Tag: The Coca-Cola Company

Washington, USA – Microsoft and The Coca-Cola Company have recently announced a five-year strategic partnership to align Coca-Cola’s core technology strategy systemwide; enable the adoption of leading-edge technology; and foster innovation and productivity globally.

As part of the partnership, Coca-Cola has made a $1.1 billion commitment to the Microsoft Cloud and its generative AI capabilities. The collaboration underscores Coca-Cola’s ongoing technology transformation, underpinned by the Microsoft Cloud as Coca-Cola’s globally preferred and strategic cloud and AI platform.

Through the partnership, the companies will jointly experiment with groundbreaking new technology like Azure OpenAI Service to develop innovative generative AI use cases across various business functions. This includes testing how Copilot for Microsoft 365 could help improve workplace productivity.

Moreover, Coca-Cola has migrated all its applications to Microsoft Azure, with most major independent bottling partners following suit. As a pioneer in AI adoption, Coca-Cola has been innovating with generative AI for nearly a year and has already leveraged Azure OpenAI Service to reimagine everything from marketing to manufacturing and supply chain and beyond. 

The company is currently exploring the use of generative AI-powered digital assistants on Azure OpenAI Service to help employees improve customer experiences, streamline operations, foster innovation, gain a competitive advantage, boost efficiency and uncover new growth opportunities.

Judson Althoff, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Microsoft, said, “Through our long-term partnership, we have made significant progress to accelerate system-wide AI Transformation across The Coca-Cola Company and its network of independent bottlers worldwide. We are proud to support Coca-Cola as it continues to embrace the era of AI and looks to solutions like Azure OpenAI Service and Copilot for Microsoft 365 to drive innovation across every area of its business.”

Meanwhile, John Murphy, president and chief financial officer of The Coca-Cola Company, stated, “This new agreement builds on the success of Coca-Cola’s partnership strategy with Microsoft, showing our commitment to ongoing digital transformation. Our partnership with Microsoft has grown exponentially, from the $250 million agreement we initially announced in 2020 to $1.1 billion today.”

Lastly, Neeraj Tolmare, senior vice president and global chief information officer for The Coca-Cola Company, commented, “Our expanded partnership with Microsoft is an important next chapter in Coca-Cola’s journey toward a digital-first enterprise powered by emerging technologies. Microsoft’s capabilities help accelerate our adoption of AI to create incremental enterprise value.”

Manila, Philippines – Holding company Aboitiz Equity Ventures (ABV) and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) have announced that is set to acquire Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines (CCBP) at an estimated enterprise value of US$1.8b. The announcement was made through a recent stock filing at the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE).

According to the filing, AEV has signed a non-binding term sheet and is in advanced discussions with CCEP regarding a potential joint transaction, which may lead to the acquisition of CCBP from The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC), based on a 60/40 ownership structure between CCEP and AEV.

If completed, the proposed acquisition would build on AEV’s portfolio diversification strategy to enter the branded consumer goods space and on CCEP’s successful expansion into the Asia-Pacific region via its acquisition of Coca-Cola Amatil in 2021. 

Moreover, AEV would be well positioned to support CCBP’s growth ambition given the synergies that can be generated from AEV’s other businesses.

“AEV’s proposed acquisition of CCBP, with CCEP, offers a great opportunity to co-acquire an established, well-run business with attractive profitability and growth prospects,” the filing stated.

However, the filing did not specify when the acquisition will commence, adding that it will be announced in due course.

It should be recalled that The Coca-Cola Company acquired Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines from San Miguel Corporation back in 2007 for US$590m. Through the acquisition back then, The Coca-Cola Company has acquired San Miguel’s 65% shareholding in Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines.

Georgia, United States – In collaboration with Jones Knowles Ritchie, Grey, VMLY&R, and Landor & Fitch, Minute Maid, one of the world’s largest juice brand, has launched its first-ever global rebrand anchored by a refreshed visual identity and global campaign.

‘Filled with Life™’, the brand’s first global marketing campaign, will feature the new look alongside messaging that invites consumers to ‘slow down and refresh’. The campaign will also feature an end-to-end experience that varies by market, including TV and digital out-of-home advertising, online video, social media content, and on-ground experiences. 

There will also be on-pack QR codes, which will direct its consumers to challenges, promotions, and other engaging content.

According to the release, the new visual identity is accompanied by a warm and lively colour palette inspired by the bright tones of fresh and ripe fruit. Moreover, the softer and more natural typeface aims to breathe new energy into the familiar Minute Maid expression paired with dynamic and asymmetric visuals.

“The brand is enjoyed by many worldwide, but the brand experience can vary depending on where you encounter it,” said Rapha Abreu, global vice president of design at The Coca-Cola Company. 

Abreu added, “We felt the Minute Maid family was due for an elevation to the icon it truly is. With this move, we are thinking about our brand holistically – developing a flexible global design system centered on what makes Minute Maid unique – and defining and evolving our distinctive assets so that they can be adopted locally to connect with consumers around the world.”

Katalin Czigler, global brand strategy director at Minute Maid also said, “We know from consumer research that drinking juice is about more than just the taste; it’s about hydration, nourishment, indulgence and more.”

