Introduction

Birth of Refreshing Idea – Coca-Cola

Dr. John Stith Pemberton first introduced the refreshing taste of Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Georgia. It
was May of 1886 when the pharmacist concocted caramel-colored syrup in a three-legged brass
kettle in his backyard. He first “distributed” the new product by carrying Coca-Cola in a jug down
the street to Jacobs Pharmacy. For five cents, consumers could enjoy a glass of Coca-Cola at the
soda fountain. Whether by design or accident, carbonated water teamed with the new syrup,
producing a drink that was proclaimed “delicious and refreshing”.
Dr. Pemberton’s partner and bookkeeper, Frank M. Robinson, suggested the name and penned
Coca-Cola in the unique flowing script that is famous worldwide today. By 1886, sales of Coca-
Cola averaged nine drinks per day. The first year, Dr. Pemberton sold 25 gallons of syrup, shipped
in bright red wooden kegs. Red has become a distinctive colour associated with the no. 1 soft drink
brand ever since.
In 1891, Atlanta entrepreneur As a G. Candler had acquired complete ownership of the Coca-Cola
business. Within four years, his merchandising flair helped expand consumption of Coca-Cola to
every state and territory. In 1919, the Coca-Cola Company was sold to a group of investors for $25
million. Robert W. Woodruff became president of the Coca-Cola company in 1923 and in his more
than six decades of leadership took the business to unrivaled heights of commercial success,
making Coca-Cola an institution the world over.
Coca-Cola in India
The Coca-Cola Company returned to India in October 1993 after nearly 16 years to serve the
population of over 800 million. It was in the ancient city of Agra – the home of the magnificent Taj
Mahal where Coca-Cola was launched with much fanfare and refreshment history was made. The
Indian entity of the Coca-Cola Company has become the third largest Fast Moving Consumer
Goods Company in India and achieved a volume of approximately 140 million Unit Cases in 1999.
A feat made possible through creation of a well spread and large network of bottling plants. The
Coca-Cola Company understands the beverage business in India better than anyone else does in the
country. It has a holistic understanding of all its aspects including manufacturing, distribution,
quality and research. It is local in the way it is structured and also in the way it markets its products.
An experienced, highly talented and committed core management team heads the operations of the
company.

Focus
The focus of Coca-Cola in India in the last few years has been on four major activities with a view
to making its products available at arms reach.

Organization
The motivated and intelligent workforce remains the greatest strength of The Coca-Cola Company.
Its Human Resource Management practices are increasingly setting new benchmarks for the
industry. It gives responsibility to its people with a freehand and firmly believes that people
perform best when they set their own goals. Personnel policies and extensive management
development and training programs are designed to provide professional growth and skill
advancements. Management trainees from the country’s leading institutes and specialists with
outstanding credentials in their field form a large percentage of the workforce of The Coca-Cola
Company’s operations in India. It considers its people as its most valuable asset and investment in
them. Its most rewarding outlay. This results in high employees morale and motivation and makes
Coca-Cola, a fun place to work in.

Bottling System
Thousands of companies compete in the international business arena. There are very few companies
who do it using ‘think local, act local’ approach. At the heart of this is the bottling system created
by the Coca-Cola Company in India. This unique aspect is the single most important factor
responsible for the growing popularity of its brands with the Indian masses. The bottling strategy
included acquisitions to create an integrated company-owned bottling system. Apart from company
owned bottling +units, it also has an All-India network of locally owned and operated, bottlers. This
forms the backbone of the soft drink operations of Coca-Cola in India and its brands a local product
to all consumers. The highest standards of product quality and uniformity are maintained in all
plants.

Infrastructure
The Government of India accorded permission to The Coca-Cola Company to invest in India. More
than 70% of Foreign Direct Investment was made in building of new infrastructure including
Greenfield plants units where the entire process from manufacturing to marketing and distribution
of all products of the Company is realized and also to strengthen existing manufacturing and
distribution system. This mammoth task involved upgrading and expanding production capacity.
Large investments in coolers, glass bottles, plastic cases and trucks have also been made for an
effective logistics and distribution network.
Besides, the following are the major focus areas concerning Marketing followed in Coca- Cola
India.

Brands
The Coca-Cola Company strives to meet the challenging desires of its consumes by providing them
with its international brands such as Coca-Cola, Diet-Coke, Sprite, Fanta and Georgia as well as
India’s leading soft drink brands that including Thums Up, Limca and Maaza. The company has
also launched its Kinley brand of Soda & Packaged Drinking Water.

