Secret Formula: How Brilliant Marketing and Relentless Salesmanship Made Coca-Cola the Best-Known Product in the World

by Frederick Allen

A history of Coca-Cola traces the company from the debut of the popular soft drink in an Atlanta soda fountain to its present status as a multibillion-dollar international corporation, drawing on the personal papers of founder Asa Candler and long-time CEO Robert Woodruff.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook, Biography, American History, Finance

500 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Frederick Allen was an award-winning reporter and political columnist with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution from 1972 to 1987, when he joined CNN as chief analyst and commentator covering the 1988 presidential contest. His essays for the program Inside Politics earned CNN a Cable Ace Award, and Allen was cited as best political analyst by the editors of The Hotline. Allen was a founding panelist on the Georgia Gang, a public affairs show on Atlanta television since 1982.

He is the author of four books. His history of the Coca-Cola Company, Secret Formula, was published by HarperCollins in 1994 and has been translated into seven languages. Atlanta Rising, a history of modern Atlanta, was published by Longstreet in 1996 and is taught at several colleges. A Decent, Orderly Lynching, Allen's account of the vigilantes of Montana, was published in 2004 by University of Oklahoma Press. His research into vigilante symbolism was cited by the Western History Association. Reckoning with Race is a firsthand account of race relations in America, a collection of eighteen essays exploring his ongoing efforts to understand the struggle of black and white Americans to navigate a shared history.

Allen graduated from Phillips Academy (Andover) and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He and his wife, Linda, live in Atlanta and Cashiers, North Carolina.

Reviews

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant history of Coca Cola.

This book is absolutely riveting from start to finish. A brilliant history of Coca Cola as a product, and a company. It’s a history as well as a study of growing a business that produced a product that came to epitomize and dominate the 20th and now 21st centuries. Perhaps no single brand is more ubiquitous worldwide as Coca Cola.

This book heavily delves into the inner workings of the Coca Cola company. It explores the motivations of each of its leaders, including Robert Woodruff who ran/dominated the company for 60 plus years and oversaw its rise to global dominance.

No company with such a massive presence and a history spanning over 130 years (and counting) can have a totally spotless record. Coca Cola had its blunders (New Coke anyone?), but it has had far more success than any competitor and almost any other company out there.

Frederick Allen captures the essence of the company and its leadership in engaging prose with a style that is fast paced and accessible. This is truly a brilliant book that is well worth the read.

[Stephanie Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting book. It did drag at times, and felt much longer than it actually was, but at the same time was incredibly fascinating. The last chapter was about them changing the formula and creating “new coke” in the early 80s, which (spoiler!) the public hated and felt betrayed by. It was interesting reading that chapter, because I, too, felt angered and betrayed by them, even though that took place before I was born. Although interested throughout the book, I didn’t know how invested I was until the end. All in all, a great read with plenty of random tidbits to spark conversations.

[Syed Saqi · Rating 5 out of 5]

If a brand has been made available in countries as many as the UN members the world has, if a brand is almost omnipresent, then a question comes to mind, how did it get built, is it because of the system,or because of the person. I tend to choose the former, but Frederick Allen says its the latter. Combing through the archives of Coca Cola, Atlanta, and referencing detailed documents, he traces the lives from Doc Pemberton, to Candler family and then in absolute detail about Bob Woodruff, comes with a 300 page tome giving out how and what of one of the iconic brands in the world - coca -cola.

Today Coke evokes an emotion, which is incomparable, it is ubiquitous with a taste that hasnt changed at all, the formula whose secrecy itself has throttled to eminence, and the availability at arms lenght of once desire.
How did we get to such a positioning ? It has a very American identity, yet available across the world. The franchising system is another characteristic of the firm.

The best part of the book is the intimate portrait it brings of the chief characters, Bob Woodruff and to an extent Asa Griggs Candler. The ways of business in the 1900s is written in a feverish pace, peppered with
details i hardly could make sense of the labrynth of ownerships and arrangements, to keep others from purchasing the firm. The story of selling, liquidating shares, the legal dramas bring a feel that its a thriller that is being read and not a book of business history.

For bringinng us the mileu (of souther states, Georgia, where Coke is headquartered), for bringing the lives of sharp businessmen who always had a way to do business, and for its primary research, the secret formula may remain a secret, but the workings of the corporation is written in a vivid way. So a 5 star it is .

[Gert Poot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aanrader voor iedereen die van dit soort boeken houdt.

[Martin Alswang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. So interesting.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating history of the most popular American soft drink- from its hazy formation in a pharmacist's bench to the multi- billion dollar boardroom of today's business, Coca-Cola is truly revered in this book.

