Category: Coca-Cola Company

Diet Coke Invites Fans To ‘Get A Taste’ Of The Good Life

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With one sip of the delicious taste of Diet Coke, a long commute can feel like an urban adventure, and that unexpected Friday afternoon meeting might as well be an impromptu party. Since 1982, Diet Coke fans have been turning to the No. 1 no-calorie sparkling beverage because they love its taste. And now, they can see what life would be like if it tasted as good as Diet Coke.

To celebrate fans’ unwavering love for the delicious taste of Diet Coke, the brand is launching an integrated campaign called “Get A Taste.” The new campaign invites fans to “Get A Taste” of the world they love, provoking the question, “What if life tasted as good as Diet Coke?” New creative will feature playful examples of how the taste of Diet Coke can make mundane moments a little brighter, a little bubblier and a whole lot more enjoyable.

“Millions of people enjoy Diet Coke for one simple reason – the taste. The unique, delicious taste has always been what sets Diet Coke apart and incites passion in our fans,” said Andrew McMillin, Vice President, Coca-Cola Brands, North America. “Through the ‘Get A Taste’ campaign, we’re reminding fans why they fell in love with Diet Coke the first time, and we’re inviting everyone to experience the magic behind the taste of Diet Coke.”

First “Get A Taste” Television Commercial Debuts September 24

The first look at the new campaign, a :30 TV spot titled “ Economy Class,” will debut during Wednesday’s season premiere of “Nashville” on ABC. The momentum will continue with airings during the season premieres of “Scandal” and “Grey’s Anatomy” on Thursday evening. A second spot titled “Car Wash” will air in early October.
“Economy Class” opens on a woman walking toward the back of a crowded overnight flight filled with sleeping passengers and crying babies. After asking the flight attendant for a Diet Coke, she closes her eyes and takes a long, refreshing sip. When she opens her eyes, the sleepy, cramped airplane has transformed into a speakeasy-style party.

The main character weaves her way through the crowd. Along the way, she mingles and dances with stylish partygoers who are all more vibrant versions of the passengers she passed on her way to get a Diet Coke. As the plane hits a patch of turbulence, she is jostled back to reality and left wondering if her enlightened experience was just a dream. A super asks, “What if life tasted as good as Diet Coke?

In “Carwash,” a woman pulling into an everyday industrial carwash takes a sip of Diet Coke and opens her eyes to a surreal scene. The brushes whipping past her windows are actually dancers in flapper-style dresses. Beyond them, a lively, Gatsby-style party is revealed, complete with trapeze artists, break dancers and lots of water turned confetti. As the woman pulls out of the carwash, she exits her Diet Coke world and returns to reality. Again a super asks, “What if life tasted as good as Diet Coke?”

Later this fall, Diet Coke will launch a third “Get A Taste” TV spot, featuring global superstar and seven-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor Swift.

In addition to the television spots, the fully integrated Diet Coke “Get A Taste” campaign will feature digital video, print, radio and out-of-home advertising. The brand also will activate on DietCoke.com and its social media channels.

Online activations include partnerships with some of today’s most engaging media outlets and filmmakers on Vine. These partnerships will bring to life how the great taste of Diet Coke has the potential to make any moment just a little brighter.

The “Get A Taste” campaign was developed by Droga5 New York, Diet Coke’s agency of record.

Coca-Cola Company Elects Kathy N. Waller as CFO, EVP

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The Board of Directors of The Coca-Cola Company today elected Kathy N. Waller as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. As announced in February, Waller, 55, is replacing Gary Fayard who is retiring after 20 years with the Company.

Waller, a highly respected global leader of the Finance Division, most recently served as Vice President, Finance and Controller. She joined the Company in 1987 as a Senior Accountant in the Accounting Research Department and assumed roles of increasing responsibility including Principal Accountant for the Northeast Europe/Africa Group, Marketing Controller for the McDonald’s Group, Vice President, Chief of Internal Audit and Vice President, Controller.

In addition to her role in Finance, Waller also leads The Coca-Cola Company’s Women’s Leadership Council and helped develop its highly successful Women in Leadership global program. Waller also serves on the advisory board of Catalyst, the leading nonprofit organization with a mission to expand opportunities for women and business.

Prior to joining The Coca-Cola Company, Waller worked for the firm now known as Deloitte. She received her bachelor’s and MBA degrees from the University of Rochester in New York and is a Certified Public Accountant.

