2005 Schedule
CCBA
welcomes
new
President
Hager Rand Elected
Vice President
Ron
Wilson
Cookie Rice to Serve
as Treasurer
Loss Control Committe
Atlanta, GA
March 24
Spring Board of Governors
Atlanta, GA
April 14
Coca-Cola Scholars
T
he Board of Governors
of The Coca-Cola
Bottlers’ Association,
at its Fall, 2004, meeting,
elected the Association’s
Officers for the coming year. Hager Rand, Durham Coca-Cola, will serve CCBA
as its Vice President. Mr. Rand previously served two terms as the Association’s
Treasurer. New to the slate of Officers, but certainly not new to the Board of
Governors, is Cookie Rice, Ozarks Coca-Cola, who will serve as Treasurer. Taking
the helm of the Association as its President is Ron Wilson, Philadelphia Coca-Cola.
Mr. Wilson grew up in Paterson, New Jersey. While an undergraduate student at
Rutgers College in New Brunswick, he began his career in the soft drink industry in
1969 by performing many entry-level positions in production, warehousing, and sales.
After graduating Rutgers in 1971 with a Bachelor’s degree in history, he attended
Rutgers Law School in Camden. In 1973, he entered the Rutgers Graduate School of
Education. While he was in graduate school, he worked full time as a Route Salesman
and later, a Route Manager. He was soon promoted to run his own operation in
Boston, Massachusetts. He joined the Coca-Cola family in 1977 as a Financial Analyst
with Coke New York. He quickly became a Division Manager in Connecticut and, in
1979, became Vice President/General Manager for Coke New York’s Northern New
England operation. Two years later, he became Vice President/General Manager for the
New Jersey/Upstate New York division and, in 1984, became Executive Vice President/
General Manager for the newly acquired Philadelphia/South Jersey operation.
Philadelphia
Coca-Cola
March 23
Insurance, Services and
Banquet
Atlanta, GA
June 15-17
Spring Mainstream
Meeting
Maui, HI
June 21-24
Spring Financial
Management Forum
Lake Tahoe, NV
November 9-10
Fall Mainstream
Meeting
Bentonville, AR
ISSUE NO. 299
FEBRUARY 2005
tling Line • The Bottling Line • The Bottling Line • The Bot
Continued on page 2
ng Line • The Bottling Line • The Bottling Line • The Bottling Line •
ng Line • The Bottling Line • The Bottling Line • The Bottling Line • The Bott
ng Line • The Bottling Line • The Bottling Line • The Bottling Line • The Bottling Line •
• The Bottling Line • The Bottling Line• The Bottling Line • The Bottling Line • The Bottling Line • The Bott
Over $2.5 Million
in 2004!
CCBA
welcomes
new
President
(continued)
That’s how much Coca-Cola
Bottlers donated to their
favorite local charities this
past year!
The second year of this three-year campaign
really kicked into gear with Bottlers utilizing
the resources of the Foundation to fund
worthy local charities. Children’s hospitals,
food banks, hospice, city renovations and
events, schools and scholarships, and
countless social services are just a few of
the deserving charities to receive donations
from their hometown Coca-Cola Bottler.
Just a reminder, this is the final year
(although there have been discussions to
continue on for one more year), and it’s
time for those few Bottlers sitting on the
sidelines to start spending their allocation!
The needs are great and you have the
resource to help. Let’s resolve to make
2005 the year of giving and end this final
Foundation year with a bang! And who
knows, with total participation and dedication to making our communities better
With the acquisition of the Philadelphia business by Bruce Llewellyn in 1985, Ron
became President and Chief Operating Officer, which is the office he holds today.
Philadelphia Coca-Cola is the 4th largest Coke bottler in the U.S. with $400 million
in annual sales. It is also the 3rd largest minority-owned business in the U.S.
Mr. Wilson serves on numerous charitable and industry boards. He is the Vice Chair
for the Board of Overseers at Rutgers University, and is an advisor to Rutgers School of
Business in Camden. Ron also spends a lot of time as a member of the Board of Directors
of the Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation, and serves as Chairman of the Library’s
Development Committee.