[Lewis M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always wondered about what was in coca cola, did it contain cocaine, and what the he'll were they thinking when they launched new Coke. these and many other answers await, but perhaps more interesting than that is the story of the leaders behind the drink.

[Eustacia Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, are you a Coca-Cola (coke) person or a pepsi person? Personally, I prefer coke (sorry, Pepsi). I think it's because I grew up drinking it, and because Pepsi is too sweet for me.

And now that you know that I prefer coke, it should be no surprised that I requested a book about the history of the Coca Cola company from NetGalley. I wasn't expecting to find the secret formula (that other extremely famous myth about coke) inside, but I didn't expect the history of coke to be this interesting.

For some reason, I always thought coke was a family company. I think it's because of the secret formula thing - if it's taken over, then the formula might be leaked, at least, that was my thinking. But as it turns out, coke was invented by John Pemberton, and then after some business events happen, Asa Candler ended up in control of it, and then Ernest Woodruff (who didn't come across as a very likeable person to me) led a group of investors to take over it, and after that, his son Robert Woodruff. Along the way, the company was listed, World War I and II happened, and coke become a symbol of America (not in that order, obviously).

I should probably just say up front what this book is not. This book is not a business guide disguised as a biography of the company, although I supposed if you wanted, you could learn from it. This book is not a look at America through the eyes of one of its leading companies, although again, since coke did become a symbol of America, it's not surprise that some stuff (like politics, modernisation and social changes) are mentioned, but only as far as they affect coke, or coke affecting them.

This is a book about the history of coke. Everything else, like society, coke's rivals, the legal battles about copyright and drugs in food, all that is brought in as and when it affects coke. If coke was a company that grew placidly and never made mistakes, this book might have been boring. But as it is, coke was dominated by interesting personalities from the start, and the twist and turns of the business made for good read.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile

[Patrick Pilz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Coke told with a lot of background stories of all the key individuals involved. I liked the book, even though it is a little dated and does not cover the most recent history. The North American HQ of my company is currently in Atlanta, and the story of Coca Cola is pretty much the key business history of Atlanta. My town of birth was Essen, Germany which essentially was the first foray of Coca Cola in overseas markets. I truly liked the book because it plays in my personal backyard. This makes it hard for me to provide an honest and objective review.

[Dennis Willingham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Growing up in Georgia I heard a lot of folklore about Coke so it was interesting to get some facts on the history, this was a good, basic account up to the 1990's. (My grandmother started each day with a Coke, but only the small 6 1/2 oz. bottles because "they just put more water in the big ones".) I had always thought much of Coke's success was due to Robert Woodruff's leadership but parts of this book made it seem like he succeeded in spite of himself. I'll be looking for more to read on this subject and the more recent history of the company.

[Beverly Hollandbeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is what good research and good nonfiction writing look like. From its inception in the 1880s through the "New Coke" fiasco and into the present time, the Coca-Cola company has always had some kind of battle, resulting in innovations in technology, advertising, and international relations. The story is told in great depth, with particular attention to the character and quirks of the major players. I read the 500 pages in five days, if that tells you anything.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating story

Anyone who drinks any soft drink will find this fascinating. Coca Cola has come to be seen as a symbol for our country around the world. This books tells you how that happened

[Jonny Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up because I wanted to learn more about Robert Woodruff and his impact on Coca-Cola—and it definitely delivered. Secret Formula goes way beyond just the history of a soft drink. It shows how one Atlanta-based company ended up shaping global culture, business strategy, and even how we see American identity.

What I really appreciated was how Frederick Allen ties Coca-Cola’s story back to Atlanta throughout the book. You see how decisions made in this one Southern city had ripple effects all around the world. Learning about Woodruff’s vision and how he pushed for Coke to be “within arm’s reach of desire” helped me understand not just his legacy, but how Atlanta grew into a global business center.

If you’re into business history, branding, or just want to see how something local can have a worldwide impact, this is a great read. It’s detailed but very readable, and packed with fascinating moments from behind the scenes of one of the most recognizable brands in the world.

[Nathan Yount · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this company history, the author (a political columnist and commentator for CNN) describes the aggressive marketing campaign that focused on the trademark and branding, which yielded extraordinary results, set the standard for all of its future promotional material, emphasizes corporate internal politics, Coca-Cola's role in the inner councils of Atlanta, as well as its role in the civil rights movement. This summary reveals all of the secrets to Coca-Cola's success and how the company's innovation and originality was the key to it becoming the biggest global brand. At times the book reads like a Russian novel combined with a thriller. It will appeal to the general reader as well as to students of history and complements other recent titles on Coca-Cola, including Roger Enrico's The Other Guy Blinked (LJ 3/15/87) and Mark Pendergrast's For God, Country, and Coca-Cola (LJ 3/15/93).
*written by Combining two reviews

