The Coca-Cola Company is an American
multinational beverage corporation
The drink industry (or drinks industry, also known as the beverage industry) produces drinks, in particular ready to drink products. Drink production can vary greatly depending on the product being made. ManufacturingDrinks.com explains that "bot ...
founded in 1892, best known as the producer of
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlant ...
. The Coca-Cola Company also manufactures, sells, and markets other
non-alcoholic beverage
An alcohol-free or non-alcoholic drink, also known as a temperance drink, is a version of an alcoholic drink made without alcohol, or with the alcohol removed or reduced to almost zero. These may take the form of a non-alcoholic mixed drink (a "v ...
concentrates and syrups, and
alcoholic beverages
An alcoholic beverage (also called an alcoholic drink, adult beverage, or a drink) is a drink that contains ethanol, a type of alcohol that acts as a drug and is produced by fermentation of grains, fruits, or other sources of sugar. The cons ...
. The company's stock is listed on the
NYSE
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its liste ...
and is part of the
DJIA
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), Dow Jones, or simply the Dow (), is a stock market index of 30 prominent companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States.
The DJIA is one of the oldest and most commonly followed equity indexe ...
and the
S&P 500
The Standard and Poor's 500, or simply the S&P 500, is a stock market index tracking the stock performance of 500 large companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. It is one of the most commonly followed equity indices. As of ...
and
S&P 100
The S&P 100 Index is a stock market index of United States stocks maintained by Standard & Poor's.
Index options on the S&P 100 are traded with the ticker symbol "OEX". Because of the popularity of these options, investors often refer to the ind ...
indexes.
The
soft drink was developed in 1886 by pharmacist
John Stith Pemberton
John Stith Pemberton (July 8, 1831 – August 16, 1888) was an American pharmacist and Confederate States Army veteran who is best known as the inventor of Coca-Cola. In May 1886, he developed an early version of a beverage that would later bec ...
. At the time it was introduced, the product contained
cocaine
Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...
from
coca
Coca is any of the four cultivated plants in the family Erythroxylaceae, native to western South America. Coca is known worldwide for its psychoactive alkaloid, cocaine.
The plant is grown as a cash crop in the Argentine Northwest, Bolivia, ...
leaves and
caffeine
Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine class. It is mainly used recreationally as a cognitive enhancer, increasing alertness and attentional performance. Caffeine acts by blocking binding of adenosine to ...
from
kola nuts which together acted as a
stimulant. The coca and the kola are the source of the product name, and led to Coca-Cola's promotion as a "healthy tonic". Pemberton had been severely wounded in the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
, and had become addicted to the pain medication
morphine
Morphine is a strong opiate that is found naturally in opium, a dark brown resin in poppies (''Papaver somniferum''). It is mainly used as a pain medication, and is also commonly used recreationally, or to make other illicit opioids. T ...
. He developed the beverage as a
patent medicine
A patent medicine, sometimes called a proprietary medicine, is an over-the-counter (nonprescription) medicine or medicinal preparation that is typically protected and advertised by a trademark and trade name (and sometimes a patent) and claimed ...
in an effort to control his addiction.
In 1889, the formula and brand were sold for $2,300 (roughly $71,000 in 2022) to
Asa Griggs Candler
Asa Griggs Candler (December 30, 1851 – March 12, 1929) was an American business tycoon and politician who in 1888 purchased the Coca-Cola recipe for $238.98 from chemist John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia. Candler founded The Coca-C ...
, who incorporated the Coca-Cola Company in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
in 1892. The company has operated a
franchised distribution system since 1889. The company largely produces syrup concentrate, which is then sold to various
bottlers throughout the world who hold exclusive territories. The company owns its
anchor bottler Anchor bottler is a term used by cola beverage manufacturers for their major bottlers around the world.
The Coca-Cola Company employed the strategy of "anchor bottlers" to penetrate markets like China, Eastern Europe and Russia.
Notable anchor bo ...
in
North America, Coca-Cola Refreshments.
History
In July 1886, pharmacist
John Stith Pemberton
John Stith Pemberton (July 8, 1831 – August 16, 1888) was an American pharmacist and Confederate States Army veteran who is best known as the inventor of Coca-Cola. In May 1886, he developed an early version of a beverage that would later bec ...
from
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it ...
invented the original Coca-Cola drink, which was advertised as helpful in the relief of headache, to be placed on sale primarily in drugstores as a medicinal beverage.
Pemberton had made many mixing experiments and reached his goal during the month of May, but the new product was as yet unnamed and uncarbonated. Pemberton's bookkeeper,
Frank M. Robinson
Frank Malcolm Robinson (August 9, 1926 – June 30, 2014) was an American science fiction and techno-thriller writer. He was a speechwriter for gay politician Harvey Milk and Milk's designated successor in the event of his death but decline ...
, is credited with naming the product and creating its logo. Robinson chose the name Coca-Cola because of its two main ingredients (coca leaves and kola nuts) and because it is an alliteration. John Pemberton had taken a break and left Robinson to make, promote, and sell Coca-Cola on his own. Robinson promoted the drink with the limited budget that he had, and succeeded.
American businessman
Asa Griggs Candler
Asa Griggs Candler (December 30, 1851 – March 12, 1929) was an American business tycoon and politician who in 1888 purchased the Coca-Cola recipe for $238.98 from chemist John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia. Candler founded The Coca-C ...
purchased the Coca-Cola formula and brand, forming the Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta in 1892. By 1895, Coca-Cola was being sold in every state in the union.
In 1919, the company was sold to
Ernest Woodruff
Ernest Woodruff (May 23, 1863 – June 5, 1944) was a businessman in the U.S. city of Atlanta, Georgia.
Biography
Woodruff was born in Columbus, Georgia. After relocating to Atlanta, he made his home in the Inman Park suburb, developed by his ...
's Trust Company of Georgia.
Coca-Cola's first ad read "Coca Cola. Delicious! Refreshing! Exhilarating! Invigorating!"
Candler was one of the first businessmen to use merchandising in his advertising strategy. As of 1948, Coca-Cola had claimed about 60% of its market share.
By 1984, the Coca-Cola Company's market share decreased to 21.8% due to new competitors.
Acquisitions
Coca-Cola acquired
Minute Maid
Minute Maid is a product line of beverages, usually associated with lemonade or orange juice, but which now extends to soft drinks of different kinds, including Hi-C. Minute Maid is sold under the Cappy brand in Central Europe and under the bra ...
in 1960 for an undisclosed amount. In 1982, it acquired the movie studio
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...
for $692 million.
