Chapter 212: Bottle Cap War

Pepsi's surge in sales had naturally caught the attention of Coca-Cola. The president of Coca-Cola convened a meeting with the management team to address the challenge posed by their competitor.

On the conference table were dozens of bottles of Pepsi, a brand Coca-Cola had previously dismissed. The recent performance of Pepsi was unprecedented, prompting urgent action from Coca-Cola.

The president, examining the Pepsi bottles, addressed the team with concern:

"Over the past two weeks, Pepsi-Cola's sales have skyrocketed to 10 million bottles—ten times their usual volume. As a result, our sales have plummeted to only 18.6 million bottles, a decrease of over 30%."

The president emphasized the gravity of the situation: "If this trend continues, we risk being overtaken by Pepsi. We need to understand their new strategy and find a way to counteract it."

An executive picked up a Pepsi bottle and examined it. "The packaging is similar to ours, but they've introduced a new cap design with a pull-tab and a lottery system."

Curious, he pulled the tab, opening the bottle with a satisfying sound. Underneath the cap, he found a message: "Reward 1 USD."

The excitement over winning a dollar was palpable, but the atmosphere in the meeting room grew tense. The president shot the executive a disapproving look, clearly unimpressed by the small prize.

The executive quickly adapted. "We need to analyze Pepsi's approach. Their advertising is innovative. They've shifted focus from just price to a youthful, fun image, emphasizing the convenience of the new pull-tab cap and the excitement of the lottery."

Another executive added, "Pepsi's promotion of easy-to-open bottles and unexpected prizes is compelling. The lottery isn't just about price—it's about the thrill of winning, which appeals to a broad audience."

The president nodded, acknowledging the executive's insight. "What are our options for responding to this new strategy?"

One suggestion was to increase Coca-Cola's advertising spend. "We should boost our TV ads to remind consumers of Coca-Cola's qualities."

Another idea was to implement a similar lottery system. However, there were concerns about potential patent issues with the pull-tab design. 

"Why not explore alternative lottery methods?" suggested someone, though they lacked specifics.

One executive proposed a novel idea: "We could run a lottery based on zodiac signs. Each bottle cap would feature one of the 12 zodiac symbols. Collecting all 12 signs could win a prize, but we could limit the number of each symbol to control costs."

The president considered this idea. "If we limit the number of each sign and set a time limit for redemption, we can manage expenses and keep the lottery engaging. For example, releasing 500,000 caps per sign and setting a deadline for 1948 could work."

Satisfied with the plan, the president decided to move forward. Coca-Cola quickly filmed a new commercial promoting the zodiac lottery, ensuring it aired on NBC and CBS rather than ABC, due to Hardy's ownership of the latter.

The commercial campaign highlighted the excitement of collecting zodiac signs, contrasting it with Pepsi's lottery. 

Within days, Coca-Cola's new strategy began to draw customers back. Many loyal Coca-Cola drinkers, previously tempted by Pepsi's lottery, returned to their brand, lured by the new game.

The fluctuation in sales was significant. While Pepsi had initially gained ground, Coca-Cola's response managed to reclaim a substantial portion of the market.

Walter Mack, Pepsi's president, visited Hardy to discuss the situation. 

"Mr. Hardy, Coca-Cola's new lottery has significantly impacted Pepsi's sales. What do you suggest we do?"

Hardy examined the Coca-Cola bottle cap Walter brought. "I see Coca-Cola is missing a few zodiac symbols. Have you noticed which ones?"

Walter reviewed the caps and confirmed two constellations were missing: Virgo and Gemini.

Hardy smiled. "We can use this to our advantage. If Coca-Cola's game is incomplete, we should highlight our full set of prizes and perhaps introduce additional limited-edition items to further entice consumers."

Walter nodded, recognizing the potential strategy. Hardy's insights into the ongoing bottle cap war would be crucial for Pepsi as they adapted to the evolving competitive landscape.