Missing The Fizz The inside story on how Coca-Cola and Pepsi got it wrong in the Indian market, and what they're doing to set things right.

Business Today, January, 2006 by Archna Shukla

Paula Abdul, pop star- turned-choreographer- turned-designer and one of the judges on American Idol, is arguably the most popular element of the hit reality show on the Fox network in the US. In the 2005 edition, though, there's something else that's threatened to steal the limelight from Abdul-the cup she periodically sips from. The cup has Coca-Cola screaming all over. As do the walls of the room in which the contestants wait to get on stage. It's called-what else- the Coca-Cola room. With the soft drink giant making more of a splash on American Idol than most of the wannabe songsters, it isn't surprising that some cynics in the us have dubbed American Idol an infomercial for the world's greatest brand.

Now such product placements aren't exactly alien on Indian small...

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