing taste with healthier ingredients and clearer nutrition labeling?'
Have recent news stories regarding the company's leadership made you more or less likely to recommend us?
No: 88.9%
Yes: 11.1%
Please explain your answer
'I’ve seen stories about leadership decisions and company priorities that make me pause when recommending the brand. It doesn’t ruin the product for me, but I pay more attention to what the company stands for now.'
'I pay more attention to the product and its taste than to every leadership story. Unless there's something clearly unethical, the soda itself matters most to me.'
'I mostly buy Coke for taste and habit; leadership stories don't change whether I enjoy the product unless they affect safety or availability.'
What is the maximum price (in dollars) you would pay for a product before walking away?
Average: $2.44.
If you could change one thing about the product, what would it be?
'Reduce the sugar content or offer more natural sweetener options without losing the classic flavor.'
What is the one thing we could add to this product that would make it worth double the current price to you?
'An all‑natural recipe with no artificial sweeteners, added vitamins or functional benefits, and premium packaging.'
Who is the biggest threat to Coca-Cola?
'Pepsi'
What is the best alternative to Coca-Cola?
'Pepsi'
Why haven’t you switched to a competitor yet?
'Out of habit and familiarity — I like the taste, and it’s widely available, so switching hasn’t felt necessary.'
'Because I prefer the taste and the familiarity; it's what I'm used to.'
'Out of habit and preference — I like the taste, and it's what our household buys.'
What would Coca-Cola have to do to lose your business forever?
'If Coca‑Cola knowingly sold unsafe products or engaged in serious, ongoing ethical scandals that they refused to fix, I’d stop buying forever.'
'They'd have to change the recipe to something I can't stand or be involved in serious unethical behavior.'
What would Coca-Cola have to do to win you back?
'A sincere public acknowledgement of the problem, clear corrective action, and meaningful improvements like healthier options and transparent sourcing would bring me back.'
'Bring back what people liked, be transparent, and show a genuine apology if they've done wrong.'
On a scale of 0-10, how much do you trust Coca-Cola?
Average Score: 6.2
Do you think Coca-Cola’s best days are ahead of it or behind it?
Ahead: 97.0%
Behind: 3.0%
If Coca-Cola went out of business tomorrow, would you care?
No: 95.4%
Yes: 4.6%
Does Coca-Cola actually care about its customers?
No: 56.6%
Yes: 43.4%
Do you know the name of Coca-Cola’s CEO?
No: 94.3%
Yes: 5.7%
Does the CEO’s public behavior make you less likely to buy from Coca-Cola?
No: 97.3%
Yes: 2.7%
Do you think the leadership at Coca-Cola is competent?
Yes: 98.0%
No: 2.0%
Does the CEO’s political stance align with yours?
No: 100.0%
Is the leadership of Coca-Cola a liability to the company?
No: 97.5%
Yes: 2.5%
Do you think the CEO uses their own product?
Yes: 99.9%
No: 0.1%
Do the executives at Coca-Cola seem out of touch with reality?
No: 62.1%
Yes: 37.9%
Would you buy from Coca-Cola if it weren't on sale?
Yes: 93.4%
No: 6.6%
Is Coca-Cola worth the money?
Yes: 93.5%
No: 6.5%
If Coca-Cola raised its prices by 10%, would you still buy it?
Yes: 77.4%
No: 22.6%
If a competitor offered a similar product at a slightly lower price, how likely would you be to switch? (Likert scale) Average Score: 2.9
Has the quality of Coca-Cola declined recently?
No: 100.0%
Is Coca-Cola too "woke"?
No: 99.9%
Yes: 0.1%
Is Coca-Cola too conservative?
No: 100.0%
Do Coca-Cola’s values align with your own?
No: 97.9%
Yes: 2.1%
Are you loyal to Coca-Cola because you like it, or because you’re stuck?
Like it: 98.9%
Not loyal: 1.1%
Do you think Coca-Cola will exist in 10 years?
Yes: 100.0%
How likely are you to purchase from Coca-Cola in the next 6 months?" (Likert Scale: Very Unlikely to Very Likely) Average Score: 4.10.
Distribution: Score 2: 0.2%, Score 3: 6.9%, Score 4: 75.6%, Score 5: 17.3%
See you tomorrow for Day 5!