BEYOND REFRESHMENT: HOW COCA-COLA EMOTIONAL MESSAGING POSITIONS THE BRAND AS A SYMBOL OF HAPPINESS AND TOGETHERNESS

Abstract

Coca-Cola has built a distinctive global identity through sustained emotional branding that associates its products with happiness, social connection, and shared experiences. This paper critically examines how the company’s messaging has transformed a carbonated beverage into a powerful cultural symbol of togetherness and optimism. Drawing on historical developments and theoretical insights from consumer psychology, the study explores how emotional appeals enable consumers to reconcile pleasure-driven consumption with growing health awareness. The analysis suggests that while such messaging fosters strong brand loyalty and emotional attachment, it may also divert attention from health implications of high sugar intake. Furthermore, recent health-conscious repositioning efforts appear largely symbolic, as affective storytelling continues to dominate brand communication. A review of existing scholarship reveals a lack of integrative research, linking emotional branding, cognitive dissonance, and health perceptions, particularly in non-Western contexts. The paper therefore calls for more responsible emotional marketing that balances persuasive appeal with ethical transparency.