Coke loses cola market share to Zamzam Cola
Iran's Zamzam Cola at Saudi market to rival US giants
Tuesday, August 20, 2002 - 2002 IranMania.com
RIYADH, Aug 20 (AFP) - Iranian soft drink Zamzam Cola, considered a viable Islamic substitute for US global rivals Pepsi and Coca Cola, has started selling in the Saudi markets, the product agent said Tuesday.
"We started marketing the soft drink in the eastern province last week. We plan to extend distribution to other areas within a month's time," Hussein Baqshi, general manager of Al-Majarah Soft Drinks Co., told AFP.
Al-Majarah fought off stiff competition from several Saudi companies to win exclusive rights to distribute Zamzam Cola, named after Mecca's Zamzam holy spring water.
The sole agent for the Persian Gulf and Arabian Peninsula is Bahrain's Ali Khalil Akbar Lari Group.
Two shipments of the cola have already arrived from Iran at King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam on the Gulf, and the company plans more imports due to "highly encouraging sales," Baqshi said.
In the first week, the company distributed about four million one-litre bottles but high demand has forced them to place import orders for several million more bottles, he said.
Preparations are underway to establish a bottling factory in neighbouring Bahrain, and Al-Majarah has already requested the Iranian parent company for a licence to set up a similar factory in Saudi Arabia, Baqshi said.
Sale of US products, especially soft drinks and fast food chains, was adversely affected due to a powerful boycott campaign launched in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Arab world for perceived US support of Israel.
Salaam
Ash
Cola wars as Islam shuns the real thing
October 11, 2002
Cola wars as Islam shuns the real thing
From Michael Theodoulou in Tehran, Charles Bremner in Paris and Daniel McGrory
AMERICA may be girding for war with Iraq but it is already fighting “cola wars” throughout the Middle East.
As a boycott against US products spreads across the Islamic world, Muslim manufacturers are taking on America’s biggest brand names by producing their own fizzy drinks.
Factories in Iran making Zam Zam Cola are struggling to keep up with demand for their slightly sickly version of Pepsi and Coca-Cola.
Ten million bottles of Zam Zam have been exported to Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries in the past four months and the Iranians are working overtime to churn out enough of their cola to slake the thirsts of the two million Muslims expected in Saudi Arabia for the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.
This cola has been so successful that others are racing to get in on the act. Tawfiq Mathlouthi, a French Muslim entrepreneur, will launch Mecca Cola in Paris next month. No superstar is being paid millions to sing its jingle but there will be an advertising campaign promising that 10 per cent of the profits will go to a Palestinian children’s charity.
M Mathlouthi admits he has taken the idea from the producers of Zam Zam but says he has had inquiries from interested parties in Belgium and the Netherlands. He has high hopes that British Muslims may acquire a taste for it as well.
His launch is being timed for the start of Ramadan when the call for a boycott of all US brands will be stepped up.American companies such as McDonald’s, Starbucks, Nike and the cola giants admit the campaign is wounding them. Sales of Coca-Cola have dropped between 20 and 40 per cent in some countries.
In Morocco, a government official estimates sales of Pepsi and Coca-Cola could fall by half in the north, which is a stronghold of Islamic groups. In the United Arab Emirates, sales of the local Star Cola are up by 40 per cent over the past three months.
The Islamic cola warriors say this is an easy way for Muslims to feel they are punishing George W. Bush.
Mr Mathlouthi said his Mecca Cola would “answer the needs of world citizens by contributing to the fight against American imperialism and the fascism of the Zionist entity”. The advertising men promise to come up with a snappier slogan.
Advertising chiefs say the Islamic cola campaign represents a new attack on America’s grip on fast-food outlets, soft drinks, leisure wear and cigarette brands.
Rita Clifton, chairman of Interbrand, the global brand consultancy, said last night: “This is an alternative to the usual protest which just says, ‘Don’t eat or drink these American brands’. This has the powerful message, ‘Hurt the US by supporting your own brands’.
“Coca-Cola is the world’s most valuable brand — worth £45 billion — so it’s not going to be put out of business. But no company wants to be boycotted or have its product poured out in the streets by protesters.”
Zam Zam’s executives are delighted at putting one over on the “Great Satan” but are careful not to gloat in their adverts. Similarly, while Coke and Pepsi are stepping up their promotions in the Gulf they do not want to get dragged into a war of words with Zam Zam.
Bahram Kheiry, Zam Zam’s marketing manager, said: “We are proud our country is producing something that replaces world products.”
The cola is named after the waters that flow from the Zamzam holy spring in Mecca. It exceeded all expectations by selling four million cans in its first week. After the success of its original cola, Zam Zam now comes in other flavours such as orange, lemon and lime.