Coca-Cola then launched a series of entertainment takeovers, namely
Merv Griffin Enterprises
Merv Griffin Enterprises was an American television production company founded by Merv Griffin, in business for 31 years from March 1963 to
July 1994.
History
The company was first established as Milbarn Productions on March 7, 1963, and later ...
and
Embassy Communications
ELP Communications (formerly known as T.A.T. Communications Company, Embassy Television, Embassy Telecommunications, and Embassy Communications) was an American television production company that originally began in 1974.
History
Beginning
EL ...
in the mid-1980s, forming the Entertainment Business Sector, which would later merge with
Tri-Star Pictures
TriStar Pictures, Inc. (spelled as Tri-Star until 1991) is an American film studio and production company that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, part of the multinational conglomerate Sony. It is a corporate sibling of Sony ...
to start out Columbia Pictures Entertainment, with CPE holding a stake in the company. Coca-Cola sold Columbia to
Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professiona ...
for $3 billion in 1989.
In 1986, Coke sold off two assets, namely Presto Products and Winker-Flexible Products to an investment group led by E.O. Gaylord for $38 million.
The company acquired the
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n cola brand
Thums Up
Thums Up is an Indian multinational brand of cola in India. It was introduced in 1977 to offset the withdrawal of The Coca-Cola Company from India. The brand was later bought by Coca-Cola who re-launched it in order to fight against Pepsi to c ...
in 1993, and
Barq's
Barq's is an American brand of root beer created by Edward Barq and bottled since the beginning of the 20th century. It is owned by the Coca-Cola Company. It was known as "Barq's Famous Olde Tyme Root Beer" until 2012. Some of its formulations ...
in 1995. In 1999, Coca-Cola purchased 50% of the shares of
Inca Kola
Inca Kola (also known as "the Golden Kola" in international advertising) is a soft drink that was created in Peru in 1935 by British immigrant Joseph Robinson Lindley. The soda has a sweet, fruity flavor that somewhat resembles its main ingredien ...
for $200 million, subsequently taking control of overseas marketing and production for the brand. In 2001, it acquired the
Odwalla
Odwalla Inc. () was an American food product company selling fruit juices, smoothies and food bars founded in Santa Cruz, California in 1980 and from 1995–2020 was headquartered in Half Moon Bay, California. Odwalla's products included juices, ...
brand of fruit juices, smoothies, and bars for $181 million.
It announced Odwalla's discontinuation in 2020. In 2007, it acquired
Fuze Beverage
Fuze Beverage ( ), commercially referred to as simply Fuze (marketed in Switzerland, Turkey, Georgia and Kazakhstan as Fuse), is a manufacturer of teas and non-carbonated fruit drinks enriched with vitamins. Currently the brand consists of five ...
from founder Lance Collins and Castanea Partners for an estimated $250 million.
The company's 2009 bid to buy Chinese juice maker
Huiyuan Juice Group ended when China rejected its $2.4 billion bid, on the grounds the resulting company would be a virtual monopoly.
Nationalism was also thought to be a reason for aborting the deal.
In 2011, it acquired the remaining stake in
Honest Tea
Honest Tea (U.S.) is a bottled organic tea company based in Bethesda, Maryland. It was founded in 1998 by Seth Goldman and Barry Nalebuff. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company
History
Honest Tea was founded in 19 ...
, having bought a 40% stake in 2008 for $43 million. In 2013, it finalized its purchase of
ZICO, a
coconut water
Coconut water (also coconut juice) is the clear liquid inside coconuts (fruits of the coconut palm). In early development, it serves as a suspension for the endosperm of the coconut during the nuclear phase of development. As growth conti ...
company. In August 2014, it acquired a 16.7% (currently 19.36% due to stock buy backs) stake in
Monster Beverage
Monster Beverage Corporation is an American beverage company that manufactures energy drinks including Monster Energy, Relentless and Burn. The company was originally founded as Hansen's in 1935 in Southern California, originally selling juic ...
for $2.15 billion with an option to increase it to 25%, as part of a long-term strategic partnership that includes marketing and distribution alliance, and product line swap.
In 2015, the company took a minority stake ownership in the cold pressed juice manufacturer, Suja Life LLC. In December 2016, it bought many of the former
SABMiller's Coca-Cola operations. The Coca-Cola Company owns a 68.3% stake in Coca-Cola Bottlers Africa. Coca-Cola Bottlers Africa's headquarters located in Port Elizabeth South Africa.
The Coca-Cola Company acquired a 40% stake in Chi Ltd on January 30, 2016. The Coca-Cola Company acquired the remaining 60% stake in Chi Ltd on January 30, 2019.
In 2017, the Coca-Cola Company acquired Mexican sparkling water brand
Topo Chico
Topo-Chico is a brand of sparkling mineral water from Mexico. Topo-Chico is both naturally carbonated at the source and artificially carbonated.
History
Topo-Chico has been sourced from and bottled in Monterrey, Mexico since 1895. The drink takes ...
.
On August 31, 2018, it agreed to acquire
Costa Coffee
Costa Coffee is a British coffeehouse chain with headquarters in Dunstable, England.
Costa Coffee was founded in London in 1971 by Sergio Costa as a wholesale operation supplying roasted coffee to caterers and specialist Italian coffee shops. I ...
from
Whitbread
Whitbread plc is a multinational British hotel and restaurant company headquartered in Houghton Regis, England.
The business was founded as a brewery in 1742, and had become the largest brewery in the world by the 1780s.
Its largest division ...
for £3.9bn. The acquisition closed on January 3, 2019. During August 2018, The Coca-Cola Company acquired
Moxie
Moxie is a brand of carbonated beverage that is among the first mass-produced soft drinks in the United States. It was created around 1876 by Augustin Thompson as a patent medicine called "Moxie Nerve Food" and was produced in Lowell, Mass ...
for an undisclosed amount. On August 14, 2018, the Coca-Cola Company announced a minority interest in Body Armor. On September 19, 2018, the Coca-Cola Company acquired Organic & Raw Trading Co. Pty Ltd the manufacturer of MOJO Kombucha in Willunga, Australia.
On October 5, 2018, the Coca-Cola Company acquired a 22.5% stake in MADE Group from the company's three founders: Luke Marget, Matt Dennis, and Brad Wilson. The Coca-Cola Company owns a 30.8% stake in Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd; therefore, the Coca-Cola Company owns a further 6.93% stake in MADE Group through its ownership stake in Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd.
Revenue and sales
According to the Coca-Cola Company's 2005
annual report, it had sold beverage products in more than 200 countries that year.
