Qibla Cola is a cola-flavoured carbonated beverage. Available in regular and diet varieties, it is the flagship product of the Qibla Cola Company, based in Derby, England.

Qibla Cola was launched onto the UK market in February 2003, with a television advertising campaign beginning in October. Since then, agreements have been reached with distributors in other countries in Europe, North America, and Asia.

Qibla Cola's marketing strategy and corporate vision reflect an attempt to tap into a desire for responsible consumption. They claim 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 manifests itself in the company's pledge to donate 10% of its net profits to humanitarian causes around the world.

Although the product's name appears to contain a clear reference to Islamic theology — where the word Qibla is used to indicate the direction of the Masjid al Haram in the holy city of Makkah (Mecca), towards which all Muslims turn when praying — the company says that in its name, qibla is used in its simple, non-religious sense, meaning "direction". Qibla Cola is thus aimed at consumers of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds, although the company notes that they have focused more on Muslim markets and that all their products are halaal.

In addition to its two cola varieties, the company produces and sells the following products:

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

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

External link

• The Qibla Cola Company