Innovations
Reaching out to consumers with the message of employment and relaxation is the business of the
Coca-Cola Company. In India it is committed to build aggressively on its marketing strength to
achieve profitable growth through consumer driven, customer centered sales, advertising and
promotional programs coupled with competitive pricing strategies and efficient distribution
methods. Focus has always been on ensuring the highest standards of product quality and
uniformity which helps in the growth of the Coca-Cola trademark and other trademarks of the
Company.
Beliefs
An important part of The Coca-Cola Company’s operations in India is its firm commitment of
being a good corporate citizen. This stems from the company’s philosophy that it is appropriate and
right to give back to the people and communities that have been so good to the Company wherever
it has done business.
Coca-Cola in India has implemented a host of community development projects in rural areas.
These are in the vicinity of over 20 plants spread across the country. These projects focus on
improving the quality of life through primary education and health welfare facilities, as well as
supporting cultural and sports activities.
Coca-Cola in India has implemented a host of community development projects in rural areas.
These are in the vicinity of over 20 plants spread across the country. These projects focus on
improving the quality of life through primary education and health welfare facilities, as well as
supporting cultural and sports activities.

The way forward

As good corporate citizens company take pride in being a key player in the economic development
of the country. Company contributes not only to the development of the soft drink industry, but also
to the development of related industries and the economy as a whole. The company is committed to
serve the society and continuously strives to improve the quality of its products and lives of the
community where is operates.

Guiding principles of Coca-Cola India

 Company will conduct itself and it business activities with the highest standards of honesty,
integrity and professionalism.
 Company recognizes the positive contributions that company make as individuals and team
members to produce its business success.
 Company will encourage a learning environment where people can constantly grow,
develop and contribute.
 Company will strive for excellence and seek continuous improvement in everything which
company does.
 Company will respect all stakeholders, including employees, partners and suppliers and
instill them with a passion to deliver the highest quality goods and services.
  Company will foster initiative and creativity by empowering individuals to attain well-
defined objectives.

Mission of Coca-Cola India

Create consumer products, services and communications, customer service and bottling system
strategies, processes and tools in order to create competitive advantage and deliver superior value
to:
 To become world’s premier relationship company that markets and sells branded
nonalcoholic refreshment.
 Consumers as a superior beverage experience.
 Consumers as an opportunity to grow profits through the use of finished drinks.
 Bottlers as an opportunity to grow profits and volume.
 TCCC as trademark enhancement and positive economic value-added
 Suppliers as an opportunity to make reasonable profits when creating real value added in an
environment of system-wide teamwork, flexible business system and continuous
improvement.
 Coca-Cola India associates as superior career opportunity.
 Indian society in the form of a contribution to economic and socio development.
Provide exceptional strategic leadership in the Coca-Cola India System-resulting in consumer and
customer preference and loyalty, through Coca-Cola’s commitment to them, and in a highly
profitable Coca-Cola Corporate branded beverages system.

Vision of Coca-Cola India

Provide exceptional strategic leadership in the Coca-Cola India System-resulting in consumer and
customer preference and loyalty, through Coca-Cola’s commitment to them, and in a highly
profitable Coca-Cola Corporate branded beverages system.
Values of Coca-Cola India
♦ Integrity
We will work with uncompromising integrity, always striving to do what is right. We will speak
boldly and openly, and our words will be matched or exceeded by our actions. Each of us will bring
our own personal integrity to our daily work, and we will behave collectively in a way that will
make us proud personally.
♦ Relationships
We understand the importance of our relationships with the people and the world around us. We
seek to strengthen those relationships in every decision we make, and consistently behave in a way
that makes us increasingly trustworthy each day.
♦ Compassion
Because relationships exist primarily with people, we must genuinely care about other people and
make a consistent effort to listen to them and understand how they see things. While we should
always take pride in the success of our company, our understanding of our interdependence with
our stakeholders should also keep us firmly rooted in a foundation of respect and humility.

The Art of Concentrate & Syrup Manufacturing

Most of our flavours are produced as concentrates, which are rigorously analyzed to ensure that
they meet quality specifications. Each concentrate lot is coded and packaged, then shipped on for
the next step - the addition of sweetener and water to the concentrates to produce syrups for our
products.
The quality standards are very high. Mixing tanks must be of a specified grade of stainless steel.
The entire syrup manufacturing system must employ hot sanitation. Precise control over water and
sweetener components must be demonstrated. And, quality control professionals must oversee each
step of the process.
Our syrups start with fresh water, treated by using a multiple barrier filtration process to ensure its
quality. In addition to the water and concentrate, sweeteners are added to produce syrup for most
products. Throughout the manufacturing process, we take special care to ensure that every step -
from the selection of ingredients to the calibration of equipment - adheres to our own strict
requirements. The final step is to verify that our efforts have been successful by testing the syrups
for taste and adherence to their formulae