The 2005 report further states that of the approximately 50 billion beverage servings of all types consumed worldwide, daily, beverages bearing the trademarks owned by or licensed to Coca-Cola account for more than 1.3 billion. Of these, beverages bearing the trademark "
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlant ...
" or "Coke" accounted for approximately 55% of the company's total gallon sales.
In 2010, it was announced that Coca-Cola had become the first brand to top £1 billion in annual
UK grocery sales.
In 2017, Coca-Cola sales were down 11% from the year before due to consumer tastes shifting away from sugary drinks.
Stock
Since 1919, Coca-Cola has been a publicly traded company. Its stock is listed on the
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed ...
under the ticker symbol "KO". One share of stock purchased in 1919 for $40, with all dividends reinvested, would have been worth $9.8 million in 2012, a 10.7% annual increase adjusted for inflation. A predecessor bank of
SunTrust
SunTrust Banks, Inc. was an American bank holding company with SunTrust Bank as its largest subsidiary and assets of US$199 billion as of March 31, 2018. The bank's most direct corporate parent was established in 1891 in Atlanta, where it was h ...
received $100,000 for underwriting Coca-Cola's 1919 public offering; the bank sold that stock for over $2 billion in 2012. In 1987, Coca-Cola once again became one of the 30 stocks which makes up the
Dow Jones Industrial Average
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), Dow Jones, or simply the Dow (), is a stock market index of 30 prominent companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States.
The DJIA is one of the oldest and most commonly followed equity inde ...
, which is commonly referenced as a proxy for stock market performance; it had previously been a Dow stock from 1932 to 1935. Coca-Cola has paid a dividend since 1920 and, as of 2019, had increased it each year for 57 years straight.
Staff and management
The following are key management as of July 2021 (excluding VP positions and regional leaders):
The following are all directors as of November 2016:
Bottlers
In general, the Coca-Cola Company and its
subsidiaries only produce
syrup
In cooking, a syrup (less commonly sirup; from ar, شراب; , beverage, wine and la, sirupus) is a condiment that is a thick, viscous liquid consisting primarily of a solution of sugar in water, containing a large amount of dissolved sugars ...
concentrate, which is then sold to various
bottlers throughout the world who hold a local Coca-Cola
franchise
Franchise may refer to:
Business and law
* Franchising, a business method that involves licensing of trademarks and methods of doing business to franchisees
* Franchise, a privilege to operate a type of business such as a cable television p ...
.
Coca-Cola bottlers, who hold territorially exclusive contracts with the company, produce the finished product in cans and bottles from the concentrate, in combination with filtered water and sweeteners. The bottlers then sell, distribute, and merchandise the Coca-Cola product to
retail store
Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholesaler, and t ...
s, vending machines, restaurants, and food service distributors.
Outside the United States, these bottlers also control the fountain business.
Since the 1980s, the company has actively encouraged the consolidation of bottlers, with the company often owning a share of these "anchor bottlers."
;Outside North America
The company's largest bottlers outside North America are:
*
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PLC, based in the United Kingdom (western Europe) (Company owns 19.36%)
* National Beverage Company Sal, based in
Beirut, Lebanon
*
International Beverages Pvt. Ltd., based in
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
(Fully owned subsidiary of the Coca-Cola Company)
*
Coca-Cola Bottling Shqipëria
Coca-Cola Bottling Shqipëria formerly known as Coca-Cola Bottling Enterprise Tirana (CCBET) is an Albanian-based company engaged in bottling and distribution of Coca-Cola soft drink brands in partnership with Sibeg and Acies groups.
The company ...
, based in Albania
*
Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines
Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI, formerly Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines, Inc.) is a Philippine-based company engaged in the bottling and distribution of Coca-Cola products in the country. CCBPI is part of the Bottling Investment Gro ...
, based in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
(fully owned subsidiary of the Coca-Cola Company)
*
Coca-Cola FEMSA
Coca-Cola FEMSA, S.A.B. de C.V., known as Coca-Cola FEMSA or KOF, is a Mexican multinational beverage company headquartered in Mexico City, Mexico. It is a subsidiary of FEMSA which owns 47.8% of its stock, with 27.8% held by wholly owned subsidi ...
, based in
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
(Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Uruguay and Venezuela) (Company owns 27.8%)
*
Arca Continental
Arca Continental is a Mexican multinational company that produces, distributes, and markets beverages under The Coca-Cola Company brand, as well as snacks under the Bokados brand in Mexico, Inalecsa in Ecuador, and Wise and Deep River in the United ...
, also based in Mexico (parts of Mexico and Latin America and in US under Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages LLC in the state of Texas and parts of New Mexico, Oklahoma and Arkansas ) (independent)
* Embotelladora Andina S.A, based in Chile (southern South America) (Company owns 14.7% of series A common stock outstanding & 14.7% of series B common stock outstanding)
*
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa is a company that was formed in 2014 from the merger of SABMiller plc, The Coca-Cola Company and Gutsche Family Investments beverage bottling operations in Southern and East Africa.
Overview
On 27 November 2014, S ...
, based in
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Gqeberha (), formerly Port Elizabeth and colloquially often referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Sou ...
(southern and eastern Africa) (company owns 68.3%)
* Coca-Cola Beverages Korea, based in South Korea (independent; owned by
LG Household & Health Care)
*
Coca-Cola HBC AG
Coca-Cola HBC AG also known as Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company or just Coca-Cola Hellenic is the world's third-largest Coca-Cola anchor bottler in terms of volume with sales of more than 2 billion unit cases. Coca-Cola HBC's shares are primari ...
, originally based in Greece but now located in Switzerland (Greece, Ireland, Eastern Europe, Russia, and Nigeria) (Company owns 23.2%)
*
Coca-Cola Icecek
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlan ...
Based in Turkey (Turkey, South West Asia, Arabia) (Company owns 20.1%)
*
Swire
Swire Group () is a Hong Kong- and London-based British conglomerate. Many of its core businesses can be found within the Asia Pacific region, where traditionally Swire's operations have centred on Hong Kong and mainland China. Within Asia, ...
, based in Hong Kong (China, Taiwan, Hong Kong) (independent)
*
Kirin Company
is a Japanese integrated beverages company. It is a subsidiary of Kirin Holdings Company, Limited.
Its major operating units include Kirin Brewery Company, Limited, Mercian Corporation and Kirin Beverages Company, Limited. Kirin is a member o ...
