Future Cola is a
cola-flavoured carbonated beverage
A soft drink (see § Terminology for other names) is a drink that usually contains water (often carbonated), a sweetener, and a natural and/or artificial flavoring. The sweetener may be a sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, a sugar ...
manufactured by
Hangzhou Wahaha Group
The Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co., Ltd. (WHH; ) is a private group of companies, and the largest beverage producer in China. The company is headquartered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. "Wa ha ha" signifies "laughing child".
Wahaha has roughly 150 ...
of
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, where its market share is 12-15%,
making it the third-largest manufacturer of soft drinks in China behind
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
and
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961.
History
Pepsi was ...
Cola. It is distributed by
Reed's
Reed's Inc. is a USA based company that manufactures soft drinks and candies. The company was founded by Christopher J. Reed in 1989. It was originally based in Los Angeles, California but moved its headquarters to Norwalk, Connecticut in Septem ...
, Inc., in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
as China Cola.
In China it is sold under the English name ''Future Cola'' (), the patriotic by-line "The Chinese people's own cola", and the slogan "the future will be better".
Markets
China
Wahaha started making its own cola in 1998. ''Feichang Kele'' (translated as Extreme Cola or, more commonly, Future Cola, for its sound) tastes like a cross between Coca-Cola and Pepsi, but bears a red and white label. Through Wahaha's extensive distribution network, Future Cola dominates rural China and its second- and third-line cities. Sales in 2003 amounted to 620 million litres, approximately 35% and 70% of the volumes of
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
and
Pepsi-Cola
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961.
History
Pepsi was ...
respectively.
In China, Wahaha adopted three main marketing techniques. First, its advertisements adopt a nationalistic tone. Copy promotes Future Cola as "Chinese people’s own cola" and incites consumers to select it over Coke or Pepsi. Future Cola's focus on rural areas gave the product high penetration at lower costs. It also uses celebrity advertising. Its penetration pricing made it an affordable alternative to its rivals, particularly in the more price-sensitive rural areas.
[GCB_China, "Danone Dump could mean Chance for Chinese Cola Brand", Goldenchinabrands.com, 25 May 2008, Retrieved 3 July 2008]
International markets
Wahaha works with a trading and distribution company in Taiwan and completed a factory for its cola products in Indonesia. Cola has joined other Wahaha products to be exported to France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, and the United States.
[
In 2003 Future Cola became the first mainland Chinese cola to enter America, selling through small convenience outlets in ]New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
and Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
as 'China Cola'. Since then, China Cola has been sold and manufactured in the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
by Reed's, Inc but it boasts a low market share.
References
External links
Future Cola (simplified Chinese)
{{Colas
Hangzhou Wahaha Group
Cola brands
Products introduced in 1998
Chinese drinks
Chinese brands