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After World War II, along with the U.S. economic and military aid to foreign countries, its capitalism and mass consumerism gradually swept the world, forming the phenomenon of “Americanization.” Coca-Cola’s world-wide popularity was regarded as an important representative of the wave of American consumerism. With its exceptional taste, efficient production system, extensive advertising and promotions, and the American consumer culture it represents, Coca-Cola was often welcomed by the public everywhere it went and had created tremendous pressure on the local beverage industries. In order to compete with Coca-Cola in the beverage market, local beverage manufacturers likewise had to imitate Coca-Cola to innovate their production techniques and marketing methods. In 1968, Taiwan also opened up Coca-Cola to the local consumer market, and Taiwan’s local beverage manufacturers began a fierce competition with foreign beverage manufacturers such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola. Focusing on the competition between Coca-Cola and Taiwanese local beverage manufacturers in the 1960s and 1970s, this article analyzes the reform strategies of local beverage manufacturers and the impacts they bore. This article argues that Taiwanese beverage manufacturers have been quite successful in the competition. However, the key to their success was not simply the improvement of production facilities or the imitation of marketing strategies, but also the search for beverages that fit the local consumer context and the establishment of a beverage culture different from that of Coca-Cola. The success of this strategy ensured the position of local manufacturers in the beverage market; further, it unintentionally contributed to the development of local food traditions. This research demonstrates that “Americanization” does not signify the continuous acceptance of American values, but rather conveys the possibilities of stimulating a localized culture.