, based in Japan (independent)
* Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan (through a holding company, Company owns 16.3%)
* PT Coca-Cola Bottling Indonesia (Company owns 29.4%) (Coca-Cola Amatil ltd owns 70.6%)
*
Coca-Cola Bottlers Uzbekistan
Coca-Cola Bottlers Uzbekistan (Uzbek: Coca-Cola Ichimligi Uzbekiston Ltd.) is a joint venture between the Uzbek state and the Coca-Cola Company established in 1993. The company is headquartered in Tashkent and has four production facilities: two ...
(Company owns 42.9%)
;In the United States
In the United States, the company bypasses bottlers by manufacturing and selling fountain syrups directly to authorized fountain wholesalers and some fountain retailers.
As of 2014, after purchasing the North American assets of
Coca-Cola Enterprises
Coca-Cola Enterprises was a marketer, producer, and distributor of Coca-Cola products. It was formerly the anchor bottler for Western Europe and most of North America.
Coca-Cola Enterprises' products included Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, ...
, the company directly owns 100% of Coca-Cola Refreshments, the anchor bottler of Coca-Cola products in North America, representing about 90% of Canada and 80% of the United States.
Other major bottlers in the United States are:
*
Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated
Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc., headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is the largest independent Coca-Cola bottler in the United States.
The company makes, sells and distributes Coca-Cola products along with other beverages, distributing to ...
, based in
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
(company owns 34.8%)
*
Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast
The Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast, formerly known as Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Northern New England, is a bottler of Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper, and Canada Dry soft drinks in the New England region as well as almost the entirety of upstate New Yo ...
based in
Bedford, New Hampshire
Bedford is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 23,322, reflecting a growth of 10% from 2010. Bedford is a suburb of Manchester, New Hampshire's largest city.
History
In 1733, the P ...
, and owned by Kirin Company
*
Coca-Cola Bottling Company United
Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Inc. is a private Coca-Cola bottling company headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, US. Coca-Cola United is the largest privately held Coca-Cola bottler in the United States and the second largest in which the C ...
, based in
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...
(independent)
*
Swire Coca-Cola USA, based in
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...
, Utah and owned by Swire Group
In September 2015, the company announced the sale of several production plants and territories to Swire, Consolidated, and United, and creation of the Coca-Cola National Product Supply System which controls 95% of the territory in the United States.
Consumer relations and civic involvement
After
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...
won the 1964
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiolog ...
, plans for an interracial celebratory dinner in still-
segregated Atlanta were not initially well supported by the city's business elite until Coca-Cola intervened.
Throughout 2012, Coca-Cola contributed $1,700,500 to a $46 million political campaign known as "The Coalition Against The Costly Food Labeling Proposition, sponsored by Farmers and Food Producers". This organization was set up to oppose a citizen's initiative, known as Proposition 37, demanding mandatory labeling of foods containing genetically modified ingredients.
In 2012, Coca-Cola was listed as a partner of the
(RED) campaign, together with other brands such as
Nike
Nike often refers to:
* Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory
* Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment
Nike may also refer to:
People
* Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
,
Girl
A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. When a girl becomes an adult, she is accurately described as a ''woman''. However, the term ''girl'' is also used for other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary.c ...
,
American Express, and
Converse
Converse may refer to:
Mathematics and logic
* Converse (logic), the result of reversing the two parts of a definite or implicational statement
** Converse implication, the converse of a material implication
** Converse nonimplication, a logical c ...
. The campaign's mission is to prevent the transmission of the
HIV virus
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...
from mother to child by 2015 (the campaign's byline is "Fighting for an AIDS Free Generation").
Criticism
Since the early 2000s, the criticisms over the use of Coca-Cola products as well as the company itself, escalated with concerns over health effects, environmental issues,
animal testing
Animal testing, also known as animal experimentation, animal research, and ''in vivo'' testing, is the use of non-human animals in experiments that seek to control the variables that affect the behavior or biological system under study. This ...
, economic business practices and employee issues. The Coca-Cola Company has been faced with multiple lawsuits concerning these various criticisms.
In February 2021, recordings of an employee training course were leaked on social media. The course instructed employees to "be less white", which the course equated with being less "arrogant" and "oppressive."
Plastic production and waste
File:Coca Cola plastic bottles.jpg, Coca-Cola bottles as pollution in water
File:Transforming the Plastics Economy.webm, Discussion about plastic waste with Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey
The Coca-Cola Company produces over 3 million tonnes of
plastic
Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptab ...
packaging each year including 110 billion
plastic bottle
A plastic bottle is a bottle constructed from high-density or low density plastic. Plastic bottles are typically used to store liquids such as water, soft drinks, motor oil, cooking oil, medicine, shampoo, milk, and ink. The size ranges from v ...
s.
The company's global chief executive stated that Coca-Cola has no plans to reduce its use of plastic bottles;
and opposes
bottle bill
There are ten U.S. states with container deposit legislation, popularly called "bottle bills" after the Oregon Bottle Bill, the first such legislation passed.
Container deposit legislation mandates a refundable deposit on certain types of re ...
legislation. The head of sustainability Bea Perez has said they will continue to use plastic, noting "customers like them because they reseal and are lightweight".
As part of Coca-Cola's global initiative in UK "World Without Waste", the company has started rolling out new versions of plastic bottles featuring an attached cap. In a statement made by Jon Woods, general manager at Coca-Cola Great Britain, "This is a small change that we hope will have a big impact, ensuring that when consumers recycle our bottles, no cap gets left behind,"
Racial discrimination
In November 2000, Coca-Cola agreed to pay $192.5 million to settle a
class action
A class action, also known as a class-action lawsuit, class suit, or representative action, is a type of lawsuit where one of the parties is a group of people who are represented collectively by a member or members of that group. The class actio ...
racial discrimination
Racial discrimination is any discrimination against any individual on the basis of their skin color, race or ethnic origin.Individuals can discriminate by refusing to do business with, socialize with, or share resources with people of a certain g ...
lawsuit and promised to change the way it manages, promotes, and treats minority employees in the US. In 2003, protesters at Coca-Cola's annual meeting claimed that black people remained underrepresented in top management at the company, were paid less than white employees, and fired more often. In 2004, Luke Visconti, a co-founder of DiversityInc, which rates companies on their diversity efforts, said: "Because of the settlement decree, Coca-Cola was forced to put in management practices that have put the company in the top 10 for diversity."
In March 2012, 16 workers of color sued Coca-Cola, claiming they had to work in a “cesspool of racial discrimination.”
Advertising
Coca-Cola advertising has "been among the most prolific in marketing history," with a notable and major impact on popular culture and society as a whole.
The company in recent years has spent approximately an annual $4 billion globally to promote its drinks to the public; and spent approximately $4.24 billion on advertising in fiscal year 2019, the lion's share of which was spent to advertise Coca-Cola.