Ron was appointed to a task force whose goal is to find ways to better equip
Philadelphia students for the workplace through increased business involvement and,
most recently, he was named a Board Member of the Philadelphia Youth Network.
The numerous associations he is playing an active role in reflect Ron’s leadership in the
soft drink industry. In addition to serving as President of The Coca-Cola Bottlers’
Association, he also serves as Vice President of The Dr Pepper Bottlers’ Association.
He has a seat on The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation.
In 2001, Mr. Wilson was presented Holy Family College’s Corporate Leadership
Award. Ron received the NFL Alumni’s “Helping Hands” award in 2000, and in 1999
he was the honoree at the Touching A Life gala by The Boys and Girls Clubs of
Metropolitan Philadelphia. He and his wife, Kathleen chaired The Free Library of
Philadelphia’s Borrowers Ball in 1999. He has also been honored as the Cradle of
Liberty Council, Boy Scouts of America Man of the Year.
Ron has been married to Kathleen Jean Wilson for 29 years, and is the father of
Christopher, age 27, and Erin, age 25.
places to work and live, the Foundation
may just be around another year to provide
you with the resources necessary to prove
that we are indeed...”Committed to
our Communities!”
Jackie Holmes
recognized
for service to CCBA
As it customarily does at the holiday celebration, CCBA recognized
its employees who have reached milestones in their time of service
to the Association. In December, it was Jackie Holmes who was
recognized for her time of service and her contributions.
Shown here is Ann Burton (left), CCBA’s Chief Financial
Officer, presenting Jackie with her 5-year pin, and
thanking her for her efforts.
CCBA’s
group health plan initiatives for 2005
T
here is important, good news
for Coca-Cola Bottlers participating in CCBA’s Group
Health Program. CCBA is partnering
with its medical claims payor, CIGNA,
to implement two unique programs to
control cost over both the short and
long term. The overriding goals of these
programs are to achieve better outcomes
for the patient and to help the employer
optimize their health care investment.
Under the proven premise that 20% of
the medical plan participants generate
80% of the cost, and 80% of the medical
plan participants generate 20% of the
cost – these two programs will target
both sides of this equation.
Keeping the
Healthy...Healthy
CCBA, in partnership with CIGNA,
will be generating and distributing to
participating Bottlers a monthly Health
Awareness and Education newsletter.
This is a comprehensive awareness
program created to reinforce wellness
messages in the workplace and encourage
the understanding, adoption and maintenance of healthy lifestyle choices.
Through this type of outreach and
education, we seek to engage employees
and encourage positive behavior change,
improve employee satisfaction and
enhance quality of life, and improve
outcomes and help mitigate the expense
burden of high-impact conditions and
leading lifestyle-related causes of illness.
The newsletters will be topical —
aligned each month with a national
health observance topic. For example:
January is related to keeping your New
Year’s resolutions and focuses on physical
fitness; March is National Nutrition
Month and will focus on nutrition;
and October correlates to The Great
American Smoke-Out and focuses on
smoking cessation.
Each month, along with the articles
referenced above, CIGNA will add brief
information tidbits aligned with the
monthly topic. These tidbits will remind
participants of programs CIGNA has
(at no additional cost) that the participant may not be aware of. For example:
CIGNA’s Healthy Rewards Programs
which offers value added, amenities discount program where members can save
up to 60% on wellness programs such as
Weight Watchers, National Fitness Club
memberships, Smoking Cessation programs,
etc. Another program highlighted will be
CIGNA’s 24-Hour Health Information
Line. This program provides a 24 hour,
7 day a week, 365 days per year access
to confidential counseling or answers
to health questions by registered nurses.
Again, this Health Awareness and
Education program is designed for
employers looking for opportunities to
improve the health of their employee
populations and increase employee
satisfaction and productivity. Further,
employees must become more involved
in their personal health care choices. This
program keeps the employees informed
on methods to improve their health and
well-being.
Note: these monthly newsletters will be posted
on CCBA’s website at www.ccbanet.com for
anyone to review or use as needed.
Care for Chronic
Conditions
The largest medical cost drivers for
participating Bottlers are coronary artery
disease or congestive heart failure and
diabetes. These conditions are predominant
due to the overwhelmingly older, male
workforce that all Coca-Cola Bottlers share.