A Mixture of Quality Control Processes

The magic of turning syrup into a finished beverage is the role of bottlers and canners. They bring
together the essential ingredients - syrup, water and carbon dioxide – and transform them into the
essence of refreshment. To do this, many producers now use the latest in computer technology and
statistical process control. It's a modern way to achieve our one traditional goal - consistent quality.
Because we know that quality cannot be "tested in" to a product, we work tirelessly to ensure that
we make it right the first time. We clearly define the process and control the inputs and steps in the
process so that we can predict the quality of what we produce. Then, we test our work as a
confirmation of our tightly controlled process. For instance, syrup-to-water ratios (mixtures) are
accurately established at production start-up and are monitored frequently during the production
run. Some plants use "inline" electronic monitors, which continuously test the ratios and the
carbonation of the beverage. No matter what sophisticated techniques are utilized, frequent taste-
testing confirms that the blending process has produced exactly the right flavour ... the flavor you
expect every time you drink one of our products.

Adding the Sparkle

Adding pure carbon dioxide to the blend, in just the right proportion, puts the "sparkle" in soft
drinks. To ensure we have it right, technicians periodically check production runs

Packaging That Is As Neat & Clean

The actual beverage aside, even our packaging undergoes, rigorous quality tests. We not only work
with our packaging suppliers to ensure quality in their production, but also employ our own testing
methods. All packages must be free from defects. Cans are regularly "torn down" to check the
quality of liners and seams. Bottles, whether glass or plastic, must meet standards for finish and
uniformity.
Once the packaging has been inspected the filler injects the right quantity of the beverage and seals
it with a can end, metal crown or plastic closure. Each closure application method must pass regular
testing. Metal crowns for glass bottles must be properly crimped onto the bottle lip. Plastic closures
are tested for proper alignment, threading and torque (how hard you have to twist to get the closure
off the bottle). Can ends are inspected for smooth, uniform application without gaps or leaks.
Checking fill heights or net contents of our products helps to ensure that each package contains the
proper volume. Can fill levels are continuously checked by an electronic device, which rejects any
cannot properly filled. Bottle fill heights are measured gravimetrically, or by weight. Labeling and
graphics for all packages must meet clearly defined standards.
Every production lot is coded by date and producing facility. Trained route sales people use this
code extensively to provide the freshest, best-tasting product possible. It's our primary tool for
maintaining high quality standards throughout the distribution cycle, right to you - our consumer.

A Cent Percent Quality Assurance - For Your Sake

At The Coca-Cola Company, quality is more than just something we taste, or see, or measure or
manage. Quality shows itself in our every action; it encompasses everything we do. From
processing to packaging to pouring, anything less than 100 percent quality is unacceptable. Our
consumers throughout the world deserve the highest quality beverages we can produce.
Quality Assurances of A Billion
The Coca-Cola Company exists to benefit and refresh everyone it touches.
For us, Quality is more than just something we taste or see or measure. It shows in our every action.
We relentlessly strive to exceed the world's ever-changing expectations because keeping our
Quality promise in the marketplace is our highest business objective and our enduring obligation.
Consumers across the globe choose our brand of refreshment more than a billion times every day
because Coca-Cola is...
 The Symbol of Quality
 Customer and Consumer Satisfaction
 Responsible Citizen of the World

Marketing Strategy
Company has adopted a new strategy to get maximum sales and market share. This practice of
increasing volume was given the name of RED, which means Right Execution Daily. Company
thinks that by activation, volume will increase, and if volume increases profit will automatically
come. According to this new strategy of Marketing, company will focus on its products through
merchandising equipment at different outlet across the town. To fulfill its motto, company has
appointed Market Developers, who goes out in the market according to the area given to them;
Check Company’s merchandising materials, Check the purity of the Visi Coolers and take the
correct measures and give report to there supervisors. The cheek is being done on several basis
which are:
 Is Company’s Visi Cooler present?
 Is the Visi Cooler as per standard?
 Is the graphic of Visi Cooler ok?
 Is Visi Cooler kept on prime position?
 Is Visi Cooler in a working condition?
 Is the light of Visi Cooler working?
 Is the Visi Cooler pure?
 Is the product of Coca-Cola kept in a specified brand order?
 Are Cola + 3 present inside the Visi Cooler?
 Are Pet products available?
 Is there any price communication?
 Is there any counter display of PET product?