The Birth Of Coca-Cola
In May, 1886, Coca Cola was invented by Doctor John Pemberton who was a pharmacist from Atlanta, Georgia. John Pemberton made the Coca Cola formula in a three legged brass kettle in his own backyard. The name “Coca Cola” was a suggestion given by his bookkeeper Frank Robinson.
Frank Robinson was a bookkeeper that had excellent penmanship. It was him who first scripted "Coca Cola" into the famous letters which became the famous logo that is still used as of today. The soft drink was first sold to the public at the soda fountain in Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia on May 8, 1886. About nine servings of the soft drink were sold each day. The sales for the first year added up to a total of about $50. The expenses cost John Pemberton over $70 to make, so the first year of sales they were a loss for him. Up until 1905 the soft drink was marketed as a tonic and contained extracts of cocaine as well as the caffeine-rich kola nut.
Asa Candler
In 1887, another Atlanta pharmacist, Asa Candler bought the formula for Coca Cola for about $2,300 from the inventor. By the late 1890s, Coca Cola was one of America's most popular fountain drinks this was largely due to Candler's aggressive marketing skills of the product. Now with Asa Candler in charge, the Coca Cola Company increased in their syrup sales by over 4000% between 1890 and 1900.
Advertising was an important factor in John Pemberton and Asa Candler's success and by the turn of the century, the drink was sold across the United States and Canada. Around the same time, the company began selling syrup to independent bottling companies who were licensed to sell the drink.
Other companies were making imitation of the famous beverage but The Coca-Cola Company was not pleased about the makings of copycat beverages taking advantage of its success. They turn their advertising focus on the authenticity of Coca-Cola, urging consumers to "Demand the genuine" and "Accept no substitute."
