Marketing Decoded

After hiking, rafting or cruising up in gas guzzling RV’s, visitors to the Grand Canyon National Park will be out of luck next year when they want to purchase bottled water.  Inhabit.com reports that the park’s management has been looking to solve the problem of discarded water bottles for a while.  The sale of bottled water will be banned in 2012.  The Park Service is currently working on offering an alternative   water sources  for users, likely from water fountains, which must be consistently reliable for thirsty tourists.

An interesting and obvious question is ‘why hasn’t this happened sooner?’.  With cities across the US and Canada attempting water bottle bans and surcharges on plastic bags, why hasn’t one of the most of iconic of natural landmarks taken the lead?  Answer:  Coca Cola.  Coca Cola??  Yep, the same company that is currently cuddling up to polar bears on t.v. and selling us Coke in white cans, also makes Dasani water (sold conveniently in vending machines just outside the park).  Last year, when plans for the ban were in the works, Coca Cola swooped in with a call to the National Parks director to remind him of the  huge  financial contributions that Coca Cola made to the park.