Analyze each company’s history, product / services, major customers, major suppliers, and leadership and provide a synopsis of each company. Pepsi-Cola began as a drink developed by a pharmacist named Caleb Bradham in his drugstore in 1893. The soft drink was made to be a tonic to aid in digestion and as a refreshing drink that gives an energy boost. This concoction made of pepsin and kola nuts was originally called “Brad’s Drink” named after its inventor, but was later changed to Pepsi-Cola to be more marketable. Originally, this beverage was sold in drug stores and at soda fountains, but was later sold in bottled form to facilitate mass distribution. The Great Depression was a major setback for many American companies and …show more content…

Indicate how this influences your investment decision related to the company. Coke has always been a company that strives to be innovative and stay ahead of its competitors, mainly Pepsi in this case. A much publicized event occurred where company executives at one time decided to change the formula to the soft drink after many years of proven success. The thought was that they needed to provide their customers with something new that could better compete with Pepsi’s cola beverage. This formula change was not well received and after a time the company switched its formula back to the original configuration to appease its customers. The company had gambled and found out the hard way that Coke drinkers were set on the classic recipe’s taste and did not want change. The Coca-Cola Company found out the hard way that there were many Coke loyalists that did not want a different tasting beverage and furiously clung to their favorite version, which was the original Coke formula. The company defended their position however, after switching back to the original formula, by saying that the risk was worth it for revitalizing the brand and reestablishing loyalties to the brand. Coke is no stranger to acquisitions as it is aggressive at acquiring small competitors and