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The Coca-Cola Company: Contact Information
The Coca-Cola Company: Contact Information
COMPANY FINANCES
In its earnings statement, Coca-Cola reported an
other year of record volume and earnings per share in
1997. Earnings per share increased 19 percent in 1997.
Revenue for 1997 totaled $18.87 billion and has risen
steadily over the years. In 1993 total revenue was $13.96
billion, and rose in 1994 to $16.17 billion. In 1995 total
revenue jumped to $18.02 billion and 1996 saw total rev
enue at $18.55 billion.
Worldwide, Coca-Cola’s unit case volume increased
14 percent and gallon shipments grew 15 percent in the
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The C o c a - C o l a C o m p a n y
ANALYSTS' OPINIONS
The Coca-Cola Company has long been a favorite
of stock market analysts, and many were recommending
that investors buy its stock in the mid-1990s. Prudential
Securities stated that the company was “being extremely
aggressive in certain markets in an effort to capitalize on
PepsiCo’s vulnerability and overall strategy of shrinking
its international soft drink business.”
Wheat, First Securities also recommended that
clients buy Coca-Cola stock (as of October 1996), citing
the continued strength of its marketing programs, partic
ularly the Olympics, innovative packaging initiatives,
and the introduction of new products worldwide. Wheat,
First Securities also said that The Coca-Cola Company
also benefited from strong volume growth produced by
solid increases in unit sales of its major brands. The in
creases were the result of innovative packaging and ef
fective promotional support.
HISTORY
As a company Coca-Cola has grown consistently for
more than 100 years. From one soft drink sold in an At
lanta pharmacy, The Coca-Cola Company has grown into
an enormous worldwide marketer of many brands of soft famous “Coca-Cola formula” has been a closely-guarded
drinks and food products. If all the Coca-Cola ever pro secret ever since, held in a bank vault.
duced were placed in regular size bottles and lined up to In 1891 Asa Candler acquired total control of Coca-
form a four-lane highway, that road would wrap around Cola. The following year Candler and several partners
the earth more than 81 times. formed The Coca-Cola Company. The new company
Coca-Cola was first produced in Atlanta, Georgia, used advertising and promotion to make Coca-Cola avail
on May 8, 1886, when pharmacist Dr. John Styth Pem able everywhere, a strategy still used today.
berton mixed a caramel-colored syrup in a three-legged In 1894 the first bottled Coca-Cola was sold. Bot
brass kettle in his backyard. After it was combined with tling operations were soon established throughout the
carbonated water, Pemberton began selling the product United States. Since then The Coca-Cola Company has
as a fountain drink at Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta. The sold its products in two main ways: through fountain
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(post-mix) operations, such as those found at movie the As a global company, Coca-Cola adjusts its adver
aters and fast food restaurants, and through sales of bot tising and marketing programs for different regions of
tled and canned products in stores and vending machines. the world. For example, in new markets such as Poland
In 1919 The Coca-Cola Company was sold by the and India, the company focuses on setting up bottling
Candler group for $25 million to Atlanta banker Ernest systems. In emerging markets, the company works to
Woodruff. Four years later Ernest Woodruff’s son, build enough bottling plants to meet the rapidly growing
Robert Woodruff, was elected president of the company. demand for its products. In highly developed markets,
He would lead the company for more than six decades. such as Europe and North America, the company focuses
on developing new products, such as low-calorie and “al
The Coca-Cola Company first moved outside the soft ternative” beverages.
drink industry when it bought the Minute Maid Company The heart of the Coca-Cola business strategy is its
in 1960. Other food companies were acquired and merged bottler system, which the company says is the single fac
into what is now Coca-Cola Foods. Today the company tor most responsible for the global popularity of its prod
is still based in Atlanta, where in 1996 it opened a new ucts. Many Coca-Cola bottling plants are locally owned
tourist attraction, “The World of Coca-Cola Pavilion.” and operated by independent business people who hold
licenses to bottle and sell Coca-Cola products. However,
the largest U.S. bottler—Coca-Cola Enterprises—is 44-
percent owned by The Coca-Cola Company. Coca-Cola
STRATEGY Enterprises controls 2,500 local bottlers and accounts for
about 55 percent of all U.S. bottling volume.
The Coca-Cola Company’s business strategy is sim
ple: make its products available everywhere in the world
and trigger purchases (through advertising and promo
tion) as often and in as many ways as possible. This strat INFLUENCES
egy is clearly successful: in the late 1990s Coca-Cola was
one of the world’s most recognized brand names and was The Coca-Cola Company has enjoyed an almost
available in almost 200 countries. The company is fa continuous history of success and growth. From 1886 to
mous for its advertising, which has always followed new 1960 it marketed only Coca-Cola, but did so very suc
trends. cessfully. In 1960 it introduced its first non-cola prod
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CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP
The Coca-Cola company believes it is appropriate
to give back to the communities in which they do busi
ness. This concept of mutual benefit has resulted in cul
tural exchanges, sports sponsorships, financial support,
and technological support in developing nations.
CHRONOLOGY: In all of Coca-Cola’s sports affiliations, its support
Key Dates for The Coca-Cola Company for the International Olympic Games is most visible and
historic. Coca-Cola has been supplying its products to
1886: John Pemberton invents Coca-Cola the Olympics since 1928, and is the official soft drink
1891: Asa Candler buys Coca-Cola from Pemberton supplier.
