Atlanta, Georgia's Coca-Cola Bottling Company Remains America's Number One Brand

Coca-Cola, "The Real Thing," has long been a favorite beverage of most Americans. Sure, there have been costly competitions with rival Pepsi-Cola, but Coca-Cola usually comes out on top as the most preferred cola drink both in America and around the world. I personally don't drink many cola products, but when I do, it is always Coca-Cola.

There is much more to this favored soft drink and its bottling company, which is based in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to "regular" Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, and Coke Zero, The Coca-Cola Bottling Company also manufactures and sells Sprite, Dasani, Powerade and Minute Maid juices.

In today's economy, many of this nation's top brands and companies have lost money, but Coca-Cola remains in the number one spot out of the top ten brands in the U.S. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Coca-Cola brand grew by 3% this year to an astonishing $68.73 billion.

Scholarship Funds
What, exactly, does one do with so much money? I'm glad you asked! Coca-Cola said it will give $6 million to assist needy college students with scholarship funds. The schools that have been chosen to receive these funds are: Spelman University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine and Clark Atlanta University. An additional $1.2 million will be given to the Robert W. Woodruff Library on the campus of the Atlanta University Center. According to the AJC, " The Atlanta University Center is a non-profit organization that provides services and programs to Clark, Spelman, Morehouse and Morehouse School of Medicine". This $7.2 million goes to support Atlanta's historically black colleges and universities.

Zico Beverages
Coca-Cola, along with other partners, is investing $15 million in a California company, Zico Beverages. Zico is being marketed as a high potassium, coconut water sports drink.

Vietnam
Because Coca-Cola is a well-known brand around the world, The Coca-Cola Company is also investing $200 million in Vietnam. (What our weary, thirsty soldiers wouldn't have given for a cold Coca-Cola back in their war days in Vietnam.) CEO Muhtar Kent recently met with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and confirmed that Vietnam is an important growth market for the Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Company. The company has been in Vietnam since 1994 and has bottling plants near Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, and has 1500 employees in Vietnam.

Proposed Government Tax on Soft Drinks
Just in case you are wondering where Coca-Cola stands on the government proposal to place a tax on soft drinks, CEO, Muhtar Kent says, " I think it's outrageous because I have never seen it work where a government tells people what to eat and what to drink." He further points out that a quarter of Coca-Cola's products are low or no-calorie beverages and advises that moderation and an active lifestyle are keys to good health.

I couldn't agree more with Mr. Kent. I plan to continue enjoying my occasional Coca-Cola, after all, it is The Real Thing and Things Go Better With Coke.

Source:
http://projects.ajc.com/topics/business/coke/coca-cola/