The Board today also elected Larry M. Mark, Mark Randazza, Dr. Wamwari Waichungo, Ronald J. Lewis and Jos Wellekens as Vice Presidents of the Company, effective immediately.

Larry M. Mark, 52, was named Vice President, Controller, replacing Kathy Waller in the role. In this position, Mark is responsible for the Controller’s Group, overseeing global accounting, tax reporting and analytics.

Mark joined the Company in 1991 in the Corporate Audit Department and has since served in roles of increasing responsibility including Director of Investor Relations, Vice President of Finance, North America Foodservice Division; CFO, Europe Group; CFO, Coca-Cola North America Group and most recently as Deputy Controller for the Company.

Prior to joining Coca-Cola, Mark worked as an Audit Senior Manager at Price Waterhouse. He received his bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Southwest Texas State University and his MBA degree from Emory University.

Mark Randazza, 48, was named Vice President, Assistant Controller. Randazza also serves as the Chief Accounting Officer of the Company and is responsible for regulatory compliance of global accounting standards and internal and external reporting.

Randazza began his career with The Coca-Cola Company in 1992 as a Senior Accountant and has since held roles of increasing responsibility. Throughout his career, he has served as Supervisor of Treasury Accounting, Finance Manager, Director of Accounting Research & Financial Reporting and Assistant Controller.

He received his bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Florida State University, his MBA degree from the University of Central Florida and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Dr. Wamwari Waichungo, 45, serves as Vice President, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs (SRA). In this role, she leads Company efforts to develop and implement a globally aligned scientific strategy that promotes the safety and benefits of Coca-Cola products, packages and ingredients; oversees regulatory compliance; and supports scientific advocacy.

Dr. Waichungo joined the Company in 2000 and has held various positions including Director, Strategy and Business Planning Director for the North and West Africa Business Unit, and Director, Strategy, Planning and Insights for the South Africa Business Unit.

Prior to joining The Coca-Cola Company, Dr. Waichungo held product and consumer research roles at Campbell Soup Company and ConAgra Foods. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition from Montclair State University and a Master of Science and Ph.D. in Food Science from the University of Missouri-Columbia and attended the Program for Leadership Development at Harvard Business School.

Ronald J. Lewis, 47, currently holds the position of Vice President, Procurement and Chief Procurement Officer of The Coca-Cola Company and is responsible for managing external spending across the Coca-Cola system.

Prior to his current role, Lewis held the position of Senior Vice President for Coca-Cola Refreshments, Vice President, Supply Chain for Coca-Cola Enterprises, Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer for Coca-Cola Enterprises, and President and CEO of Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Sales and Services Company LLC. Before starting his career with the Coca-Cola system, he was employed by Mars Inc. and Cargill Inc. in various supply chain, procurement, trading and risk management roles.

Lewis received a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Montana State University and a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

Jos Wellekens, 51, serves as Vice President, Chief Quality, Safety and Sustainable Operations Officer. In his role, Wellekens develops policy and governance for the Quality, Safety and Environment spaces. Prior to his current role, he served as Director of Quality Assurance, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs and Technical Services for the Europe Group.

Wellekens joined The Coca-Cola Company in 1992, and has held roles of increasing responsibility in Quality, SRA, supply chain operations and technical leadership across the system. In 2007, he was named Director of Quality Assurance and Technical Operations for the European Union Group, and later added Scientific and Regulatory Affairs to his role.

Wellekens holds a Master of Science degree in Electromechanical Engineering from the University of Ghent in Belgium and a postgraduate degree in Quality Management from the Centre for Quality in Kortrijk, Belgium.

The Board today also declared a regular quarterly dividend of 30.5 cents per common share. The dividend is payable July 1, 2014, to shareowners of record as of June 16, 2014.

The Board earlier this year approved the Company’s 52nd consecutive annual dividend increase, raising the quarterly dividend 9 percent from 28 cents to 30.5 cents per share. This is equivalent to an annual dividend of $1.22 per share, up from $1.12 per share in 2013. The increase reflects the Board’s confidence in the Company’s long-term cash flow.

Coca-Cola Company Elects Kathy N. Waller as CFO, EVP

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The Board of Directors of The Coca-Cola Company today elected Kathy N. Waller as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. As announced in February, Waller, 55, is replacing Gary Fayard who is retiring after 20 years with the Company.

