I do not know of any other time in history in which Coke and Pepsi forgot to fight against each other but had a common opponent. It has happened in India now and with each passing the writing in the wall does not seem to be good for the two cola giants. The accusation against Coke and Pepsi is that their products contain very high level of pesticides. This has caused a huge uproar in India and Coke and Pepsi are now faced with Public Relations nightmare.
These two giants have done little so far except to state that their products maintain international standard. However, this has done little to pacify the protest against the cola giants. A few Indian states have banned sale of Coke and Pepsi from government educational institutions. Hardly anyone has come forward in support of the cola giants publicly in India. I visited the website of Coca-Cola India and found this:
"Facts on Pesticide Allegations in India
The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), an India-based environmental advocacy organization, this week released findings from a national study alleging that soft drinks in India contain unsafe levels of pesticides.
The Coca-Cola Company maintains that our products in India are absolutely safe. Over the past three years, we have analyzed water, sweeteners and other ingredients used to make our products, and also finished products – including Coca-Cola, Thums Up, Sprite and Limca – and concluded that no detectable pesticides could be found. We are now obtaining additional samples from our bottling operations in India and will test these samples at labs in the United States and in the UK.
The Company has an uncompromising commitment to product safety and quality. In India and around the world, our plants use a multiple barrier filtration system to remove potential contaminants and unwanted natural substances, including pesticides, from the water we use. Additionally, our sugar is subjected to hot carbon treatment to eliminate pesticide residue and other contaminants.
Our products in India and the ingredients we use to make them are subject to stringent quality checks to ensure they meet rigorous global standards. These checks include testing for pesticides.
We are confident in the safety of the beverages we offer consumers in India and around the world."
On the other hand, Pepsi has started its own campaign. I am quoting from a report of IHT:
"PepsiCo began a public relations offensive Monday, placing large advertisements in many daily papers, promising: "Pepsi is one of the safest beverages you can drink today." The company conceded that pesticides were present in the ground water in India and found their way into food products, but added that "compared with the permitted levels in tea and other food products, pesticide levels in soft drinks are negligible."
Both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo spend huge amount of money after TV advertisements and sponsorship of sports events in India. Now, it seems that in the coming days they will have to focus more on the quality of their products than hiring celebrities to increase their sales. Actually, these two companies have secured the sponsorship of many of the leading stars in Bollywood and Indian cricket. In India, top cricket stars and movie stars are more than celebrity- they are like demigods. Hopefully, these celebrities can help the two cola giants to restore confidence among Indian people.
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Maybe Pepsi and Cola should offer India a bottle of mineral water. What about the label? Easy: PeCoPsiLa.
Posted by: MAry | August 8, 2006 1:40 PM | Permalink to Comment