On Thursday, The Coca-Cola Co will release its results for the fourth quarter – and full year – of 2016. Here, just-drinks takes a closer look at the company’s performance in the three months to the end of December:
- In October, The Coca-Cola Co opened a US$36m bottling plant in Qatar, the company’s first in the country.
- At the end of the month, Coca-Cola’s COO said the company is taking “multiple actions” to address changing consumer preferences around added sugar. James Quincey said the firm has “over 200 reformulation initiatives underway to reduce added sugar”.
- At the same time, Coca-Cola named a new chief information officer following the death of Ed Steinike earlier in the year.
- At the end of October, the company launched a ginger Coke to tempt young adults back into soda with new flavours.
- The start of November saw Coca-Cola launch the sparkling Glaceau Smartwater in the UK.
- In mid-November, the company said it was to make about US$1bn from a franchising deal for its China assets with two Asia-based bottlers.
- A few days later it released a new Christmas TV commercial for its namesake brand, with different variations for different markets.
- Amid reports of strikes at Chinese production plants at the end of November, Coca-Cola said it wants its employees to have talks with the company through “appropriate channels”.
- December started with Coca-Cola and its Palestinian bottling partner, National Beverage Co, announcing the opening of the first Coca-Cola bottling facility in Gaza.
- Another month, another factory. This time, Coca-Cola Co inaugurated a new facility in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh.
- Also in December, an analyst said Coca-Cola was well placed to ride out concerns over a “demonetisation” policy in India.
- A few days later, the CEO of Coca-Cola, Muhtar Kent, announced his intention to step down from the role early next year.
- At the end of the month, the company made good on a promise to acquire 54.5% of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa from Anheuser-Busch InBev. The stake previously belonged to SABMiller.