Coca-Cola advertises through direct marketing, web-based media, social media, text messaging, and sales promotions. The company also markets via mobile marketing in text messages, e.g. viral marketing campaigns.
Fan engagement spans 86 million globally across social media channels: online interaction, and social, cultural, or sporting events.
In the retail setting, direct store beverage delivery trucks (mobile advertising) as well as point of sale coolers and vending machines have bright red logo blazoned branding. In terms of foodservice, Coca-Cola is a food pairing suggestion that is now ingrained as a food match, e.g., for popcorn, hamburgers, french fries, and hot dog combos.
Products and brands
As of 2020, the Coca-Cola Company offers more than 500 brands in over 200 countries. In September 2020, the company announced that it would cut more than half of its brands, as a result of the economic effects caused by the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
.
Non-food assets
Columbia Pictures
Coca-Cola bought
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...
in 1982, owing to the low monetary value of the studio. The film company was the first and only studio ever be owned by Coca-Cola. During its ownership of the studio, Columbia released many popular films including ''
Ghostbusters
''Ghostbusters'' is a 1984 American supernatural comedy film directed and produced by Ivan Reitman, and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. It stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis as Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and Egon Spengler, thr ...
'', ''
Stripes
Stripe, striped, or stripes may refer to:
Decorations
*Stripe (pattern), a line or band that differs in colour or tone from an adjacent surface
*Racing stripe, a vehicle decoration
*Service stripe, a decoration of the U.S. military
Entertainment
...
'', ''
The Karate Kid
''The Karate Kid'' is a 1984 American martial arts drama film written by Robert Mark Kamen and directed by John G. Avildsen. It is the first installment in the ''Karate Kid'' franchise, and stars Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue an ...
'', and some others. However, two years after the critical and commercial failure of the 1987 film ''
Ishtar
Inanna, also sux, 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒀭𒈾, nin-an-na, label=none is an ancient Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, and fertility. She is also associated with beauty, sex, divine justice, and political power. She was originally worshiped in Su ...
'', Columbia was spun-off and then sold to
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
-based
Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professiona ...
in 1989.
World of Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola operates a soft drink themed tourist attraction in Atlanta, Georgia; the
World of Coca-Cola
The World of Coca-Cola is a museum, located in Atlanta, Georgia, showcasing the history of the Coca-Cola Company. The complex opened to the public on May 24, 2007, relocating from and replacing the original exhibit, which was founded in 1990 in ...
is a multi-storied exhibition. It features flavor sampling and a history museum, with locations in
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
, and
Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Lake Buena Vista () is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is mostly known for being the mailing address for Walt Disney World—although almost all of the resort facilities, including all four theme parks, are physically located ...
.
Brands
Other soft drinks
The Coca-Cola Company also produces a number of other soft drinks including
Fanta
Fanta is an American-owned German brand of fruit-flavored carbonated soft drinks created by Coca-Cola Deutschland under the leadership of German businessman Max Keith. There are more than 200 flavors worldwide. Fanta originated in Germany as ...
(introduced circa 1941) and
Sprite. Fanta's origins date back to World War II during a trade embargo against Germany on cola syrup, making it impossible to sell Coca-Cola in Germany.
Max Keith
Max Keith (born c. 1903 , pronounced "kite") was a German businessman who was the head of Coca-Cola GmbH, the major bottler of Coca-Cola during the Nazi period of German history.
Keith began working at the German subsidiary of Coca-Cola in 1933, ...
, the head of Coca-Cola's German office during the war, decided to create a new product for the German market, made only from products available in Germany at the time, which they named Fanta. The drink proved to be a hit, and when Coke took over again after the war, it adopted the Fanta brand as well. Fanta was originally an orange-flavored soft drink that can come in
plastic bottle
A plastic bottle is a bottle constructed from high-density or low density plastic. Plastic bottles are typically used to store liquids such as water, soft drinks, motor oil, cooking oil, medicine, shampoo, milk, and ink. The size ranges from v ...
s or cans. It has become available in many different flavors now such as grape, peach, grapefruit, apple, pineapple, and strawberry.
In 1961, Coca-Cola introduced Sprite, a lemon-lime soft drink, another of the company's bestsellers and its response to
7 Up
7 Up (stylized as 7up outside North America) is an American brand of lemon-lime-flavored non-caffeinated soft drink. The brand and formula are owned by Keurig Dr Pepper although the beverage is internationally distributed by PepsiCo. 7 Up co ...
.
Tab was Coca-Cola's first attempt to develop a diet soft drink, using
saccharin
Saccharin (''aka'' saccharine, Sodium sacchari) is an artificial sweetener with effectively no nutritional value. It is about 550 times as sweet as sucrose but has a bitter or metallic aftertaste, especially at high concentrations. Saccharin is ...
as a
sugar substitute. Introduced in 1963, the product was sold until fall 2020, although its sales had dwindled since the introduction of
Diet Coke
Diet Coke (also branded as Coca-Cola Light, Coca-Cola Diet or Coca-Cola Light Taste) is a sugar-free and low-calorie soft drink produced and distributed by the Coca-Cola Company. It contains artificial sweeteners instead of sugar. Unveiled on ...
.
Coca-Cola South Africa also released
Valpre Bottled "still" and "sparkling" water.
In 1969, the company released Simba, which was a take on Mountain Dew, and had packaging that was African desert-themed, replete with an African Lion as the symbol of the brand. The tagline was "Simba – It Conquers the African Thirst."
Also in 1969, the company released a line of products under the name of Santiba, which was targeted for mixing cocktails and party usage, products including Quinine water and Ginger Ale. Like the above-mentioned Simba, the Santiba line of products was short-lived in the marketplace.
BreakMate
No longer manufactured, the Coca-Cola BreakMate was a three-flavor dispenser introduced by Coca-Cola and
Siemens in 1988. Intended for use in offices with five to fifty people, its refrigerated compartment held three individual one-litre plastic containers of soda syrup and a CO
2 tank. Like a soda fountain, it mixed syrup in a 1:5 ratio with carbonated water. In North America, Coca-Cola discontinued spare BreakMate parts in 2007 and stopped distributing the syrup in 2010.
Healthy beverages
During the 1990s, the company responded to the growing consumer interest in healthy beverages by introducing several new non-carbonated beverage brands. These included
Minute Maid
Minute Maid is a product line of beverages, usually associated with lemonade or orange juice, but which now extends to soft drinks of different kinds, including Hi-C. Minute Maid is sold under the Cappy brand in Central Europe and under the bra ...