Waller, a highly respected global leader of the Finance Division, most recently served as Vice President, Finance and Controller. She joined the Company in 1987 as a Senior Accountant in the Accounting Research Department and assumed roles of increasing responsibility including Principal Accountant for the Northeast Europe/Africa Group, Marketing Controller for the McDonald’s Group, Vice President, Chief of Internal Audit and Vice President, Controller.

In addition to her role in Finance, Waller also leads The Coca-Cola Company’s Women’s Leadership Council and helped develop its highly successful Women in Leadership global program. Waller also serves on the advisory board of Catalyst, the leading nonprofit organization with a mission to expand opportunities for women and business.

Prior to joining The Coca-Cola Company, Waller worked for the firm now known as Deloitte. She received her bachelor’s and MBA degrees from the University of Rochester in New York and is a Certified Public Accountant.

The Board today also elected Larry M. Mark, Mark Randazza, Dr. Wamwari Waichungo, Ronald J. Lewis and Jos Wellekens as Vice Presidents of the Company, effective immediately.

Larry M. Mark, 52, was named Vice President, Controller, replacing Kathy Waller in the role. In this position, Mark is responsible for the Controller’s Group, overseeing global accounting, tax reporting and analytics.

Mark joined the Company in 1991 in the Corporate Audit Department and has since served in roles of increasing responsibility including Director of Investor Relations, Vice President of Finance, North America Foodservice Division; CFO, Europe Group; CFO, Coca-Cola North America Group and most recently as Deputy Controller for the Company.

Prior to joining Coca-Cola, Mark worked as an Audit Senior Manager at Price Waterhouse. He received his bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Southwest Texas State University and his MBA degree from Emory University.

Mark Randazza, 48, was named Vice President, Assistant Controller. Randazza also serves as the Chief Accounting Officer of the Company and is responsible for regulatory compliance of global accounting standards and internal and external reporting.

Randazza began his career with The Coca-Cola Company in 1992 as a Senior Accountant and has since held roles of increasing responsibility. Throughout his career, he has served as Supervisor of Treasury Accounting, Finance Manager, Director of Accounting Research & Financial Reporting and Assistant Controller.

He received his bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Florida State University, his MBA degree from the University of Central Florida and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Dr. Wamwari Waichungo, 45, serves as Vice President, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs (SRA). In this role, she leads Company efforts to develop and implement a globally aligned scientific strategy that promotes the safety and benefits of Coca-Cola products, packages and ingredients; oversees regulatory compliance; and supports scientific advocacy.

Dr. Waichungo joined the Company in 2000 and has held various positions including Director, Strategy and Business Planning Director for the North and West Africa Business Unit, and Director, Strategy, Planning and Insights for the South Africa Business Unit.

Prior to joining The Coca-Cola Company, Dr. Waichungo held product and consumer research roles at Campbell Soup Company and ConAgra Foods. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition from Montclair State University and a Master of Science and Ph.D. in Food Science from the University of Missouri-Columbia and attended the Program for Leadership Development at Harvard Business School.

Ronald J. Lewis, 47, currently holds the position of Vice President, Procurement and Chief Procurement Officer of The Coca-Cola Company and is responsible for managing external spending across the Coca-Cola system.

Prior to his current role, Lewis held the position of Senior Vice President for Coca-Cola Refreshments, Vice President, Supply Chain for Coca-Cola Enterprises, Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer for Coca-Cola Enterprises, and President and CEO of Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Sales and Services Company LLC. Before starting his career with the Coca-Cola system, he was employed by Mars Inc. and Cargill Inc. in various supply chain, procurement, trading and risk management roles.

Lewis received a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Montana State University and a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

Jos Wellekens, 51, serves as Vice President, Chief Quality, Safety and Sustainable Operations Officer. In his role, Wellekens develops policy and governance for the Quality, Safety and Environment spaces. Prior to his current role, he served as Director of Quality Assurance, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs and Technical Services for the Europe Group.

Wellekens joined The Coca-Cola Company in 1992, and has held roles of increasing responsibility in Quality, SRA, supply chain operations and technical leadership across the system. In 2007, he was named Director of Quality Assurance and Technical Operations for the European Union Group, and later added Scientific and Regulatory Affairs to his role.