CIGNA, by reviewing both medical
and pharmacy data, will identify employees
and family members who could benefit
from personalized support and education.
Once identified, CIGNA has a team of
trained nurses and dietitians who will
reach out to the patient and the patient’s
physician, essentially partnering with both
parties to promote preventive behaviors
and adherence to nationally recognized
clinical practice guidelines developed by
the American Heart Association or the
American Diabetes Association.
CIGNA will provide one-on-one
assistance by phone from a team of nurses
and dietitians, educational materials and
reminders of self-care, exams and checkups.
Also, they will provide periodic newsletters, providing knowledge and practical
information to the patient. CIGNA will
also partner with the treating physician
to formalize and document a treatment
plan for the patient. CIGNA will handle
all of the communications with eligible
members and their physicians. Under the
care of their physician, members can
utilize this program to help monitor,
change, and take charge of their health.
When that happens, lives can improve,
productivity can climb, and health care
costs can be curbed.
Continued on page 4
The Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Association
33
New & Improved 401K program
in the works for the Bottlers
Check Out Our
New Site!
CCBA is proud to announce
that our web site has been
updated, refurbished, and
generally spruced up and
made more user friendly!
The site,
www.ccbanet.com,
contains an area accessible by all which
gives general information about the
Association and our programs, as well
as a password restricted area for Bottlers
to access the latest information on
upcoming events and other pertinent
information. By now every Bottler
should have received an e-mail from
Michelle Ward which provides the
passwords necessary to access the
protected area. We hope the site
becomes an invaluable resource for
each Bottler. Please feel free to contact
Mark Cannon or Michelle Ward at the
Association with any questions or concerns
about the site. As always, we welcome
your comments and suggestions!
“Under the
proven premise
that 20% of the medical
plan participants generate
80% of the cost, and
80% of the medical plan
participants generate
20% of the cost—these
two programs
will target both sides
of this equation.
”
4
The Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Association
A
fter a long and thorough search, the Association has completed the RFP
process for a 401K provider. Eight providers were solicited for a quote
and after careful consideration Wells Fargo was chosen.
CCBA is currently working with Wells Fargo and their benefits consulting group
to design a plan document that would allow us to consolidate the individual Bottlers’
plans under one basic plan document and master trust arrangement.This approach will
still give the Association the flexibility to allow Bottlers in the program to have unique
plan design features, such as minimum eligibility requirements, allocation formulas and
vesting schedules.
By adopting this structure we were able to gain some economies of scale which
enabled us to provide a more cost effective solution with added servicing to both the
employers and employees.
With our new structure we will provide all of the
employees of the Bottlers in our plan, the same top
tier performing options. Wells Fargo will also assist
us in developing an Investment Policy which will be
followed for ongoing monitoring. Wells Fargo will
provide quarterly ongoing compliance monitoring
and quarterly updates to the Investment Advisory
Committee which is made up of one representative
from each member Bottler.
The Association expects to have the plan in place
with the current Bottlers converted by the end of June.
Please let Wendy Holland (678.539.2316) or Ann
Burton (678.539.2302) know if you would like more
information about becoming part of this Plan.
CCBA’s
group health plan
initiatives for 2005 (continued)
By targeting those members with high cost and chronic
conditions, the program expects to help improve quality and
appropriateness of medical services while reducing unnecessary and
ineffective treatments. Ultimately, through such efforts, the programs expect to achieve
stabilization or reduction in health care cost and utilization.
There is no one silver bullet that employers have to reduce health care costs. Historically
employers have increased premiums and reduced benefits to mitigate escalating costs.
The closest thing to a true silver bullet to reduce long term costs is to engage employees
and their dependents with the concept that their daily habits will predicate their future
health care costs. The Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Association is taking a leadership role in
supplying our member Bottlers with the tools to effectively deliver this message.
Please contact Dan Gundaker, Employee Benefits Manager at 678.539.2313 for
any questions you may have regarding these programs.
CCBA hires Manager
of
Distribution & Logistics
Max Storts Joins Association as it Further Broadens
Service to Bottlers
C
CBA Executive Director Tom Haynes has
announced that, effective January 31, 2005, Max
Storts joined the staff of The Coca-Cola Bottlers’
Association as Manager of Distribution and Logistics.
