Over decades, Coca-Cola and its competitor PepsiCo invested hundreds of millions of dollars to increase demand for their soft drinks in countries with a majority of Muslims, such as Egypt and Pakistan.
Local sodas in those nations are now challenging both companies because of consumer boycotts that label the globally recognized brands as representations of America and, consequently, Israel during the Gaza War.
While local firm V7 exported three times as many bottles of its own cola in the Middle East and beyond this year as it did last, Coke sales in Egypt have plummeted this year. Coca-Cola was forced to halt its advertising effort opposing the boycott in Bangladesh due to public uproar. And as the Gaza war broke out in October, Pepsi’s explosive growth vanished throughout the Middle East.
