Coca-Cola has been in business since 1886 and created iconic branding like its distinctive bottle shape and slogans. While known for its fun image, the company now faces pressures to address environmental concerns like recycling and reducing waste. Coca-Cola has launched initiatives to increase recycling and use more sustainable packaging. It also emphasizes social responsibility through community programs and aims to empower women entrepreneurs. On social media, Coca-Cola refreshes its message to one of positivity and diversity acceptance.

1. Coca-Cola Corporate Reputation
Management Case Study
By; Cole McInvale

2. Background
 Dr. John S. Pemberton created Coca-Cola in
1886
 Frank M. Robinson helped create brand's
name and designed trademark
 Asa G Candler helped sell Coke beyond the
Atlanta area
 Joseph Biedenharn added bottling machinery
so Coke could be bottled and sold faster
 The iconic Coke bottle shape was approved in
1916
 The bottle was trademarked in 1977

3. Background
Cont’d
• Coca-Cola’s advertising decided
to connect fun, friends and good
times to the brand.
• The Have a Coke and a Smile
commercial built the brand
name behind its fun image

4. Memorable
Slogansand
Campaigns
 Coke is it
 Can’t Beat the Feeling
 Always Coca-Cola featuring the signature polar bears
 Open Happiness campaign

5. CurrentIssues
 Adhering to The Food Safety Modernization Act
 Reducing supply chain waste
 Societal pressures to go green
 recycling

6. Social
Responsibility
 Launched The Coca-Cola Foundation which awarded
5.4 million in charitable grants to The Recycling
Partnership, GreenBlue Institute, Keep Houston
Beautiful and the Fund for Boston Parks and
Recreation
 The Atlanta Project – reach local households and get
residents involved in recycling
 Recycling Partnership distributed postcards to homes
and spoke with residents
 2009 Launched PlantBottle, the world’s first fully
recyclable PET plastic bottle

7. Social
Responsibility
Cont’d
 Coke is attempting to enhance bioplastic technologies
to increase biomaterial ingredients to use more
recycling material.
 Coke Pledges to recycle all packaging by 2030
 Coke admitted they are part of the issue and seek to
increase recycling campaigns
 Many consumers see coke as a green company
 My suggestion would be to continue to impact
communities with recycling opportunities

8. Emotional
Appeal
 Environmentalists claim that if Coke and other
companies continue the trend of using plastic bottles,
by 2050, the plastic in the ocean would outweigh fish
 Greenpeace coined Coca-Cola as an “ecological
Boogeyman”
 Coke created ads to target men and depict Hollywood
adventures and diet coke for women
 2013 Coke created names on bottles “Share a Coke
with…”
 Extremely popular inspiring millions of Facebook
pictures tagging friends and family.
 Consumers were thrilled to participate

9. EmotionalAppeal
 Open Happiness campaign
 Happiness machine in 2009 gave
out random gifts to consumers
who interacted
 Coke sought to emphasize
positivity and happiness
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=lqT_dPApj9U
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

10. Workplace
environment
 60,000 current employees
 Number 6 Forbes World’s Most Valuable Brands in
2018
 Ranked 209 in Canada’s Best Employers 2019

11. Workplace
Environment
 Glassdoor reviews
 Employee- Bainbridge, GA “It provides great pay and
great opportunities to advance within the company.
 Employee- Warehouse Utility Birmingham, AL “Full
benefits after 90 days of hire with a 401K to match ,
two weeks vacation, and insurance covering health,
dental, eye, life and disability. The only cons were that
not many people were cut out for this position and
Coke works you very hard
 Employee- Human Resources Atlanta, Georgia –
“Listen to the hourly employees. Those are the people
that make the company run. "

12. Workplace
Environment
 Coke spotlighted success of 5by20 entrepreneur,
Regina Maria Silva Gomes
 5by20 is a Coca-Cola development program to help
people develop their businesses
 Coke has reached out to over 300,000 women like
Regina and hopes to provide opportunities for 5 million
women entrepreneurs by 2020

13. CurrentUsage
ofSocialMedia
 Company has 5 commitments for social media
 Coke will be transparent
 Coke will protect consumer’s privacy
 Coca-Cola will respect copyrights, trademarks and
other third-party rights
 Coca-Cola will act responsibly in their use of
technology and will not work with any other
organizations or websites that use too much tracking
software

14. CurrentUseof
SocialMedia
 3.3 million twitter flowers
 2.5 million Instagram followers
 107 million Facebook followers

15. CurrentUseof
SocialMedia
 Shut down its social media accounts last year to
prepare to launch its new strategy based on optimism
 New coke social media is meant to present a more
cohesive voice
 Launched #RefreshtheFeed campaign for cokes 8
million followers in the U.S. to engage with the content
and share messages of posivitity
 Meant to present a better voice for the 500,000 fans
across social media platforms

16. CurrentUseof
SocialMedia
 #RefreshtheFeed campaign influenced the brand in a
positive way and reinforced Coca-Cola’s image of
positivity
 Sara Traverso, ground director of Coca-Cola North
America Social Center stated “Consumers today are
seeking more positive, uplifting and shareworthy
content in social media.”
 Campaign was meant to refresh brand image but to
explain that Coca-Cola accepts everyone. Anyone can
enjoy a coke.

17. Thoughts
 I would update the company’s social media pages and
provide links to interactive websites for consumers and
followers to get involved.
 Include stories on webpage for the ”love is love”
message Coke is sending to consumers.
 Consumers stories of marriage and love starting with a
bottle of coke
 Ensure that Coca-Cola is transparent and accepts
everyone