Coca-Cola and obesity - 2

Coca Cola has responded to the major Financial Times article from Friday, covered in my last blog, with a letter yesterday from the Senior VP of Public Affairs and Communications.  It is a well-judged message of collaboration and Coca-Cola's intent to be part of society's response to the issue of obesity.

However having discussed the original article in the MA PR Consumer and Celebrity lecture with the students, one aspect comes out.  The fast food outlets and large branded restaurant chains encourage staff to get customers to consume more Coca-Cola.   Glasses are large and are refilled automatically when half full.  It is this culture of consumption which Coca-Cola's sales operation must be behind with incentives for scale of consumption by these chains which needs to be addressed.   Just as the drinks industry is having to get rid of incentives to binge drinking; so Coca-Cola and other soft drinks companies need to follow a similar path of reducing excessive consumption.  That is an action which can be taken now by Coca-Cola.

The issue of Coca-Cola and obesity is an example where new thinking and wider stakeholder perspectives in particular need to be part of the discussions and input at a senior level in major consumer brands.