When creator John Pemberton introduced Coca-Cola (KO 0.15%) to the world in the 1880s, he marketed it as an elixir. Today's executives are, in a way, returning to this maxim, with advertising that positions Coke as part of an active lifestyle, Fool contributor Tim Beyers says in the following video.
Think it's crazy for a company that sells carbonated sugar water to pitch fitness in its marketing? You're probably not alone, Tim says.
But Coke also isn't the only company whose marketing strategies have come under scrutiny. Monster Beverage (MNST 0.24%) is caught in a legal battle with the City of San Francisco over what officials say is an attempt to market to kids as young as six-years old.
Should investors care? Not as much as you might think, Tim says. Coke, in particular, has at times embraced questionable marketing strategies for more than a century, only to see profits, and the stock, rise like the foam head topping a freshly poured glass of the Real Thing.