Max comes to us from the Customer Business Solutions
group within Coca-Cola Bottler Sales and Services,
where he has been heading up the Wal-Mart RFID
initiative. Previously, he spent several years serving in a
variety of capacities within CCE involving warehouse and
distribution logistics and management. He also has extensive
experience in the Pepsi system in similar disciplines.
Max was born in Columbus, Ohio. He has 8 brothers and sisters. Over his career, he has
lived in Miami, Tampa, Cleveland, Boston and Chicago, and has returned to Columbus.
While attending Ohio State University, Max decided to take advantage of an opportunity to
work with The Coca-Cola Company, a decision which has resulted in his having spent some
35 years in the beverage industry. Some 26 of those years have been spent in the Coca-Cola
System, either with The Coca-Cola Company, ABARTA, CCE or other Bottlers.
Before joining CCBA, Max held a position with the Customer Business Solutions
division of Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Sales and Services, working with Wal-Mart and Sam’s
Club’s logistics departments on improving the receiving and delivery processes, delivery
methods and new routes to market for all Coca-Cola Bottlers. Before that, since 1995,
he worked with CCE in various positions, involving primarily transportation and warehouse logistics, responsibility for implementation of logistic measurements, processes,
software and new technologies and the implementation of methods and procedure for
distribution and delivery.
Max readily shares that he has witnessed the transformation of the beverage industry.
He points out that the transformation has carried with it significant challenges in technology and tools for system improvement, and Max understands the impact of those
challenges on Bottlers, particularly in the areas of logistics and supply chain. He is
passionate about and loyal to the Coca-Cola brand, primarily because that’s where he
started, and he’s anxious to get started working on projects the result of which will be
advantages to Bottlers that they haven’t seen.
The Association is fortunate to have been able to convince someone of Max’s experience
and talents to accept this role and, along with the rest of the system, will benefit
substantially from his assistance. Max is looking forward to working with Coca-Cola
Bottlers to enhance our efforts to improve the profitability and capabilties of each and
every Bottler that seeks CCBA’s assistance.
There are already a number of assignments lined up for Max, but he is eager to meet
the Bottlers and to find out how he can help you. Please reach out to Max or Tom
Haynes with your ideas and your needs. And be sure to check your e-mail for Max’s
logistics tips of the month!
As a footnote, all of us owe a debt of gratitude to Kevin Dotsen of CCE, Chairman
of CCBA’s Distribution Committee, and to Ron Hart for their leadership in the candidate
search. Both were instrumental in identifying and attracting a number of extremely qualified
candidates and in participating in CCBA’s selection of Max as the best fit for the job.
IN MEMORIAM
• Yakima’s Dolson
passes
Yakima & Tri-Cities Coca-Cola
Bottling Company’s Robert
Dolson passed away January 2,
2005. Bob, born on September
20, 1922, is survived by Ruth,
his wife of sixty years, two
children, six grandchildren and
one great-grandchild. If that
wasn’t enough of a legacy, Bob
also served in the U.S. Air Force
as a flight officer, graduated
from college and received his
CPA, and in 1958 started the
Dolson companies, which
included the Coca-Cola Bottling
operation. His generosity to
many local charities will be
another lasting legacy and is
reflected in his final wish that
memorials be made to the
Yakima YMCA, Heritage
University, United Way or the
Memorial Foundation. Our condolences and the condolences of
the entire Coca-Cola Bottling
system are extended to the
Dolson family.
The Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Association
5
2004-2005
Coca-Cola
Scholars
Semifinalists
are announced!
The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation
is pleased to announce the 2,600
Semi-finalists that have been
selected for the 2004-2005 year.
They were chosen from a pool of over
103,000 applications received from
throughout the United States. The
complete list of Semifinalists is
posted on the Foundation’s website
(www.coca-colascholars.org).
These students represent over 2,100
high schools and 95% of U.S. Bottlers.
Designated Bottlers should have received
a press release on this announcement,
as well as certificates for the Semifinalists in their territories. Principals and
Superintendents should also have
received copies of the Press Release.
