As the global reputation of US brands slips, some US firms are turning to unusual marketing strategies. Coca-Cola, for instance, is now promoting itself as a "German product."
It’s kinda hard to find out where Coca Cola is actually made. Coke for the German market is for sure bottled in Germany, but the Coke syrup which is the base for it (which Coca Cola is very cagey about) isn’t necessarily made there. I assume it’s made somewhere in Europe because according to a brief web search it’s made in about 4 places in the world and Europe is a big market, but there isn’t really a reason to assume that the European syrup plant is in Germany, insted of Spain, Netherlands etc. - certainly possible, but not at all certain.
But TBH, even if it was all made in Germany, it’s still kinda bullshit. Maybe not in a legally actionable way, but Coke is not that popular in Germany and the inventors and standard ingredients (other than water and beet sugar) have no connection to Germany whatsoever. The Coca Cola product that deserves to be called “the German drink” is Fanta, and I assume Coca Cola isn’t quite ready yet to use Fanta’s Nazi heritage as a selling point.
Simply because people should know exactly what they are buying and from who, without having to make a web search at the supermarket for every single product they want to buy (which sometimes is not even that easy because corporations are allowed to be pretty shady and you have to dig further than a simple search of the product/brand name)
It’s not correct in this case. Which is also easily researchable on the internet.
Coca-Cola in Germany is bottled in many different plants locally, by the biggest Coca-Cola bottling company worldwide. It is a british company licensing the use of the brand and name from the US Coca-Cola company, but a separate entity.
That is something different from processed and packaged, which you talked about in your first comment.
Of course not, most ingredients however will be EU produced/processed and then processed into the final drinks in Germany.
But aside from pure agricultural product, almost no product would be “product of Germany” if using no imports would be the requirement to use that lable.
Then you didn’t read my comment carefully, because my point is that ONLY a product that is ENTIRELY produced in a single country should be marketed as such.
Not a Coca Cola fan, but why? If it’s made in Germany, it should be okay to say that
It’s kinda hard to find out where Coca Cola is actually made. Coke for the German market is for sure bottled in Germany, but the Coke syrup which is the base for it (which Coca Cola is very cagey about) isn’t necessarily made there. I assume it’s made somewhere in Europe because according to a brief web search it’s made in about 4 places in the world and Europe is a big market, but there isn’t really a reason to assume that the European syrup plant is in Germany, insted of Spain, Netherlands etc. - certainly possible, but not at all certain.
But TBH, even if it was all made in Germany, it’s still kinda bullshit. Maybe not in a legally actionable way, but Coke is not that popular in Germany and the inventors and standard ingredients (other than water and beet sugar) have no connection to Germany whatsoever. The Coca Cola product that deserves to be called “the German drink” is Fanta, and I assume Coca Cola isn’t quite ready yet to use Fanta’s Nazi heritage as a selling point.
Simply because people should know exactly what they are buying and from who, without having to make a web search at the supermarket for every single product they want to buy (which sometimes is not even that easy because corporations are allowed to be pretty shady and you have to dig further than a simple search of the product/brand name)
So what are you proposing exactly? Should the be forced to put a “invented in USA” after the “made in Germany”? I really don’t see the point.
Just because there isn’t an obvious single-sentence solution to a problem doesn’t mean there isn’t a problem
Solution to what problem, though?
It’s made in Germany (and that’s not even relevant) and is subject to German and EU food safety standards.
The problem of companies misleading customers through marketing
Except there is nothing misleading about claiming a product is “made in Germany” when it is in fact made in Germany.
Agree to disagree I guess
I wonder why you are so triggered, but ok.
In my country they are, for example, allowed to state that their product is made here even if it is ONLY processed and packaged here.
Assuming this is the same situation (and I’d be very surprised if it isn’t), “product of Germany” is false and should not be allowed.
It’s not correct in this case. Which is also easily researchable on the internet.
Coca-Cola in Germany is bottled in many different plants locally, by the biggest Coca-Cola bottling company worldwide. It is a british company licensing the use of the brand and name from the US Coca-Cola company, but a separate entity.
So all the ingredients are produced in Germany too?
That is something different from processed and packaged, which you talked about in your first comment.
Of course not, most ingredients however will be EU produced/processed and then processed into the final drinks in Germany.
But aside from pure agricultural product, almost no product would be “product of Germany” if using no imports would be the requirement to use that lable.
Then you didn’t read my comment carefully, because my point is that ONLY a product that is ENTIRELY produced in a single country should be marketed as such.
All the rest is pure marketing lies.
Standardized product labeling:
🤔
Not so much, if the money goes to the US. And at very least some licensing fees will go to the US with an originally US brand.
Got a news flash for you: lots of German made products send plenty of money to the US
Unfortunately.
Would you take issue with Nike having advertisements saying “made in Indonesia” on them?
Only if it’s from the official Koka region