본 논문은 코카콜라 수출회사에서 만든 격월간지인 코카콜라 오버시즈(Coca-Cola Overseas)를 중심으로 코카콜라가 어떻게 전 세계에 깊숙이 뿌리내리게 되었는지를 추적할 것이다. 냉전초기 미국의 대표적 문화산업의 세계화가 어떻게 진행되었는지, 또한 ‘코카콜라 식민화’라는 문화 제국주의의 실체를 검토를 통하여 유럽이나 제3세계의 미국화 여부도 확인해보고자 한다. 2장에서는 코카콜라를 ‘문화산업’의 범주로 볼 수 있는 가를 다룰 것이다. 비록 코카콜라가 아도르노와 호르크하이머가 정의하는 전통적인 의미의 ‘문화산업’은 아니지만, 세계화 논쟁에서 미국의 다국적 기업에 의한 문화산업에 저항하는 전통문화의 정체성에 있어서 음식문화가 차지하는 비중을 고려해 볼 때 주요한 문화산업으로 분류하는 것도 가능하다고 주장한다. 3장에서는 냉전 초기 코카콜라의 세계화가 어떻게 가능했는가를 밝히고자 했다. 첫째, 자유무역과 시장경제를 전 세계에 전파하려는 미국 정부의 의지와 마찬가지로 코카콜라사도 전 세계에 미국적 경제신조를 수출했다. 둘째, 코카콜라사는 자신들이 비록 전 세계를 상대로 코카콜라를 판매하지만 사실상 특정 국가와 지역이 주체가 된 ‘지역 기업’임을 강조했다. 즉, 코카콜라사는 자신과 지역의 보틀링 회사 모두가 사업에서 이익을 취하는 윈-윈 전략을 구사했다. 셋째, 코카콜라사가 비록 지역화를 목표로 했지만, 코카콜라 품질과 이미지의 보편성을 지향했다. 즉, 비록 코카콜라가 지역 기업이지만 그 품질은 전 세계 어디서나 동일하다는 주장을 광고의 ‘보편적 이미지’를 통해 소비자들에게 각인시켰다. 결국, 코카콜라사의 외연적 세계화는 동시에 내용상 지역화를 지향하고 있었다. 그렇기 때문에 “생각은 전지구적으로, 행동은 지역적으로(think globally, act locally)” 하자는, ‘글로칼리즘(glocalism)’의 본질을 다른 어떤 미국의 대기업보다도 먼저 실천하고 있었다.

This article tries to trace how Coca-Cola put down roots around the world mostly by way of analysing the Coca-Cola Overseas which had been bimonthly issued by the Coca-Cola Export Company since 1948. It also investigates the problems of ‘Coca-Colonization’ or American cultural imperialism in order to identify whether Europe and the Third World had been americanized. In chapter two, it will deal with the problem whether Coca-Cola could be placed into the category of the ‘culture industry.’ It will maintain that we regard it a sort of the culture industry when we consider the importance of the food culture to fight between the traditional and the American culture. In chapter three, it will show during the early Cold War era how the globalization of Coca-Cola could be realized. First, as the American government tried to send the free trade and market economy to the whole world, the Coca-Cola Company had exported these American economic creeds. Second, even though the Company had sold Coca-Cola all over the world, its business was basically ‘local business’ owned by specific local area’s bottlers in a specific country. The Company had exercised the win-win strategy between itself and the local Coca-Cola bottling companies. Third, although it had aimed at its localization, at the same time it had worked toward the universality of its image and quality. Through the advertising of ‘universal image,’ it had tried to imprint to its consumers that the quality of Coca-Cola had always been the same no matter where they had lived. In sum, Coca-Cola’s intention had aimed at the globalization exteriorly, however, it also intended to the localization interiorly. Thus, the Coca-Cola Company had practiced earlier than any other American big business the essence of ‘glocalism’ which claimed “think globally, act locally.”

This article tries to trace how Coca-Cola put down roots around the world mostly by way of analysing the Coca-Cola Overseas which had been bimonthly issued by the Coca-Cola Export Company since 1948. It also investigates the problems of ‘Coca-Colonization’ or American cultural imperialism in order to identify whether Europe and the Third World had been americanized. In chapter two, it will deal with the problem whether Coca-Cola could be placed into the category of the ‘culture industry.’ It will maintain that we regard it a sort of the culture industry when we consider the importance of the food culture to fight between the traditional and the American culture. In chapter three, it will show during the early Cold War era how the globalization of Coca-Cola could be realized. First, as the American government tried to send the free trade and market economy to the whole world, the Coca-Cola Company had exported these American economic creeds. Second, even though the Company had sold Coca-Cola all over the world, its business was basically ‘local business’ owned by specific local area’s bottlers in a specific country. The Company had exercised the win-win strategy between itself and the local Coca-Cola bottling companies. Third, although it had aimed at its localization, at the same time it had worked toward the universality of its image and quality. Through the advertising of ‘universal image,’ it had tried to imprint to its consumers that the quality of Coca-Cola had always been the same no matter where they had lived. In sum, Coca-Cola’s intention had aimed at the globalization exteriorly, however, it also intended to the localization interiorly. Thus, the Coca-Cola Company had practiced earlier than any other American big business the essence of ‘glocalism’ which claimed “think globally, act locally.”

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