[Aditi Verma · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this book should be read by all entrepreneurs and corporate guys aspiring to occupy corner offices one day. It is not just the story of how Coca-Cola got created but the various strategic decisions taken by the management under drastic circumstances. It explains the thought-process behind each decision and what fate each decision met. It teaches you about strategy, about marketing and most of all diplomacy. The American giant and how closely it was intertwined with the politics at all levels - from Mayor to as big as Presidential elections. The Company came a long way with initial frequent changes in ownership, diversification into movie-making business and finally wrapping up all the rest to focus on just plain soft drinks. All in all it is an engaging book that teaches you a lot of lessons along the way.

[Roy Peek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read to gather the history of Coca-Cola from the early times to the present.

The original history is lost over the years after working for the Coca-Cola System for 10 years some of the early days / stories were new information.
Many of the stories shared much more details than were open to the public or employees at the time.

Interesting read as an employee, investor and a citizen of Atlanta.

For those that have grown up in Atlanta and Coca- Cola has been a part of my life for many years this was an interesting read, worth the time to read and learn the in-depth details of the history.

[Elizabeth Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will not shut up about this book. An incredibly fascinating story of families, Atlanta society and history, American history, WWII, branding, American consciousness, and the South during the 20th century. I learned so, so many fascinating things about my city and our country.

Moreover, it's actually a page turner. Very well written and kept me drifting back to my kindle when I should have been doing other things. Highly recommended.

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read on how CocaCola got started.

The author had a challenge in making a business history book interesting, but overall he succeeded. The book ends its tale in 1994, so I am sure there are more recent books available. The two segments I most enjoyed were about Coke in World War II and about the creation of New Coke. The author had some curious chapter arrangement. After the WW material, we went back to 1935 for a while.

[Margarita · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough look at the history of Coca-Cola from inception to the early nineties. A lot of emphasis is placed on the internal politics; it becomes tiresome after a while to read about the egos of privileged executives. The parts in the book that explore marketing, sales, global expansion, competitors (mostly Pepsi) and the socio-political environment of the times (i.e. World Wars, government, race, etc.) are detailed and gripping like a well-executed “Mad Men” episode.

[Phil Eaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite business history reads, and also loosely tied into another one of my favorite historical periods (the civil rights era) in Atlanta. It makes the case so compellingly that tolerance and goodwill are good business. It's not that the Coca-Cola Company or its people were saints. The book doesn't attempt to say that. I also liked reading about competing with Pepsi and launching New Coke (and failing at that).

[Sy. C · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a disappointing history of the Coca-Cola company. Perhaps it's best suited for someone such as a potential employee who's just looking for a compact, breezy, easily readable overview of major company milestones and personalities. However, if you're looking for thoughtful analysis and a focus on how the business was built, operated and managed, this is not the book to read.

[Derek Pankaew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good biography of Coca-Cola, the company. But a pretty boring book. I definitely couldn't read it all at once; instead had to read it a few minutes at a time for weeks.

It was interesting to learn how a giant company unfolded. I just wish the writing was a bit more engaging. That said, it was a good business biography.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely an inspiring account of the world’s famous brand .
Although,the book could have avoided being a journal , IMO. Too much of information that could bore you as you go along. Gets too long and some chapters are irrelevant , but it’s all out there for one to know , how the company started, evolved and reached where it is.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The interesting story of the birth and growth of the #1 selling soft drink of all time. Reading about the awkward inner workings of the company causes one to wonder how it ever survived, much less thrived. Was it really the secret formula? The distinct taste? Marketing? Likely, all of it together. They simply had something so good that it couldn't fail. Remarkable! Well worth the read.

[Farhan Sadeed · Rating 5 out of 5]

The struggles and conflicts that Coca Cola faced during its establishment as a global brand. The vivid portrayal of how the company went against all odds and survived is a must read for future entrepreneurs and industrialists.

[Paul S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book!

Having lived in Atlanta for years as a, transplant you lean that coke and Atlanta area tied at the hip. This boom doors an excellent job of explaining why along with everything else.
Best history of coke that I have read to date.

[Brenton Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a history (Georgia history to be exact) teacher I really enjoyed this book and learning how much the Coca-Cola company shaped the history of Georgia. So many figures from Georgia’s 20th century are featured and it has given me some great additions to my lessons in the future!

[Andre Hermanto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good:
* Easy to read.
* Some interesting anecdotes.

Bad:
* Very slow.
* Too many anecdotes.

[Maxmilian Ziegelmüller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. I read it in 2000, and that time, I thought it so interesting.

[Doug Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book on the history of Coca Cola. Highly recommended!