The Coca-Cola Company is the largest manufacturer, distributor and marketer of
nonalcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups in the world. Finished beverage
products bearing our trademarks, sold in the United States since 1886, are now
sold in more than 200 countries and include the leading soft drink products in
most of these countries.
Our business is nonalcoholic beverages?principally carbonated soft drinks,
but also a variety of noncarbonated beverages. We manufacture beverage concentrates
and syrups, as well as some finished beverages, which we sell to bottling and
canning operations, distributors, fountain wholesalers and some fountain retailers.
We also produce, market and distribute juices and juice drinks and certain water
products. In addition, we have ownership interests in numerous bottling and
canning operations.
We believe that our success depends on our ability to connect with consumers
by creating brands they love. It further depends on the capacity of our people,
together with our bottling partners, to find new and appealing ways to deliver
those brands to thirsty people everywhere. Our Company has adopted an approach
to its business that is based on the following strategic priorities:
? Accelerate carbonated soft-drink growth, led by Coca-Cola
? Selectively broaden our family of beverage brands to drive profitable growth
? Grow system profitability and capability together with our bottling partners
? Serve customers with creativity and consistency to generate growth across
all channels
? Direct investments to highest-potential areas across markets
? Drive efficiency and cost effectiveness everywhere
The Companys operating structure includes the following operating segments,
the first five of which are also sometimes referred to as strategic business
units:
? North America
? Africa
? Asia
? Europe, Eurasia and Middle East
? Latin America
? Corporate
We sell the concentrates and syrups for bottled and canned beverages to authorized
bottling and canning operations. In addition to concentrates and syrups for
soft drink products and flavored noncarbonated beverages, we also sell concentrates
for purified water products such as Dasani to authorized bottling?operations.
Authorized bottlers or canners either combine our syrup with carbonated water
or combine our concentrate with sweetener, water and carbonated water to produce
finished soft drinks. The finished soft drinks are packaged in authorized containers
bearing our trademarks?such as cans, refillable and non-refillable glass and
plastic bottles ("bottle/can products")?and are then sold to retailers
("bottle/can retailers") or, in some cases,?wholesalers.
Competitive products include carbonates, packaged water, juices and nectars,
fruit drinks and dilutables (including syrups and powdered drinks), sports and
energy drinks, coffee and tea, still drinks and other beverages. Nonalcoholic
beverages are sold to consumers in both ready-to-drink and not-ready-to-drink
form. In many of the countries in which we do business, including the United
States, PepsiCo,?Inc. is a primary competitor of ours. Other significant competitors
include Nestl? S.A., Cadbury Schweppes plc, Groupe Danone and Kraft Foods?Inc.,
among others.