Wellekens holds a Master of Science degree in Electromechanical Engineering from the University of Ghent in Belgium and a postgraduate degree in Quality Management from the Centre for Quality in Kortrijk, Belgium.

The Board today also declared a regular quarterly dividend of 30.5 cents per common share. The dividend is payable July 1, 2014, to shareowners of record as of June 16, 2014.

The Board earlier this year approved the Company’s 52nd consecutive annual dividend increase, raising the quarterly dividend 9 percent from 28 cents to 30.5 cents per share. This is equivalent to an annual dividend of $1.22 per share, up from $1.12 per share in 2013. The increase reflects the Board’s confidence in the Company’s long-term cash flow.

Coca-Cola Launches “The World’s Cup”

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The largest marketing program in the history of The Coca-Cola Company invites the world to celebrate football as a force for social good. Through “The World’s Cup” campaign, Coca-Cola will create unrivalled access, participation, empowerment and conversation with the goal of delivering the most accessible and inclusive FIFA World Cup ever. “The World’s Cup” will be brought to life through a number of key elements:

  • “One World, One Game” television and digital film
  • “Where Will Happiness Strike Next” documentary-style short films
  • The official music anthem for the Coca-Cola 2014 FIFA World Cup campaign
  • The Happiness Flag – the largest photomosaic ever created featuring fan faces and messages
  • FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola
  • A uniquely Brazilian visual identity

“Just as Brasil is everyone’s country and Coca-Cola is everyone’s drink, the FIFA World Cup is everyone’s cup,” said Joseph Tripodi, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer, The Coca-Cola Company, about the brand’s new campaign for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. “Through “The World’s Cup”, Coca-Cola wants to celebrate real people playing football, demonstrating how the game is a force for a more inclusive and connected world.”

The “One World, One Game” television and digital film goes live across the globe today and is the brand’s invitation to the world to join “The World’s Cup”. The film, created in partnership with Wieden + Kennedy Sao Paulo, brings to life the stories of four football teams from four different corners of the world who have each overcome life’s challenges through their love of the game. The film sees the teams share their stories of the happiness that football brings them as Coca-Cola surprises each team with invitations to Rio de Janeiro, to see the preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The teams’ experience will culminate in attending the tournament this summer, where they will have the honor of carrying the national team flags onto the pitch at Germany vs. Portugal on June 16th.

In a series of poignant, documentary-style, short films entitled Where Will Happiness Strike Next captured during stops along the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour, Coca-Cola will share stories of passionate football fans that are using the game to help them triumph over adversity, in turn inspiring others to use the power of football to overcome difficulties. At each film’s climax, the stars are surprised by Coca-Cola and a special viewing of the FIFA World Cup Trophy.

“Coca-Cola prides itself on celebrating the power of football and the ability of the sport to bring the world together. Football is for everyone, regardless of geographical and social boundaries, that’s why this year we are launching “The World’s Cup”.” added Tripodi.

‘The World Is Ours’ is the official music anthem for the Coca-Cola 2014 FIFA World Cup campaign featuring vocals from Brazilian born David Correy and sounds from Monobloco – a Brazilian street band. As Correy travelled across the globe championing the song, local artists were encouraged to put their own spin on the track, giving it a truly global flavor.

In an unprecedented move, Coca-Cola is giving fans from across the globe the chance to be part of the largest flag mosaic ever created and show the power of football to bring people from different backgrounds and beliefs together. The Happiness Flag – constructed from photos and tweets submitted by fans from around the world – will be seen on-pitch prior to the Opening Match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Sao Paulo on June 12th.

Underpinning the entire campaign is the longest ever FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola. Starting in September 2013 Coca-Cola has taken the FIFA World Cup Trophy on a journey spanning more than 92,000 miles and visiting 90 countries to encapsulate the true spirit of the campaign – that the FIFA World Cup really is “The World’s Cup”.

The visual identity for “The World’s Cup” campaign will be featured on all brand communication during the tournament and represents happiness, togetherness and celebration. For the first time, the design was created in collaboration with a street artist, employing the unique style and talent of Brazilian artist Speto. It features the color and characteristic designs of Brazilian street art with the faces of four young people from Brazil reproduced in Speto’s signature graphic style.

The Coca-Cola Company has had a long-standing relationship with FIFA since 1974 and has been an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup since 1978. Coca-Cola has had stadium advertising at every FIFA World Cup since 1950 and is a long-time supporter of football at all levels.