The COCA-COLA Company

Company Description:

The Coca-Cola Company, American corporation founded in 1892 and today engaged primarily
in the manufacture and sale of syrup and concentrate for Coca-Cola, a sweetened carbonated
beverage that is a cultural institution in the United States and a global symbol of American
tastes. The company also produces and sells other soft drinks and citrus beverages. With more
than 2,800 products available in more than 200 countries, Coca-Cola is the largest beverage
manufacturer and distributor in the world and one of the largest corporations in the United States.
Headquarters are in Atlanta, Georgia. The drink Coca-Cola was originated in 1886 by an Atlanta
pharmacist, John S. Pemberton (1831–88), at his Pemberton Chemical Company. His
bookkeeper, Frank Robinson, chose the name for the drink and penned it in the flowing script
that became the Coca-Cola trademark. Pemberton originally touted his drink as a tonic for most
common ailments, basing it on cocaine from the coca leaf and caffeine-rich extracts of the kola-
nut; the cocaine was removed from Coca-Cola’s formula in about 1903. Pemberton sold his
syrup to local soda fountains, and, with advertising, the drink became phenomenally successful.
By 1891 another Atlanta pharmacist, Asa Griggs Candler  (1851–1929), had secured complete
ownership of the business (for a total cash outlay of $2,300 and the exchange of some
proprietary  rights), and he incorporated the Coca-Cola Company the following year. The
trademark “Coca-Cola” was registered in the U.S. Patent Office in 1893.

Under Candler’s leadership, sales rose from about 9,000 gallons of syrup in 1890 to 370,877
gallons in 1900. Also during that decade, syrup-making plants were established in Dallas, Los
Angeles, and Philadelphia, and the product came to be sold in every U.S. state and territory as
well as in Canada. In 1899 the Coca-Cola Company signed its first agreement with an
independent bottling company, which was allowed to buy the syrup and produce, bottle, and
distribute the Coca-Cola drink. Such licensing agreements formed the basis of a unique
distribution system that now characterizes most of the American soft-drink industry. Capitalized
at $100,000 in 1892 upon incorporation, the Coca-Cola Company was sold in 1919 for $25
million to a group of investors led by Atlanta businessman Ernest Woodruff. His son, Robert
Win ship Woodruff, guided the company as president and chairman for more than three decades
(1923–55).

The post- World War 2 years saw diversification in the packaging of Coca-Cola and the
development or acquisition of new products. The trademark “Coke,” first used in advertising in
1941, was registered in 1945. In 1946 the company purchased rights to Fanta, a soft
drink previously developed in Germany. The contoured Coca-Cola bottle, first introduced in
1916, was registered in 1960. The company also introduced the lemon-lime drink Sprite in 1961
and its first diet cola, sugar-free Tab, in 1963. With its purchase of Minute Maid Corporation in
1960, the company entered the citrus juice market. It added the brand Fresca in 1966.

In 1978 Coca-Cola became the only company allowed to sell cold packaged beverages in
the People’s Republic of China. In 1982 the company introduced its low-calorie sugar-free soft
drink Diet Coke (originally named Diet Coca-Cola). In 1985 the company changed the flavour of
Coca-Cola, which thereafter was commonly referred to as New Coke. However, it was not well
received, and, owing to the public outcry, Coca-Cola revived its original flavour, which was then
marketed as Coca-Cola Classic. From 1982 to 1989 the company held a controlling interest
in Columbia Pictures Industries., a motion-picture and entertainment company.

New markets opened up for Coca-Cola in the early 1990s; the company began selling products
in East Germany in 1990 and in India in 1993. In 1992 the company introduced its first bottle
made partially from recycled plastic—a major innovation in the industry at the time. Coca-Cola
created many new beverages during the 1990s, including the Asia-marketed Qoo children’s fruit
drink, Powerade sports drink, and Dasani bottled water. Coca-Cola also acquired Barq’s root
beer in the United States; Inca Kola in Peru; Maaza, Thums Up, and Limca in India; and
Cadbury Schweppes beverages, which were sold in more than 120 countries across the globe.

In the early 2000s Coca-Cola faced allegations of illegal soil and water pollution, as well as
allegations of severe human rights violations. In 2001 the United Steelworkers of America and
the International Labor Rights Fund (ILRF) filed a lawsuit against Coca-Cola and Bebidas y
Alimentos and Panamerican Beverages, Inc. (also known as Panamco LLC; the primary bottlers
of Coca-Cola’s beverages in Latin America), claiming that the defendants had openly engaged
so-called “death squads” to intimidate, torture, kidnap, and even murder union officials in Latin
America. The controversy gained worldwide attention and led several American universities to
ban the sale of Coca-Cola products on their campuses. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed.