Juices to Go,
Powerade
Powerade is a sports drink created, manufactured and marketed by The Coca-Cola Company. Its primary competitor is Gatorade, owned by PepsiCo.
History
In 1988, Powerade became the official sports drink of the Olympics, alongside Aquarius, ano ...
sports beverage, flavored tea
Nestea
Nestea is a Swiss brand of iced tea and pop beverages owned by Nestlé, manufactured by The Coca-Cola Company and distributed by Nestlé's beverage department in the United States and by Beverage Partners Worldwide (BPW),[Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. (; ; ) is a Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation headquartered in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. It is the largest publicly held food company in the world, measured by revenue and other metrics, since ...]
),
Fruitopia
Fruitopia is a fruit-flavored drink introduced by the Coca-Cola Company's successful Minute Maid brand in 1994 and targeted at teens and young adults. According to ''New York Times'' business reports, it was invented as part of a push by Minute ...
fruit drink, and
Dasani
Dasani () is an American brand of bottled water created by the Coca-Cola Company, launched in 1999. It is one of many brands of Coca-Cola bottled water sold around the world. The product is filtered and bottled.
Marketing
United States
Coca-C ...
water, among others. In 2001, the Minute Maid division launched the
Simply Orange brand of juices including
orange juice
Orange juice is a liquid extract of the orange tree fruit, produced by squeezing or reaming oranges. It comes in several different varieties, including blood orange, navel oranges, valencia orange, clementine, and tangerine. As well as vari ...
. In 2016,
Coca-Cola India
Coca-Cola India is a subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company and operates in India.
Background
The Coca-Cola Company started operating in India in 1950. However, in 1977, they withdrew operations from the country in protest of regulations and legi ...
introduced
Vio to enter into the value-added
dairy category. The product lays the foundation for Coca-Cola's new segment after
carbonated beverages, water and juices.
In 2004, perhaps in response to the burgeoning popularity of
low-carbohydrate diet
Low-carbohydrate diets restrict carbohydrate consumption relative to the average diet. Foods high in carbohydrates (e.g., sugar, bread, pasta) are limited, and replaced with foods containing a higher percentage of fat and protein (e.g., meat, ...
s such as the
Atkins diet
The Atkins diet is a low-carbohydrate fad diet devised by Robert Atkins in the 1970s, marketed with claims that carbohydrate restriction is crucial to weight loss and that the diet offered "a high calorie way to stay thin forever".
The diet be ...
, Coca-Cola announced its intention to develop and sell a low-carbohydrate alternative to Coke Classic, dubbed
C2 Cola
Coca-Cola C2 (also referred to as Coke C2, C2 Cola, or simply C2) was a cola-flavored beverage introduced by The Coca-Cola Company first in Japan, then later on June 7, 2004 in the United States (and shortly thereafter, Canada), in response to t ...
. C2 contains a mix of
high fructose corn syrup
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), also known as glucose–fructose, isoglucose and glucose–fructose syrup, is a sweetener made from corn starch. As in the production of conventional corn syrup, the starch is broken down into glucose by enzy ...
,
aspartame,
sucralose, and
Acesulfame potassium. C2 is designed to more closely emulate the taste of Coca-Cola Classic. Even with less than half of the
food energy
Food energy is chemical energy that animals (including humans) derive from their food to sustain their metabolism, including their muscular activity.
Most animals derive most of their energy from aerobic respiration, namely combining the carbohy ...
and
carbohydrate
In organic chemistry, a carbohydrate () is a biomolecule consisting of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms, usually with a hydrogen–oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 (as in water) and thus with the empirical formula (where ''m'' may or m ...
s of standard soft drinks, C2 is not a replacement for zero-calorie soft drinks such as Diet Coke. C2 went on sale in the U.S. on June 11, 2004, and in Canada in August 2004; it was replaced in 2013 by
Coca-Cola Life
Coca-Cola Life is a reduced-calorie version of Coca-Cola, made using stevia and sugar as sweeteners. It was first released in Argentina and Chile after five years of research together in these countries. The formulation varied by market location, ...
.
Starting in 2009, the Coca-Cola Company invested in
Innocent Drinks
Innocent Drinks is a company that produces smoothies and juice sold in supermarkets, coffee shops and various other outlets. The company sells more than two million smoothies per week. Innocent is over 90% owned by The Coca-Cola Company.
Histor ...
, first with a minor stake, increasing to 90% in the first quarter of 2013.
It was in May 2014 when Finley, a sparkling fruit-flavored drink, was launched in France. It was launched in other countries later,
including Belgium and Luxembourg in September 2014. Coca-Cola first started developing the drink in Belgium in 2001.
As of 2014, the drink is targeted for adults, and is low in sugar with four flavors.
[
]
Best selling
Coca-Cola is the best-selling soft drink in most countries, and was recognized as the number one global brand in 2010. While the Middle East is one of the few regions in the world where Coca-Cola is not the number one soda drink, Coca-Cola nonetheless holds almost 25% market share (to Pepsi's 75%) and had double-digit growth in 2003. Similarly, in Scotland, where the locally produced Irn-Bru
Irn-Bru ( "iron brew", ) is a Scottish carbonated soft drink, often described as "Scotland's other national drink" (after whisky). Introduced in 1901, the drink is produced in Westfield, Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, by A.G. Barr of Glasgo ...
was once more popular, 2005 figures show that both Coca-Cola and Diet Coke now outsell Irn-Bru. In Peru, the native Inca Kola
Inca Kola (also known as "the Golden Kola" in international advertising) is a soft drink that was created in Peru in 1935 by British immigrant Joseph Robinson Lindley. The soda has a sweet, fruity flavor that somewhat resembles its main ingredien ...
has been more popular than Coca-Cola, which prompted Coca-Cola to enter in negotiations with the soft drink's company and buy 50% of its stakes. In Japan, the best selling soft drink is not cola, as (canned) tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of ''Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and north ...
and coffee
Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world.
Seeds of ...
are more popular. As such, the Coca-Cola Company's best selling brand there is not Coca-Cola, but Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
. In May 2016, the Coca-Cola Company temporarily halted production of its signature drink in Venezuela due to sugar shortages. Since then, the Coca-Cola Company has been using "minimum inventories of raw material" to make their signature drinks at two production plants in Venezuela.
Information
On July 6, 2006, a Coca-Cola employee and two other people were arrested and charged with trying to sell trade secret information to the soft drink maker's competitor PepsiCo for $1.5 million. The recipe for Coca-Cola, perhaps the company's most closely guarded secret, was never in jeopardy; instead, the information was related to a new beverage in development. Coca-Cola executives verified that the trade secret documents in question were genuine and proprietary to the company. At least one glass vial containing a sample of a new drink was offered for sale, court documents said. The conspiracy was revealed by PepsiCo, which notified authorities when it was approached by the conspirators.