The Foundation appreciates all that
Bottlers do to get the word out about
the program and to acknowledge these
worthy students.
As semifinalists, students were required
to submit additional information that
was reviewed in February 2005 by a
committee comprised of 30 educators
from high schools and universities
throughout the United States. If
advanced, the student will be among a
total of 250 Finalists who will travel to
Atlanta April 14–17, 2005, to attend
the Coca-Cola Scholars Weekend.
During their visit they will attend a final
interview process that will determine
whether they are designated as either a
National or Regional Scholar. The 50
National Scholars will each receive a
$20,000 scholarship award, while the
200 Regional Scholars will receive a
$4,000 scholarship.
The 250 Finalists will be announced in
February. The annual Coca-Cola Scholars
Banquet will be held on April 14, 2005,
at the Omni Hotel in downtown Atlanta
(a change from the Georgia World
Congress Center, where it was held in
previous years).
6
The Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Association
CCBSS Procurement
Expanding Offerings
S
ince the beginning of 2003, Coca-Cola Bottlers Sales and Services Procurement
has been acting on behalf of members and customers to procure direct packaging
materials, ingredients and sales and marketing equipment. The CCBSS Board
of Directors has approved the expansion of this list in 2005 to include new programs
under three main categories: 1. Fleet/Fuel, 2. POS/Office Supplies and 3. IT/Telecom.
These programs will be referred to as the “Phase II” items.
Building on existing and very successful programs at Coca-Cola Enterprises, a team
representing nine bottlers worked with CCE procurement managers to ensure that the
addition of these programs would drive added value for the
members of CCBSS. Since May 2004, the team has
been issuing surveys, compiling data, quantifying
results and developing implementation
plans for these programs. The team originally looked at more than these programs but determined that those listed
below
provided the best value and easiest
implementation for 2005.
Phase II Programs
The programs and their respective timing for launch
are listed below:
By end of 1st Quarter 2005
• Office Supplies
• New Tires
• Filters & Lubricants
• Industrial Batteries
• Cell Phones
• Handhelds (Symbol)
• Long Distance & Data Telecom
• Specialty Merchandise
• Cold Vault Glides
• Printed POS — National
By end of 2nd Quarter 2005
• Tire Service
• Fleet Parts
• Handhelds (Intermec)
• Beverage Aisle Displays
• Ice Coolers
• Plastic Floor Stands
By end of 2005
• Fuel
• Delivery Vehicles
• Scoreboards
• Local telecom Carrier
• Printed POS — Local
• Material Handling Equipment
The team evaluating these opportunities identified more than $4 million in annual
savings to non-CCE Bottlers on the Phase II items listed.
Bottlers will begin receiving information about these programs starting in early 2005
and are invited and encouraged to enroll. Unlike the current list of Phase I commodities,
Bottlers will be able to choose which programs they wish to enroll in. However, if a
Bottler chooses not to enroll in a program then they will not be able to participate in that
program until that particular contract expires and a new enrollment period begins. Keep
in mind that there will be a very small increase in the fees you pay for two people to support
all of these programs so you will end up paying the fee whether or not you enroll in a
program; therefore it makes sense to enroll in all the programs!
Please be on the lookout for information on these programs and let the power of our
combined volumes drive savings for 2005 and beyond!
CCBA
expands service offering
New Partnership Brings Value & Efficiency to Bottlers
T
he Coca-Cola Bottlers’
Association is implementing
a nationwide initiative to
consolidate management services for
employment testing. These screening
services would include substance abuse
testing and background checks, including motor vehicle record checks, for
our member companies.
Those who attended the Combined
Financial Forum and Risk Management
Seminar in Las Vegas last fall may
remember the presentation on this topic
by Charles M. Ash, Chief Executive
Officer of EDPM, Inc. Since the
September meeting CCBA has polled
several Members to evaluate the quality
and costs of their employment testing
services and service providers.
Based on Member feedback, it became
apparent that an integrated testing solution
through one central provider would be a
major benefit to CCBA Members. We
also recognized that our members often
have specific and unique needs that must
be fulfilled. Ultimately, any third-party
administrator (TPA) that could manage
alcohol/drug testing and background
screening programs for CCBA Bottlers
nationwide, must also be able and willing
to tailor services to meet the specific
needs of our Members.
