Jay
Meaning of "edge" - Coke Zero Sugar succeeds because it builds on the brand edge of original Coke, on its taste, its upliftment, on the energy boost that the product provides, all this in a product that doesn't have calories or sugar. - This takes one of the original brand edges of Coke, its energy boost, to a new level and a new taste. What does 'the brand edge' or 'the original brand edges' mean? I thought at first it means 'crisis' or 'emergency,' but a dictionary said when it means 'crisis,' it mostly should be the singular. In the second sentence, the plural was used. I don't know what it means in the sentences. Thank you for your help! :)
Oct 13, 2019 7:32 PM
Answers · 9
1
I agree with Paul's comment above, it means 'advantage over a competitor'. However, I'm not sure I agree that it is "not real English". I think that the origin is probably not clear, but it possibly originated in sword fighting, and it has certainly been widely used in an idiomatic sense during the past few centuries. 'Brand edge' is certainly more recent, but the language is always developing, and new phrases are created all the time. I feel this phrase works. It seems perfectly clear that this means that the brand has an advantage (over other brands), so it seems like perfectly good English to me.
October 13, 2019
1
Chris Tooze said it well. Additionally, the Oxford Learner's Dictionaries are an excellent resource for the non-native speaker. edge noun https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/american_english/edge_1?q=edge meaning 4 [singular] a slight advantage over someone or something The company needs to improve its competitive edge. edge on/over somebody/something They have the edge on us.
October 13, 2019
Thanks all of you! :D
October 14, 2019
This is a bit odd. As Paul said, it is marketese, so it's meant to feel good, rather than mean anything. But to me it's also not even natural English speaking marketese. 'upliftment' is an odd word, and although that sense of 'edge' that the others have explained is correct, it doesn't sound that natural to me. In terms of the meaninglessness of marketese, look what they say: "takes...energy boost to a new level". But the 'energy boost' is mostly due to the sugar in standard coke. So the idea of an energy boost in a fake sugar drink is just silly.
October 13, 2019
This is not real English. It is “marketing speak”. In this context “edge” means “advantage”. There is an English expression “to have the edge over something”. This means to have a small advantage. For example, “When playing tennis John had the edge over James in terms of his serve”. These marketing people have taken that use of the word “edge” and used it to create marketing jargon.
October 13, 2019
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