The company, which also produces non-alcoholic “Islamic beer”, has a long pedigree in Iran, where it was founded in 1954 and today has 47 per cent of the domestic market. For many years it was the Iranian partner of Pepsi-Cola until their contract was ended after the 1979 revolution.
Zam Zam was taken over by the Foundation of the Dispossessed, a powerful state charity run by clerics, and today it employs more than 7,000 people in its 17 factories in Iran. They are now planning to build factories in the Persian Gulf.
Its cola is already exported to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq, and the company says it will soon ship its drinks to Lebanon, Syria and Denmark — its first European client. Mr Kheiry rattled off the inquiries he has handled in recent weeks from France, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands Germany, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and several countries in Africa who fancy a taste of Zam Zam. “After Arab countries in the region started boycotting some American goods, including Coca-Cola, demand for Zam Zam really took off,” Mr Kheiri said. Coca-Cola executives distanced themselves from US Middle East policy. A spokesman said: “We are a business, so we do not get involved in political issues.”
Re: Re: Re: Islamic what?
Quote:
Originally posted by T Ansari
Where? In the article you posted. Here it is:
Now this name....
No Westerner is giving that name to a cola.
And why is that? So basically you've just labeled me an ignorant fool.
Another thing...why CAN'T a devout Muslim drink alcohol? Physically he can do anything...it's a different matter that it's not permitted.
Oh, the argument then is, if he drinks he can't be devout. He can be devout from his appearance.
Let's not be too judgmental about things. This is what has brought Muslims to this state.
Remember that a drinking Muslim gave Pakistanis a country of their own.
I am not drawing any conclusions from it.
How do you define one as devout form appearance, is it because he has a beard? How? Please elaborate.
Dr Shipman (UK) he has a beard, he has killed over 300 patients in the UK. No body is calling him devout.
Christian Priests known paedophiles, no one calls them devout Christians, yet they have all the appearance, from their clothing and some even have beards. Stop wasting time trying to defend stupid point of views, because of appearances. Some time you really our a joke.:D:D:D
Islamic beer is non-alcoholic. The Iranians want to advertise their products that way, so be it. If the Iranian people are thick enough not realise it, it shows their understanding of Islam. It shows how weak the Iranians are in there marketing capability also. They have to use Islam to advertise. May I also remind you that an Iranian gave a fatwah in the UK that it is acceptable to receive lottery money 4-5 five years ago. These are the same people who gave a fatwah to Salman Rushdie. You are right on one point that "Let's not be too judgmental about things. This is what has brought Muslims to this state.". I do not take Iranians seriously.
{Some one else was whinging about the term Islamic beer, in a different context in relation to Iran, I thought that you were going on about the same issue., therefore I asked you to publish the reference,, I did not realises that you were referring to the article in question, as you also stated Islamic wine etc” }
"Mecca cola" is going to be no different.
These same idiots who have used these terms, are going to be the same idiots who will complain, when a western firms will start using the term Islamic in there products. The West will have a powerful argument, saying that why is no one complaining when used by Muslim, and yet when we in the west use the terms every one complains. Are you racist or what? You are right on one point that. This is what has brought Muslims to this state."
Saying that, if you care to go back 40 years ago, the usage of Islamic terms in the west. In the UK, there were companies using the term, "can you Koran it". Implying when you say what you say, its considered done. When people like me complained, the term was not used. This is in the UK, twenty years ago. The only reason it stopped is because I as a Muslim heard it, and complained because I found it offensive.
In UK we had Mecca Bingo halls, Muslims found that very offensive. I have come across manufacture on an item in Denmark. I do not want to state the item, as the word use is extremely disrespectful on the Item used. The west has used these terms much longer than these so called misguided Muslims.
The problem with Arabs and Iranian a like is that they will be the first to complain if Coke a Cola comes up with term Islamic in a new drink. But if the Coke Cola offers, the product under Saudi Arabia manufacture, my bets are that Saudi Arabia will be more than happy to be the host and accept the brand. All they are interested is in making a few bucks.
Any cola can be sold without the "Islamic brand term", and the public will go for it, in that part of the world. The only reason why the Iranian cola has taken off is because of a boycott, the same applies to the French Arab, in relation to Mecca Cola. The moment this boycott finishes, you will see the demise of these brands in the Middle East.
Coke or Pepsi never used an Islamic term, yet many people in the Arab world drink Pepsi and Cola. It’s all to do with Marketing.
The Muslims can only use Islamic terms when it comes to marketing there products, they then think they have a successful product, they have very little or any understanding of the psychological uses of marketing on the human mind.
May I also remind you the boycott of American goods started in the Arab world, ie, when second infadah started, despite Saudis collecting vast monies for the Palestinians, Saudi Arab placed I believe $200 Million purchase of mobile technology with Israel. That is why I believe the Iranian Cola will have a little life span.
Salaam
Ash
Salaam
Ash