We believe that EDPM, Inc. is a TPA
that offers a unique blend of national
scope with personalized customer service
that would best serve our Members.
A One-Stop Solution
For 15 years, EDPM has been managing
testing programs for companies throughout the U.S. With more than 2,800 clients
in all 50 states and overseas, EDPM has
the service offerings, resources and
experience to serve as a “one-stop shop”
for CCBA Members. Its multiple products
and services include, but are not limited to:
• Drug testing (e.g. urine, hair, oral
fluid, instant)
• Background screens (e.g. criminal
search, MVR, credit report)
• Occupational health (e.g. DOT
physicals, breath alcohol testing)
• 24/7 customer support
• Nationwide network of 12,000 occupational health clinics and collection sites
• Web-based order placement, tracking,
and results reporting
• Resident MRO staff
EDPM and Coca-Cola
Bottling
In fact, EDPM’s long-term client
relationship with Coca-Cola Bottling
Company United in Birmingham,
Alabama, demonstrates their ability to
understand the needs of Coca-Cola Bottlers
and to work with CCBA members. “We
have been doing business with EDPM
since 1991. I consider them very professional in every aspect and a close business
partner,” said Jeff Odom, Corporate Safety
Director for Coca-Cola United. “I consider
the staff at EDPM to be invaluable in managing, directing, and improving our overall
drug program that serves all employees
located in six southeastern states.”
What would selecting EDPM as a
single source provider mean? CCBA
members would enjoy several advantages:
Integrated Solutions — EDPM would
offer each CCBA member one provider
with nationwide coverage for all services,
whether a criminal history search on a
new hire, a DOT recertification physical,
or a post-accident drug test at 2 a.m.
This means that, rather than managing
several vendors, our members would have
one single point of contact and one
monthly invoice to handle all pre- and
post-employment testing needs.
Lower Costs — Prices for services such
as urine drug screens can vary dramatically,
depending on volume, geographic location,
and service provider. Several members are
currently paying higher prices for these
reasons. By leveraging consolidated
business volumes, CCBA has negotiated
highly competitive pricing through
EDPM for Association members.
Consistency in Service — Individual
member companies with multiple sites
do not always consider the need for
consistency in application of the testing
process across locations. We also recognize
that Coca-Cola Bottling can help to
achieve greater consistency in administration of its testing programs across member
companies. One central, quality provider
can guarantee consistent application of
screening services for all CCBA members.
For instance, utilizing EDPM’s MRO
service providers with a total of 30 years
MRO experience rather than several
different MROs will help to ensure
consistent and reliably validated results.
Customized Programs — EDPM’s
extensive experience in working with
hundreds of companies in associations
similar to CCBA qualifies them to
balance the needs of a larger organization
with the unique needs of its individual
members. For instance, some member
companies may prefer to maintain their
current collection sites for drug screens
while others would like to change sites.
EDPM would work with each company
to identify its specific needs and to tailor
a testing program to fulfill their needs.
For further information regarding
the new affiliation with EDPM please
contact Charles Norton at CCBA or
Charles Ash at EDPM. The toll-free
EDPM number is 800-833-9412 or
visit their web site at www.edpm.com.
The Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Association
7
New Year —New Changes Coca-Cola’s North
American president of retail operations and marketing, Javier Benito has resigned. His duties have
been split with Melody Justice, formerly senior
VP for strategy and planning at CCNA, now
heading the retail unit. John Hackett,
formerly GM of CCNA’s hydration unit
will now run marketing for North America.
And speaking of changes, Coke’s chief
marketing officer, Chuck Fruit, hopes to
inject some creativity into the system by
placing chief creative officer, Esther Lee, to
lead a group in a global effort to develop new
advertising and brand communications model.
Best of luck to all involved!
And speaking of Changes Coca-Cola Enterprise
has named Terry Marks, who has worked in the
Coke bottling system since 1987, as president of
CCE’s North American Group. Terry takes over from
CCE veteran David Van Houten, who will remain
as the company’s chief operating officer.
