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.
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.
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.
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.
i suppose its a start but the american military is the real threat not cola!
The regimes are the ones allowing america to reign free in the muslim lands our anger should be directed at them the regimes not at the usual suspects of america and israel as we already know the nature of the american and israeli beast! :rotato:
whoever it is, is a smart marketer.
