More than just a soft drink

• Source: The Global Times
• [20:12 May 06 2009]
• Comments

An advertisement for Coca-Cola produced during the Republic of China (1912-49) period, which was included in an advertising industry exhibition held last year in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. Photo: IC

For some people, however, there is a lot more to Coke than fizzy brews and buyouts.

Sun Kai, a 36-year old civil servant from Beijing, has been collecting Coke merchandise since 2002, when a series of cans illustrated with the signs of the Chinese zodiac caught his eye.

“Collecting brings me a lot of happiness,” he told the Global Times.

Over the past seven years, he said he has spent more than 200,000 yuan building up his collection of about 20,000 bottles, cans and pins.
In 2003, Sun founded the China Coca-Cola Club, which now boasts 600 members and claims to be the biggest of its kind in the country. Its website has attracted comments from more than 4,000 people around the world.

Despite his devotion to the club, Coca-Cola refused his request for official certification, Sun said.

It was equally unimpressed with his application for a job in the firm’s public relations department.

“I thought my knowledge of products might help, but they said they wanted people with sales ability,” he said.

Meng Yun is a friend of Sun’s who is doing rather better from his love of the brand.

He owns a store in Beijing that sells only Coke merchandise, including cans produced in 2001 to celebrate China winning the right to host the Olympic Games, which are now worth 100 yuan each. Others, produced in Nanjing in 2002, sell for up to 3,000 yuan apiece, he said.

Although his store measures just 6 square meters, Meng said business is booming and that on an average month he earns about 10,000 yuan.

“Coca-Cola represents the spirit of the United States, but it’s hard to explain,” he said.

Chen said more and more people are realizing that although they have strong loyalties to global brands, growing competition between Chinese and foreign firms will ultimately be detrimental to their interests.

“Slogans are hollow, but economic interests are real,” he said.