Please don’t tailgate our Billboards Coke is
transforming some of its fleet of tractor trailer trucks
into moving billboards. More than 100 trucks have
been outfitted with changeable fleet graphics systems with full-color designs that can be updated
and changed in a hurry. The initial contract for the
designs is valued at $500,000, but is likely to
exceed $5 million over the 5-year deal with
Driving Impressions, which provides the graphics
systems. The rolling billboards are currently on the
road in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Santa Fe, and
throughout Florida, Louisiana, New York and New
England. Just think, with traffic in Atlanta, we could
see entire marketing campaigns change right before
our eyes!
We can Dew it Too! Coke may launch a
Mountain Dew-like drink for 2005 called Vault.
Mountain Dew was the only non-diet brand that
grew in sales in 2004, and Coke needs a contender
for this segment. Vault replaces the Surge brand
that departed the market in the fall of 2002. Not to
be left out of the mix, Sprite Remix will replace its
berry flavor with a new orange-flavored Remix
called Aruba Jam.
Put the Lime in the Cola nut CCNA
announced that it will introduce Coca-Cola with
Lime in the first quarter of 2005. The launch of
Coca-Cola with Lime follows the successful roll out
one year ago of Diet Coke with lime, which has
become the #1 flavored diet cola in America.
Want a whole latte Coke Or perhaps a java
flavored Coke is more to your liking. The possibility
exists that a coffee flavored cola using the brand
name “Blak” may be introduced this year.
Ready for a new Diet in 2005? A new diet
drink is in the works for 2005. Coke will introduce
a sucralose sweetened entry into the hot no-cal
marketplace. The new drink will be called diet
Coke with Splenda. Also under consideration are
possible flavor extensions of the no-cal grapefruit
flavored Fresca brand.
Coke’s ready to dive into (flavored) waters!
Coca-Cola’s Dasani brand has introduced two new
flavored waters. “Dasani with Lemon” and “Dasani
with Raspberry” made their debut in the emerging
flavored water pool early this year and are sweetened with sucralose and ace-K.
Attention Wal-Mart shoppers Former Coke
chairman and CEO Doug Daft has been named to
the board of directors of Wal-Mart stores. Wal-Mart,
one of our biggest customers, has designs on
expanding in the Asian market in which Mr. Daft
brings a wealth of experience.
Mmmmm...Bee Juice!! Fortified teas and other
herb enhanced drinks are the latest fad in Japan
designed to attract health-conscious consumers.
Coca-Cola Japan is at the forefront of innovative
enhanced beverages. A line of beverages called
“the Wellness from Coca-Cola” features a drink
called Sasso, which is a tea that lowers blood sugar,
and “Body Style Water”, a diet drink that helps
speed metabolism through the combined effects of
caffeine and grapefruit aroma. Got allergies? Then
perhaps “Spring Mint Habit” is just what the doctor
may order. It contains a substance called polyphenol
which is extracted from mint and may reduce the
effects of hay fever. For me? Well I’ll be saying hai
dozo! to a drink called “Real Tank.” This CSD
promises to recharge your energy with a tantalizing
mixture of vitamin C, B2, and royal jelly, which is a
substance secreted from the heads of bees…now
we’re talking! And the perfect celebrity endorsement...why Sting of course! So far, Coke’s new
drinks are only available in Japan, but chairman
and CEO E. Neville Isdell has said he hopes to
bring such beverages to the U.S. to help meet the
growing demand for more healthful products.
Tastee Tattoos! The ultimate marketing experience would involve reaching consumers through
visuals, smells and taste. Introducing...Tongue
Tickling Tattoos! Last summer, Coke commissioned
POP Marketing Group, which manufactures edibleink tattoos, to duplicate the green apple flavor of
Hi-C Blast drink and transfer it on to POP’s Tongue
Tickling Tattoos. The resulting 2 million pieces of
the edible artwork were included in an ad inside
Teen People magazine with directions to a web site
to request additional samples. The tattoos are calorie
free and use an artificial sweetener, leave a temporary
candy-coated image wherever they’re placed — be
it skin or tongue — and don’t leave a sticky residue
after being licked off. No word if the product
comes with a warning for tattoo tasters to avoid
Tommy Lee or sailors.
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