Green tea
The company announced a new "negative calorie" green tea drink, Enviga
Enviga is a Nestea carbonated canned green-tea drink. Enviga is a trademark of Nestlé licensed to Beverage Partners Worldwide, a joint-venture between The Coca-Cola Company and Nestlé. It is available in three flavors: Green Tea, Tropical Pom ...
, in 2006, along with trying coffee retail concepts Far Coast Far Coast is The Coca-Cola Company's entry into the specialty coffee, tea and premium roast & ground coffee category.
''Coca-Cola'' officially launched the Far Coast brand in 2006 with the opening of four "concept stores" in Toronto, Oslo, Singapo ...
and Chaqwa.
Glaceau
On May 25, 2007, Coca-Cola announced it would purchase Glaceau
Energy Brands, also doing business as Glacéau, is a privately owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company based in Whitestone, Queens, New York, that manufactures and distributes various lines of drinks marketed as enhanced water. Founded in May 1 ...
, a maker of flavored vitamin-enhanced drinks (vitamin water), flavored waters, and Burn
A burn is an injury to skin, or other tissues, caused by heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, friction, or ultraviolet radiation (like sunburn). Most burns are due to heat from hot liquids (called scalding), solids, or fire. Burns occur ma ...
energy drinks, for $4.1 billion in cash.
Huiyuan Juice
On September 3, 2008, Coca-Cola announced its intention to make cash offers to purchase China Huiyuan Juice Group Limited (which had a 42% share of the Chinese pure fruit juice market) for US$2.4bn (HK$12.20 per share). China's ministry of commerce A Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry or variations is a ministry that is concerned with a nation's trade, industry and commerce.
Notable examples are:
List
*Algeria: Ministry of Industry and ...
blocked the deal on March 18, 2009, arguing that the deal would hurt small local juice companies, could have pushed up juice market prices, and limited consumers' choices.
Coke Mini can
In October 2009, Coca-Cola revealed its new 90-calorie mini can that holds 7.5 fluid ounces. The mini can is often sold in 8 packs. Despite costing nearly 30 percent more per ounce, the mini cans have been met with positive sales figures.
Holiday can
In November 2011, Coca-Cola revealed a seasonal design for its regular Coke cans as part of a partnership with the World Wildlife Fund
The World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the Wo ...
. However, it was withdrawn only a month after release due to consumer complaints about a similar look to the silver cans commonly used for Diet Coke. There were also complaints about deviating from traditional red as the color of Coca-Cola cans previously.
Stake in Monster Beverage
It was announced on August 14, 2014, that the Coca-Cola Company was making a cash payment of $2.15 billion for a 16.7 percent stake in Monster Beverage Corp to expand its market for energy drinks, with Coke to transfer ownership in Full Throttle and Burn to Monster and Monster to transfer its ownership in Hansen's Natural Sodas, Peace Iced Tea
Peace Iced Tea (often labeled Peace Tea) is a brand of assorted iced tea beverages produced by the Coca-Cola Company. It was originally produced by the Monster Beverage Company. The product launched on December 21, 2007. Peace Tea contains no ...
, and Blue Sky Soda to the Coca-Cola Company. Muhtar Kent
Ahmet Muhtar Kent (born December 1, 1952) is a Turkish-American business executive. He was the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of The Coca-Cola Company. He became CEO in 2008, and chairman in 2009.
In December 2016, Coca-Cola announced ...
, Coke's former chief executive officer, stated that the company has the option to increase its stake to 25 percent but could not exceed that percentage in the next four years.
Alcoholic beverages
In 2021, the Coca-Cola Co used its Mexican sparkling mineral water brand Topo Chico
Topo-Chico is a brand of sparkling mineral water from Mexico. Topo-Chico is both naturally carbonated at the source and artificially carbonated.
History
Topo-Chico has been sourced from and bottled in Monterrey, Mexico since 1895. The drink takes ...
to launch a range of vegan friendly alcoholic hard seltzers in the United Kingdom and in the United States.
Front groups
As part of its corporate propaganda
Corporate propaganda refers to propagandist claims made by a corporation (or corporations), for the purpose of manipulating market opinion with regard to that corporation, and its activities.
The practices of advertising and public relations a ...
campaign to deflect public attention away from the harmful health effects of its sugary drinks, the Coca-Cola Company has funded front organizations. The company funded creation of the front organization the Global Energy Balance Network (GEBN) to address the growing evidence that the company's products are a leading cause of the epidemic of childhood obesity in the United States
Obesity in the United States is common and is a major health issue associated with numerous diseases, specifically increased risk of certain types of cancer, coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, cardiovascular disease, as well as si ...
and the growing number of Americans, including children, with type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, is a form of diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. Common symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urinatio ...
. GEBN designed its own studies to arrive at conclusions set in advance and cherry picked data to support its corporate public relations agenda. After an August 2015 investigative report exposed the GEBN as a Coca-Cola Company front organization, GEBN was shut down.[Clifford D. Conner, "The Tragedy of American Science, from Truman to Trump" (Chicago: Haymarket Books, 2020), pp. 14-16]
Three years after the shutdown of GEBN, the company, together with several other junk food
"Junk food" is a term used to describe food that is high in calories from sugar and/or fat, and possibly also sodium, but with little dietary fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, or other important forms of nutritional value. It is also known as ...
giants, was revealed to be behind an initiative in China called "Happy 10 Minutes," funded through a group called the International Life Sciences Institute
The International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) is a global nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Washington, DC, United States that publishes peer-reviewed studies on nutrition and food safety. It was founded in 1978 by Alex Malaspin ...
(ILSI). The aim of the initiative was to address decades of research on diet-related diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes and hypertension, by promoting physical exercise to the population but avoiding discussion of the link between such diseases and junk foods, including sugary drinks. ILSI through the 1980s and 1990s had been promoting the tobacco industry
The tobacco industry comprises those persons and companies who are engaged in the growth, preparation for sale, shipment, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products. It is a global industry; tobacco can grow in any ...
's agenda in Europe and the United States.
Sponsorship
Coca-Cola's advertising expenses accounted for US$3.256 billion in 2011.
Sports
Coca-Cola sponsored the English Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engl ...
from the beginning of the 2004–05 season (beginning August 2004) to the start of 2010–11 season, when the Football League replaced it with NPower. Along with this, Coca-Cola sponsored the Coca-Cola Football Camp, that took place in Pretoria, South Africa during the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
.