In 2005 the company introduced Coca-Cola Zero, a zero-calorie soft drink with the taste of
regular Coca-Cola. In 2007 the company acquired Energy Brands, Inc., along with its
variously enhanched waters. That same year Coca-Cola announced that it would join
the Business Leaders Initiative on Human Rights (BLIHR), a group of companies working
together to develop and implement corporate responses to human rights issues that affect the
business world.

COCA-COLA Beverages and Products:

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing
consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands and nearly 3,900 beverage choices. Led
by Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most valuable and recognizable brands, our company’s
portfolio features 21 billion-dollar brands, 19 of which are available in reduced-, low- or no-
calorie options. These brands include Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero, Fanta, Sprite, Dasani,
vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Del Valle, Georgia and Gold Peak. Through the
world’s largest beverage distribution system, we are the No. 1 provider of both sparkling and still
beverages. More than 1.9 billion servings of our beverages are enjoyed by consumers in more
than 200 countries each day. Visitors to world of Coca-Cola in Atlanta have the opportunity to
sample over 100 Coca-Cola beverages from around the world in the ever-popular Taste It!
beverage lounge. Guests can also try their hand at “inventing” new beverages by mixing flavor
combinations using the Coca-Cola Freestyle fountain dispenser. The touch-screen machine has
the capacity to dispense over 100 regular and low-calorie beverage brands in multiple taste
combinations. More and more people are choosing low-calorie foods and beverages as a way to
balance caloric intake with physical activity. The Coca-Cola Company has a successful track-
record of product innovation in the low-calorie beverage category, with the introduction of Tab®
in 1963 and Diet Coke in 1982. By 1986, Diet Coke became the world’s top-selling diet cola and
continues to uphold that title today. Diet Coke’s success led to the introduction of many flavor
extensions, such as Diet Coke with Lemon, Diet Vanilla Coke, Diet Cherry Coke, Diet Coke
with Lime and most recently, Diet Coke with Splenda. Recognizing that some consumers want a
no-calorie beverage with the distinctive taste of the original Coca-Cola brand, Coca-Cola Zero
was introduced in 2005. Created to appeal to young adults, the launch of Coca-Cola Zero was
one of the most successful launches in The Coca-Cola Company’s history. The beverage is now
available in more than 140 countries.

Of course, it all started with the original Coca-Cola brand beverage in 1886. Since that time,
there has been much speculation and rumor about what exactly is contained in the Secret
Formula of the world’s best known beverage. At World of Coca-Cola, you can feel closer than
ever before to Coca-Cola’s most closely guarded trade secret and learn about the intrigue behind
the secret formula in our new Vault of the secret formula experience at World of Coca-Cola.
Coca-Cola remains committed to paying attention to consumers’ changing needs as well as
cultural diversity in what people like to drink and how they drink it. That commitment is evident
in initiatives from a group dedicated to identifying emerging brands to innovation in packaging
and recycling programs. Before it goes to market, each Coca-Cola product undergoes nearly 450
different tests to ensure that ingredient and packaging quality meets Company standards.

Among the newest choices for consumers is the mini can. At 7.5 ounces and only 90 calories, it
is a refreshing alternative for consumers who are conscious of portion and calorie control.
Another new choice is Sprite Green, the first naturally sweetened, reduced calorie sparkling
beverage in the U.S. made with TRUVIA natural sweetener. Each 8.5-ounce serving has 50
calories and 5% lemon juice. Lastly, in order to help consumers make more informed decisions
about their beverage selections, The Coca-Cola Company has added calorie information to the
front of product packaging.

The Coca-Cola Company cares about the health of consumers as well as the health of the planet.
As part of a quest to make every plastic bottle 100% renewable and recyclable, the PlantBottle
was introduced in 2009. PlantBottle packaging is a redesigned PET plastic bottle made from up
to 30% renewable plant-based material that is fully recyclable in most communities. This is the
only plastic bottle in the marketplace made from plant-based material which helps reduce
dependence on non-renewable sources. In the United States, Plant Bottle packaging is being used
for all Dasani package sizes. The innovative bottle was recently honored with a Greener Package
Award. The second-annual Greener Package Awards recognizes innovations that significantly
reduce packaging’s environmental footprint. Plant Bottle also won the DuPont Award for
Packaging Innovation and the Design for Recycling Award from the Institute of Scrap Recycling
Industries.