Reporting on the Cola war in Iraq

Analysis:

This short piece is most likely a VNR. This story has little news value either as a business story or a story about Iraq. Coca-Cola is a huge corporation operating in over 200 countries. One additional market is unlikely to affect Coca-Cola from a busness standpoint. Nor is this segment very informative as international news. It is likely that there are more notable developments in Iraq than what carbonated beverage Iraqis are drinking. What this piece does accomplish is to further the marketing strategy of the Coca-Cola corporation, which likes to promote itself as the “world’s most popular soft drink.”

Story:

Newsreader – Coca-Cola is returning to Iraq for the first time in 37 years. The beverage giant is trying to dethrone Pepsi as the dominant soda in the Middle East. Coke fell out of favor in the late 60s when Middle East countries staged a long boycott to protest the company’s business activities in Israel. Today, Pepsi controls 80% of the market there.

Total Time: 15 sec