1899: Candler sells bottling rights to Benjamin In 1984 The Coca-Cola Company created the Coca-
Thomas and John Whitehead Cola Foundation to increase its ongoing aid for educa
tional excellence. The Coca-Cola Foundation’s mission
1894: The first bottled Coca-Cola is sold is to nurture and promote a favorable environment by
1916: Candler retires globally supporting educational and related community
1919: Company is sold to Ernest Woodruff for $25 needs. Through its scholarships and minority education,
million the Foundation helps students to increase their chances
of getting a college education. And because Coca-Cola
1923: Ernest’s son Robert Woodruff becomes president believes the arts add value to a total public school cur
1928: Coca-Cola begins supplying Coke to the riculum, the Foundation also supports education in the
Olympic Games arts for both teachers and students. The Foundation also
1940: Coca-Cola is bottled in 45 countries supports interdisciplinary educational programs that pro
vide multilingual and multicultural experiences. Some of
1941: Introduces the slogan “It’s the Real Thing” the global programs provided by the Coca-Cola Founda
1960: Buys Minute Maid Company; introduces Fanta tion include the Coca-Cola World Fund at Yale, the King
Juan Carlos I Center for Spanish Studies at New York
1961: Introduces Sprite University, and a consortium of three universities: Clark
1963: Introduced Tab Atlanta University, University of Nairobe in Kenya, and
1967: Forms the Coca-Cola Company Foods Division the University of Zimbabwe in Harare.
1972: Introduces Mr. PiBB Concerned with the environment, the Coca-Cola
Company has adopted a set of environmental policies.
1979: Introduces Mello Yello An environmental management system ensures imple
1981: Roberto Goizueta becomes president mentation of the policies to protect and preserve the en
1982: Introduces Diet Coke; acquires Columbia Pictures vironment in such areas as recycling, source reduction,
water and energy conservation, and wastewater quality.
1984: Creates the Coca-Cola Foundation
Coca-Cola introduced the first two-liter plastic
1985: Changes the Coca-Cola recipe; introduces bottle made with 25 percent recycled plastics after win
Cherry Coke ning rare FDA approval to package food in recycled
1990: Introduces POWERaDE packaging. Coca-Cola also uses recycled aluminum;
1994: Introduces Fruitopia both are important practices that reduce waste and con
serve energy.
1995: Buys Barq’s root beer Coca-Cola was criticized in the early 1990s for its
1996: Opens “The World of Coca-Cola Pavillion” plan to construct plantations for its Minute Maid prod
1997: Introduces Surge; Goizueta dies and is replaced ucts on land that was a tropical rain forest in Belize. Im
by Douglas Ivester mediately Coca-Cola sold some of the land and set aside
1998: Company sells one billion drinks per day the rest for environmental conservation.
GLOBAL PRESENCE
testing, and is available in nearly 50 percent of the United Global markets are key to The Coca-Cola Com
States. A multi-dimensional marketing campaign featur pany’s continued growth. The company’s first venture
ing Citra’s “No Thirst is Safe” theme was launched at into international markets was in the early 1900s, when
the beginning of 1998. Coca-Cola was introduced in Canada. In the 1920s the
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Coca-Cola fosters the growth of minority and Sellers, Patricia. “How Coke Is Kicking Pepsi’s Can (Competi
women-owned businesses through its targeted purchas tion Between Coca-Cola and PepsiCo).” Fortune, 28 October
ing programs. Two women and 2 people of color sit on 1996.
the 14 member board of directors. Also, there are 4 Prendergast, Mark. “For God, Country and Coca-Cola: The
women and 6 people of color among the top 38 officers Unauthorized History of the Great American Soft Drink and the
at Coca-Cola. Company That Makes It.” New York: Scribners, 1993.
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Colgate-Palmolive
Company
FOUNDED: 1806
OVERVIEW
Colgate-Palmolive is the nation’s leading manufac
turer of toothpaste, with a strong presence in the personal Contact Information:
care, household cleaning, and pet food sectors as well. HEADQUARTERS: 300 Park Ave.
The company’s Colgate brand toothpaste moved into the New York, NY 10022
number one position in 1997, displacing Procter & Gam PHONE: (212)310-2000
ble’s Crest brand, while Palmolive leads in the liquid FAX: (212)310-3405
dishwashing detergent field. Ajax, the company’s long URL: http://www.colgate.com
time abrasive cleanser, is literally a household word, and
various Colgate-Palmolive brands such as Murphy Oil
cleaning products and Irish Spring soap have benefited
from popular advertising campaigns. Fab laundry deter
gent and Mennen deodorant (a brand acquired in 1992)
are also among the leading competitors in their areas, and
Science Diet is the top seller among premium pet foods.
The company has an enormous global presence with
plants in 75 countries and products available in virtually
every nation in the world, including Australia, Brazil,
Canada, China, Colombia, France, Italy, Mexico, Thai
land, and the United Kingdom.
COMPANY FINANCES
Colgate-Palmolive posted a net income of $740 mil
lion on revenue of $9.06 billion in 1997, compared with
a net of $635 million on sales of $8.75 billion in 1996.
Net income rose more than 16 percent between 1996 and
1997. Colgate reported net earnings of $172 million on
worldwide sales of $8.36 billion in 1995, compared with
net income of $580 million on sales of $7.14 billion in
1994. The company reports that it has paid dividends on
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