Coca-Cola continues to be Israel's leading brand in the "Globes" annual rankings though with its value falling slightly to NIS 2.22 billion, it was reported at the "Globes" Marketing and Communications conference today.

The brand, which includes Diet Cola and Cola Zero, maintained its sales level in 2009, and just as important also kept the premium price that it succeeds in charging consumers. The company continued this year with its Coca Cola village campaign, which again proves its ability to strengthen the status of its brand among youth. The company has also worked to strengthen its brand in the Haredi (ultra orthodox) community, through a targeted campaign, and to strengthen the brand among Israeli Arab youth through online interactive games.

The brand ended 2009 with a crisis over quality assurance after it was discovered that carbon dioxide used to carbonate drinks had been contaminated with benzene and sulfur. The fact that the company did not behave with full transparency, and secretly collected bottles from store shelves did not add to the strength of the brand in Israel.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 19, 2010

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