Coca-Cola, Market, and Using Qualitative and Quantitative Data

In our unit on interpreting the charts and graphs, we discuss the concepts of qualitative and quantitative data. Whether we realize it our not, these data types are used often to determine how products are presented to us in terms of marketing.

Washington Post's Roberto Ferdman

In a recent article in the Washington Post, Roberto Ferdman discusses the work of a new book entitled Soda Politics. Soda Politics invites the reader into a historical view of marketing using the lens of Coca-Cola. We see how Coke made a name for itself by aligning with the war effort in World War II. The reader also sees how the Atlanta Coca-Cola factory presents the soft drink in terms of happiness and not refreshment, a key to its marketing success.

Coca-Cola Factory, Atlanta, Georgia

As we discuss quantitative and qualitative data, it is important to note that companies like Coke use this data to measure the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns. Based on your understanding of these two types of data, Discuss how companies like Coca-Cola might use (a) qualitative and (b) quantitative data to measure the effectiveness of marketing of their products. Be sure to use language presented in the SciVis curriculum to make your points.

Information Literacy

Information Literacy is an essential skill for 21st century learners. This literacy encompasses the ability to critically evaluate essential and non-essential information. Students are flooded with information from digital media. All of this information is not valid and verifiable. Here is where the component of literacy is necessary.

Information literacy forms the foundation for all of the other literacies. Students need to know how to state their information need, search for it effectively, evaluate what they find for validity, and utilize the information they find.

There are many information literacy models available and many include a component of the best ways to conduct research on the Web. Let’s look at one of these processes.

In order to begin their research, students need be able to ask the right question. Of course, the overall context of the research will be determined by the unit being studied in class, but there are some standard information literacy steps students can use to develop the query they will research in order to gather their information.

Viewing the graphic above, which of these components of conducting research do you feel are most important? Which one do you least understand? And why do you feel the chosen components of conducting research are (A) most important and (B) least understood?