Starting Slow
During its early years, the company would bring in just $50 in sales with a sunken cost of $70 in ingredients and supplies. Pemberton saw this as an extreme failure, but Robinson had a different perspective. He didn’t view the loss as the worst thing in the world since the company was just beginning to gain exposure.
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Robinson managed to persuade his boss to invest a significant amount of their budget for marketing- through banners, streetcar placards, free drink coupons, and store awnings that said: “Drink Coca-Cola.” The beverage was quickly recognized in Atlanta, and Pemberton had a strong feeling that it would spread throughout the country. To this day, Coca-Cola spends more money on advertising and marketing than any soft drink producer.