C1 Business English · Branding and marketing

From Summer Drink to Christmas Icon: How Coca-Cola Won the Holidays

In the 1930s, Coca-Cola turned a winter sales problem into one of the best-known branding stories of the 20th century. This C1 Business English lesson uses that story to build vocabulary for discussing brands, marketing strategy and seasonal sales.

What business leaders can learn from the story

Coca-Cola did not win Christmas by talking about its product. It tied the brand to a feeling and stayed consistent for decades. For leaders, the point applies well beyond advertising: a clear, distinctive identity and an emotional connection with customers often matter more than features or price.

AWarm up

Before starting the Business English lesson, discuss these with a partner or your teacher.

Which brands do you associate with a particular season or holiday? Why do you think that is?
Does demand for your company’s products or services change during the year? What do you do in the quieter periods?

BRead the text

From Summer Drink to Christmas Icon

For those who look forward to the Christmas season every year, there is one sight that truly signifies the start of the holidays. It isn’t bright lights or colourful festive trees; instead, it is the moment those glowing Coca-Cola trucks first appear on TV screens.

How did a cool, refreshing summer drink, more suited for a day on the beach, become so closely associated with Christmas? How did a warmly dressed, wintery Santa Claus become so inseparable from an ice-cold Coca- Cola bottle?

These days, the red-cheeked, and friendly Santa Claus is a prominent figure across all regions worldwide where Christmas is celebrated. His red suit and warm smile are a symbol of Christmas and a figure of joy for many young children.

However, it wasn’t always like that. For centuries, the Christian world had never fully settled on one fixed identity for Santa Claus. He had been prominent in literature and folktales for centuries, but images of him varied significantly: a thin man in one, a bishop in another, sometimes serious, sometimes merry. The concept lacked any clear, distinctive standardized image that people could instantly recognize. This changed in the early 1930s, when an illustrator named Haddon Sundblom was hired by Coca- Cola for what seemed like an almost impossible task.

At the time, Coca- Cola had an image problem. It was largely associated with the summer months, when US consumers were seen at the beach or at a baseball game with a bottle of Coke. It meant that sales of Coca-Cola dropped off significantly during winter. The team was so desperate for sales to pick up that they turned to illustrator Sundblom with a brave idea - to reshape the image of Santa Claus himself.

Sundblom was instructed to create a Santa who felt warm, human, and approachable—someone who brought presents to your house with a kind smile and a cheerful laugh. Sundblom combined this imagery with the red suit Santa was already often shown in, which conveniently matched Coke’s own colours, and finally settled on the image of Santa that we know today.

Very quickly, Sundblom’s version of Santa spread across the world. This didn’t just solve a sales problem; it also tied in perfectly with Coca- Cola’s brand values. From the beginning, Coca-Cola’s advertisements have shown happy, smiling consumers—an emotional approach that has remained the same throughout the brand’s history.

From shaping the Santa Claus image we recognize today to keeping the same classic logo for over 130 years, Coca-Cola always prioritizes emotional connection above product features. Their message isn’t about being the best or sweetest soda—it’s about delivering a joyful, shared experience. It has cultivated a familiarity that makes consumers feel like they are reconnecting with an old friend.

Very few brands can say that their image is inseparable from Christmas itself. Coca-Cola has not only achieved that, but helped shape how the season looks. And it works: in Canada, for example, the holidays are now Coca-Cola’s second-biggest selling season after summer!

CKey words from context

Based on the context of the article, can you match the words in the box to the definitions listed below? Then add the word into the example sentence. You may need to change the form of the word to fit the meaning of the sentence.

Appropriate or a good match for a specific situation or purpose

“This option seems more small teams rather than large departments.”
“I don’t think this software is our current budget.”
To be widely known or important in a particular area

“We invited a guest from the tech industry to speak today.”
“A brand entering the market could affect our sales.”
To decide on one choice after careful consideration

“After reviewing the options, we’ve a new pricing model.”
“We need to a final launch date by the end of the week.”
To change depending on the situation or conditions

“Customer demand can across different regions.”
“Results may depending on how the product is marketed.”
To be strongly connected or linked to something

“Our brand is closely with reliability.”
To not have enough of something important

“The proposal clear details about costs.”
“Our team currently experience in this market.”
Clearly different and easy to recognise

“Our logo has a design that stands out.”
“The company’s style is and easy to remember.”
To decrease or become less strong over time

“Sales tend to after the holiday period.”
“Interest in the product after the first month.”
To increase or improve after a slow period

“Customer demand began to after the update.”
“We expect sales to in the next quarter.”
To change something in a major or lasting way

“This new policy could how we work.”
“Technology is the way customers shop.”
To match or connect well with a larger plan or idea

“The new feature should our long-term goals.”
“The design needs to our brand image.”
To develop something gradually over time

“We need to stronger relationships with clients.”
“This program helps leadership skills.”
By a large or noticeable amount

“Customer satisfaction has increased .”
“We need to reduce costs this year.”

DComprehension

Can you answer the questions below about the text? Then compare your answer with the model answer.

What are some reasons why Coca-Cola could be seen as a summer brand?

Show model answer
It is a cool, refreshing, ice-cold drink, which suits hot weather. Its advertising showed US consumers drinking it at the beach or at baseball games, and as a result its sales dropped off significantly in winter.
What role did Haddon Sundblom play in Coca-Cola’s branding strategy?

Show model answer
Coca-Cola hired him in the early 1930s to help winter sales pick up. He created a warm, human and approachable Santa in a red suit that matched Coke’s colours. His version spread across the world and became the standard image of Santa, linking the drink firmly to Christmas.
How does Coca-Cola’s Santa Claus reflect the company’s brand values and marketing approach?

Show model answer
Sundblom’s Santa is friendly, joyful and kind, which ties in with Coca-Cola’s long-standing focus on happy, smiling consumers. The brand prioritises emotional connection over product features: it sells a joyful, shared experience rather than the taste of the drink, and Santa represents exactly that.
What effect did Coca-Cola’s holiday marketing have on the company and on the global perception of Christmas?
Show model answer
- On the company: it solved the winter sales problem and made Coca-Cola part of Christmas. In Canada, for example, the holidays are now its second-biggest selling season after summer.
- On Christmas: Sundblom’s Santa became the image recognised around the world, so the brand helped shape how the season looks.
Based on context as well as the structure of the word, what do you think the adjective ‘inseparable’ means?

Show model answer
It means impossible to separate: two things are so closely connected that you think of one whenever you see the other. The structure shows this: in- (not) + separ(ate) + -able (can be done).
What do you think the adjective ‘approachable’ means in paragraph 6? Can you think of a way that this could be used in a business context?

Show model answer
It means friendly and easy to talk to. In business: “Our new CEO is very approachable – she has an open-door policy and talks to staff at every level.”