Asa Griggs Candler, marketing genius behind the success of Coca-Cola TM, was born in 1851.

Coca-Cola has become so popular over the years that the name and trademarked symbols have become synonymous with the very notion of marketing success, and closely associated worldwide with the United States itself. The man behind the start of the soft drink’s rocket ride to international fame was a marketing genius named Asa Griggs Candler (1851–1929). In 1887, Candler purchased the secret formula for Coca-Cola from its creator, a druggist named John Pemberton who had developed the syrup for use in fountain drinks. Pemberton’s original formula was designed as a medicinal product, but its taste made it popular locally as a refreshing beverage. Candler decided to make the drink into a national product. To this end, he devoted a huge advertising budget—$50,000, which was a lot of money at the turn of the century—to spreading the word about his product. He used a combination of bottled drinks and fountain sales to spread the product throughout the nation, and through this and his marketing prowess, Coca-Cola could be found in every state and territory of the United States by 1895. From that point on, Coca-Cola continued to be sold in more and more countries—44 by the start of World War II and more than 80 by the sixties. In 1982, Diet Coke was released, proving to be an incredibly popular addition to the Coca-Cola line. Today, Coca-Cola is sold in nearly 200 countries.

EconEdLink
In Market-Ability (6–12), students create and conduct market surveys to determine whether products they have invented are marketable.

In Marketplace: Back-to-School Retail (6–12), students reflect on their "back-to-school" spending habits while recognizing that all their choices involve costs and benefits. Students collect data about spending habits and then compare them to the national averages. An extension activity provides an opportunity to examine the effects of advertising on spending habits.

In Deceptive Advertising: Crossing the Line (9–12), students examine the ground rules for advertisements of goods and services, why we need rules, who sets them and who enforces them. They research cases in which deceptive advertising has been charged and analyze whether the negative incentives for this illegal practice are sufficient to deter future violations.

Illuminations
In What Is The "Best" Chip? (3–5), students use data analysis to seek answers to the types of questions often posed by consumer agencies and people who work in sales and marketing. Students develop a list of criteria for determining the "best" snack chip, collect data and then give presentations to the class, using charts, tables or graphs that they developed to determine the best chip.