She added, “The experience people get from drinking Minute Maid makes them feel good. Minute Maid wanted to bring that to life visually and in our communications worldwide. This perfectly reflects our brand mission to help anyone, anywhere and at any time, feel alive, which is needed now more than ever.”

Singapore – Sprite, a beverage under the Coca-Cola beverage company, has rolled out a new brand platform for the ASEAN and South Pacific regions for its newest brand lineup ‘Sprite LEMON+’. The brand platform first opens in Australia and Thailand, and is part of a much larger global campaign.

Known for its cut-through refreshment, the SPRITE new global brand platform ‘Heat Happens’ takes a humorous but insightful approach to highlighting the importance of staying cool when faced with unavoidable ‘heated’ moments, by taking a step back and drinking a refreshing ice-cold Sprite.

The launch of Sprite LEMON+ under the ‘Heat Happens’ platform this year, brings to life a new age marketing experience for consumers with engagement and trial at its heart, through sampling, social, digital, films, and OOH that will be placed strategically in contexts where people could be experiencing mental heat. 

In addition, Sprite is partnering with local content creators and influential personalities to create humorous, zesty ‘pep talks’ and encourage people to try their first sip of the newest zesty product.

Pamela Wyatt, sparkling flavours category director at CocaCola ASEAN & South Pacific, said, “We’re looking forward to rolling-out ‘Heat Happens’ here in ASEAN and South Pacific region. The witty approach of the ‘Heat Happens’ global platform on many ‘heated’ challenges that people experience every day is a lighthearted reminder to keep our cool whatever the circumstance is, whether that be mental heat in the shape of unwanted interruptions or the physical heat of a sweaty commute.”

Meanwhile, Josh Gonski, Sprite marketing manager at Coca-Cola ASEAN & South Pacific, commented, “Sprite is a brand that refreshes people physically and mentally. With the introduction of Sprite LEMON+, our latest innovation, we are taking refreshment to the next level. Sprite LEMON+ aims to aid people to ‘think zesty’ by awakening.”

United States – Popular soft drinks brand Sprite is ditching the iconic green look across its plastic bottles in favour of a much clearer one that is more eco-friendly. This will start on August 1 this year.

According to the Coca-Cola Company, while green plastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is recyclable, like the ones used in the old bottles, the recycled material is more often converted into single-use items like clothing and carpeting that cannot be recycled into new PET bottles. 

During the sorting process, green and other coloured PET is separated from clear material to avoid discolouring recycled food-grade packaging required to make new PET bottles.

Julian Ochoa, CEO at R3CYCLE, said, “Taking colours out of bottles improves the quality of the recycled material. This transition will help increase availability of food-grade rPET. When recycled, clear PET Sprite bottles can be remade into bottles, helping drive a circular economy for plastic.”

In addition to transitioning to clear bottles, Sprite is introducing a new visual identity system featuring a revamped logo and packaging design to provide a consistent look and voice around the world. Sprite’s packaging graphics will retain the brand’s recognizable green hue and include prominent ‘Recycle Me’ messaging.

Hong Kong – The Coca-Cola Company, the global beverage company that owns the world-famous beverage brands Coca-Cola and Sprite, and its bottling partner Swire Coca-Cola Hong Kong, have announced the return of its glass bottle beverage, with a new design and a refreshed look.

The relaunch of the new glass bottle is in line with the commitment of The Coca-Cola Company and Swire Coca-Cola Hong Kong’s vision of sustainability. By adopting more environmentally friendly new technology to facilitate the development strategy for recycling and reuse, they joined hands to move towards Coca-Cola’s goal of ‘World Without Waste’.

Coca-Cola comes back with the classic contour bottle design and meets consumers with its familiar look. At the same time, other brands under Coca-Cola, including Sprite, Fanta, Schweppes, and Kochakaden are also coming with another bottle design. Both designs are adopting transparent bottles and make the appearance sleeker and cleaner. It is more convenient for consumers to return them after usage for the bottling plant to clean, disinfect and refill them. After adding the labels, they will be relaunched in the market, which is more efficient in protecting the environment.

The company said that the bottle comprises 60% recycled glass materials, with a weight loss of one-third compared to the previous bottles, making it easier to hold. Each box also now contains 24 bottles instead of 12 for easier transportation and storage.

Connie Yeung, Swire Coca-Cola’s general manager for Hong Kong, said, “Swire Coca-Cola HK has been the authorised bottler of The Coca-Cola Company since 1965. To realize the company’s vision in sustainable development, we have been actively enhancing packaging designs with more environmentally friendly elements throughout the years so that consumers, while enjoying the great taste, can have more options in recyclable packaging.”

Meanwhile, Marella Canepa Risso, The Coca-Cola Company’s franchise director for Hong Kong and Macau, shared that the new returnable glass bottle will allow their consumers to dive into a unique meal occasion experience uplifted by the refreshing taste brought by Coca-Cola.

“By increasing the use of returnable packaging, we promote a circular economy as our return to reuse bottles have high levels of collection and are low-carbon-footprint beverage containers because the bottles collection is built into our beverage direct delivery model,” said Risso.

The brand new glass bottle Coca-Cola brand is now rolling out in the market, while an extensive campaign will also soon be rolled out.