Qibla Cola - Philosophy

Philosophy

Qibla Cola's marketing strategy and corporate vision reflected an attempt to tap into a desire for responsible consumption. They claimed to offer a genuine alternative for those cola-drinkers who are wary about the practices and ethics of the major multinational soft-drink companies. Qibla's ethical stance manifested itself in the company's pledge to donate 10% of its net profits to humanitarian causes around the world.

The company said that its name, qibla was used in its primary linguistic sense, to mean "direction". Qibla Cola was thus aimed at consumers of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds, although the company noted that they have had more success on Muslim markets and that all their products are halal.

The word qibla is also a reference to the word Qibla used by Muslims to indicate the direction of the Masjid al Haram in the holy city of Makkah, towards which all Muslims turn when praying.

Additionally it has been suggested Qibla is a play in the surname of one of the founders as it is an anagram of Iqbal.

In addition to its two cola varieties, the company produced and sold the following products:

• Qibla Mango
• Qibla Guava
• Qibla Fantasy (orange flavour)
• Qibla 5 (lemon-lime)
• Qibla Water (premium spring water)

Qibla's chief competitors included Iran's Zam Zam Cola, in addition to the US-originating products of the Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola families.