Coca-Cola Flexes Marketing Muscle: Will This Drive Global Share Gains?

The Coca-Cola Company KO is intensifying its global marketing playbook to deepen consumer engagement and drive sustained market share gains. With consumer preferences shifting rapidly, Coca-Cola is channeling significant investment into localized campaigns, digital storytelling, and sports sponsorships to remain top of mind. From reviving the iconic “Share a Coke” campaign to launching tailored activations like “Everyday Tasty Celebrations” and the Fanta-Xbox partnership, the company is embracing a digital-first strategy. Studio X, its in-house content engine, is enabling the rapid creation of data-driven, personalized marketing content, amplified through social media, live experiences, and connected packaging. These efforts are elevating brand relevance and reinforcing Coca-Cola’s diverse beverage portfolio worldwide. 

This aggressive marketing strategy is especially vital as Coca-Cola navigates macroeconomic uncertainty and shifting consumer sentiment. With first-quarter 2025 volume growth across all categories and standout performances in Asia-Pacific and Africa, Coca-Cola is demonstrating marketing-led resilience. In markets like Mexico and parts of Europe, affordability-led campaigns and a “Made Local” narrative are helping counter geopolitical pressures and strengthen brand loyalty.

The company’s refreshed marketing model blends digital, live, and in-store touchpoints to build stronger, more personalized consumer connections. This approach has already delivered tangible results, with Trademark Coca-Cola adding $40 billion in retail value in the past three years. By aligning innovation with precision marketing, Coca-Cola is fueling top-line growth even in a dynamic environment. While elevated marketing investments may weigh on near-term margins, Coca-Cola’s proven ability to build emotional resonance and sustain global visibility continues to drive pricing power and consumer loyalty. As KO flexes its marketing muscle, it is positioning itself to outpace global peers and build enduring brand equity for the long term.

Are KO’s Competitors Catching Up?

PepsiCo Inc. PEP and Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. KDP are the key competitors of Coca-Cola.

PepsiCo’s marketing strategy continues to play a pivotal role in reinforcing its brand equity and expanding market share across beverages and snacks. PEP is leaning into digital-first campaigns, influencer collaborations, and high-profile sponsorships like the UEFA Champions League to boost cultural relevance and reach younger, diverse consumers. These efforts, combined with innovation in zero-sugar products and a growing direct-to-consumer presence, are helping PepsiCo stay competitive in an evolving marketplace. In many ways, PEP’s marketing approach mirrors KO’s—fusing global scale with local insights and investing in personalization and digital engagement to fend off competition and grow wallet share.

Keurig Dr Pepper’s marketing strategy is focused on portfolio diversification, brand partnerships, and targeted digital engagement to drive growth and gain market share in a competitive beverage landscape. While it does not match Coca-Cola’s global scale, KDP is leveraging data-driven marketing and strong retail execution to expand its presence, particularly in North America. The company’s investments in emerging brands, health-forward offerings, and influencer-led campaigns reflect a shift toward consumer-centric, agile marketing, similar in spirit to Coca-Cola’s localized and digital-first approach. KDP’s focused strategy is helping it carve out a space, especially in categories like ready-to-drink coffee, flavored water, and premium sodas, where it is less directly constrained by Coca-Cola’s core dominance.

The Zacks Rundown for Coca-Cola

KO shares have rallied 16.1% year to date compared with the industry’s growth of 7.8%.

From a valuation standpoint, KO trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 23.51X, significantly higher than the industry’s 18.72X.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for KO’s 2025 and 2026 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 2.8% and 8.2%, respectively. Earnings estimates for 2025 have been unchanged in the past 30 days, whereas that for 2026 have been northbound in the same period.

Coca-Cola currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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