Two companies that make and market Coca-Cola in the UK are to work
together more closely to try to reduce the ‘negative social impacts’ of
sugar in their soft drinks.
Coca-Cola Great Britain, part of the Coca-Cola company that owns the
global Coca-Cola brand, and Coca-Cola Enterprises, which is the largest
distributor of Coca-Cola products in the UK, have developed a framework
of responsible business practice, with a strong emphasis on health and
nutrition.
The two companies are working on a common set of retail codes of
practice that will encourage shops and other outlets to offer customers
a wide range of Coca-Cola branded low-sugar drinks, fruit juices and
water. In addition, they will discuss with other retailers measures to
reduce ‘super-sizing’ deals involving Coca-Cola drinks.
Both companies have already withdrawn support for cinema meal deals
containing large 1900ml (64 US fl oz) drink sizes, and are considering
similar policies elsewhere. Following a review of promotional
activities, they have waived their contractual rights to cinema
advertising at screenings of children’s films and voluntarily withdrew
short promotional advertisements during a recent season of sponsorship
of films on Sky television.
Both companies are working on new packaging for diet and low-sugar
drinks, such as plastic bottles with sports caps, after consumer
research showed that existing designs inadvertently ‘deter some
consumers’ from choosing healthier options. Currently, 34 per cent of
Coca-Cola branded product sales by volume in Britain are diet or low
sugar.
Following a recent survey finding that customers believed Diet Coke was
generally aimed at women, the companies have also begun a ‘unisex’
marketing campaign for the drink.
Lilt, Oasis and other brands have been reformulated to contain 30 per
cent less sugar, and nutrition information panels on cans and bottles
are being extended to include more data on sugar, carbohydrate and fat
levels – as well as to make it clearer which drinks are sugar-free.
The companies say the measures are largely a response to suggestions
from stakeholders that the sugar content of drinks has a ‘negative
social impact, primarily on health’.
A recent study by Echo Research found media coverage of obesity in Britain has grown fivefold in five years.
Though separate entities, CCGB and CCE – which together employ about
5000 people in the UK – already have close working relationships in
other areas and want to pool resources to meet stakeholder concerns on
their social and environmental impacts. In January 2006 they issued a
joint corporate responsibility review, the first by any Coca-Cola
company, and they are now working together on key performance
indicators on social and environmental matters, for use in a full
corporate responsibility report due for publication in 2007.
