is 50 years ago and unleashed a brilliant ploy to make Coke the early bird in many of the major foreign markets. At the height of World War II, Woodruff proclaimed that Awherever American boys were fighting, they'd be able to get a Coke.@ By the time Pepsi tried to make its first international pitch in the 50s, Coke had already established its brand name and a powerful distribution network. In the intervening 40 years, many new markets have emerged. In order to profit from these markets, both Coke and Pepsi need to find ways to cut through all of the red tape that initially prevents them from conducting business in these markets. This paper seeks to examine these markets and the opportunities and roadblocks that lie within each. Coke and Pepsi in Russia: In 1972, Pepsi signed an agreement with the Soviet Union which made it the first Western product to be sold to consumers in Russia. This was a landmark agreement and gave Pepsi the first-mover advantage. Presently, Pepsi has 23 plants in the former Soviet Union and is the leader in the soft-drink industry in Russia. Pepsi outsells Coca-Cola by 6 to 1 and is seen as a local brand. Also, Pepsi must counter trade its concentrate with Russia's Stolichnaya vodka since rubles are not tradable on the world market. However, Pepsi has also had some problems. There has not been an increase in brand loyalty for Pepsi since its advertising blitz in Russia, even though it has produced commercials tailored to...
