Coca-Cola Tried to Kill Thums Up. Positioning Theory Proved It Wrong.
Coca-Cola paid $60M to acquire and quietly kill Thums Up in 1993. The plan backfired — people chose Pepsi, not Coke. Today Thums Up is India's first billion-dollar cola brand, bigger than Coke.
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By Avinash Chate — Maharashtra’s #1 Corporate Trainer & Motivational Speaker. Published 2026-06-21.