Other major sponsorships include the AFL
AFL may refer to:
Sports
* American Football League (AFL), a name shared by several separate and unrelated professional American football leagues:
** American Football League (1926) (a.k.a. "AFL I"), first rival of the National Football Leagu ...
, NHRA
The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is a drag racing governing body, which sets rules in drag racing and hosts events all over the United States and Canada. With over 40,000 drivers in its rosters, the NHRA claims to be the largest motorsp ...
, NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...
, the PGA Tour
The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also ...
, NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
Championships, the Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a vari ...
, the NRL
The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
, the FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
s, Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
and the UEFA European Championships
The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The competition is contes ...
. The company partnered with Panini to produce the first virtual sticker album for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host th ...
, and they have collaborated for every World Cup since. Each fall, Coca-Cola is the sponsor of the TOUR Championship
The Tour Championship (stylized as the TOUR Championship) is a golf tournament that is part of the PGA Tour. It has historically been one of the final events of the PGA Tour season; prior to 2007, its field consisted exclusively of the top 30 ...
by Coca-Cola held at the East Lake Golf Club
East Lake Golf Club is a private golf club 5 miles east of downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1904, it is the oldest golf course in the city. East Lake was the home course of golfer Bobby Jones and much of its clubhouse serves as a tribu ...
in Atlanta, Georgia. The Tour Championship is the season ending tournament of the PGA Tour. In the Philippines, it has a team in the Philippine Basketball Association
The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of twelve company-branded franchised teams. Founded in 1975, it is the first professional basketball league in Asia and is the se ...
, the Powerade Tigers
The Powerade Tigers were a professional basketball team that played in the Philippine Basketball Association from 2002 to 2012. The franchise was owned by Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI) when the company acquired Cosmos Bottling Co ...
.
In 2017, Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
signed a multi-year deal with Coca-Cola to be the official soft drink, replacing Pepsi. Nineteen MLB teams (Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team h ...
, Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
, Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...
, St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
, Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
, San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...
, Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...
, New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
, Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
, San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...
, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...
, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...
, Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox ) have Coca-Cola products sold in their ballparks.
Since the season of 2019 is the title sponsor of the Uzbekistan Super League
Uzbekistan Super League ( uz, O'zbekiston Superligasi), also called Coca-Cola Uzbekistan Super League due to sponsorship reasons ( uz, Coca-Cola O'zbekiston Superligasi / Coca-Cola Ўзбекистон Суперлигаси), is the top division ...
in football, and this league is officially called ''Coca-Cola Uzbekistan Super League''.
Coca-Cola has also sponsored the Overwatch league since season two. They also sponsor all major Overwatch tournaments such as the world cup
. In February 2020, Coca-Cola became the title sponsor for the eNASCAR iRacing series. In October 2018, Coca-Cola started sponsoring the Formula 1 team McLaren with several 1 year deals being signed since then.
Television
The company sponsored the popular Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
singing-competition series ''American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
'' from 2002 until 2014.
Coca-Cola was a sponsor of the nightly talk show on PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
, '' Charlie Rose'' in the US.
Coca-Cola is also an executive producer of Coke Studio (Pakistan)
''Coke Studio'' ( ur, ) is a Pakistani television programme and international music franchise which features studio-recorded music performances by established and emerging artists. It is the longest-running annual television music show in Paki ...
. It was a franchising that started in Brazil, broadcast by MTV Brasil
MTV Brasil was a Brazilian over-the-air television network owned by Grupo Abril focused on the youth. The network was launched on 20 October 1990, as the first specialty television network to broadcast over-the-air, becoming the local version ...
and there are various adaptations of Coke Studio such as Coke Studio (India)
Coke Studio India, officially titled Coke Studio @ MTV is an Indian television programme, which features live studio-recorded music performances by various artists. Coke Studio combines myriad musical influences, from Hindustani, Carnatic an ...
, Coke Studio Bangla
Coke Studio Bangla ( bn, কোক স্টুডিও বাংলা) is a television series which is the Bangladeshi installment of the Coke Studio franchise which features studio-recorded music performances by established and emerging Bang ...
and Coke Studio (Africa).
Theme parks
While not necessarily having naming rights to anything in all locations, the company does sponsor and provide beverages in many theme parks, usually in an exclusive capacity. This includes the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, Inc., formerly Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and informally known as Disney Parks, is one of The Walt Disney Company's five major business segments and a subsidiary. It was founded on Apri ...
, Merlin Entertainment
Merlin Entertainments Limited is a British entertainment company based at Poole in Dorset, England. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange until November 2019, when it was acquired by a consortium that includes Kirkbi A/S (the investment ...
, Universal Parks & Resorts
Universal Parks & Resorts, also known as Universal Studios Theme Parks or solely Universal Theme Parks, is the theme park unit of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. The company, headquartered in Orlando, Florida, operates Universal theme par ...
, Six Flags
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is an American amusement park corporation, headquartered in Arlington, Texas. It has properties in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Six Flags owns the most theme parks and waterparks combined of any a ...
, Cedar Fair
Cedar Fair, L.P., formally Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, is a publicly traded master limited partnership headquartered at its Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. The company owns and operates eleven amusement parks, nine included- ...
, and SeaWorld Entertainment
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment is an American theme park and entertainment company headquartered in Orlando, Florida. The company is a subsidiary of SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. and owns and operates thirteen recreational destinations in the Unit ...
which are six of the nine largest theme park operators worldwide (it is unknown whether OCT Parks China, the Chimelong Group, or Fantawild, the fourth, seventh, and eighth largest theme park operators respectively, use Coca-Cola).
The company also directly sponsors, with naming rights, the Coca-Cola London Eye and formerly, the Coca-Cola Orlando Eye
The Wheel at ICON Park is a tall giant ferris wheel at ICON Park in Orlando, Florida, United States. Under the name Orlando Eye, it opened on April 29, 2015. The wheel was reported to be in the early stages of planning in March 2011, at which ...
.
The company also operates "Coca-Cola" visitor centers in Israel, Belgium and Turkey.
See also
* List of assets owned by the Coca-Cola Company
* Stepan Company
Stepan Company is a manufacturer of specialty chemicals headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois. The company was founded in 1932 by Alfred C. Stepan, Jr., and has approximately 2,000 employees. It is currently run by his grandson, F. Quinn Stepan, J ...
– produces coca leaf extract
References
Notes
Citations
Further reading
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Coca-Cola Company, The
1892 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
1910s initial public offerings
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Food and drink companies established in 1892
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