Disruption has always been around. It’s discussed more now than ever due to more connectedness and dissemination of information.
Sharing of information has increased and we get to know what is happening in other parts of the world in real time
There is greater stimulus to the brain as we get to hear about awesome ideas that are shaping up the world around us. This spurs innovation and creativity which are precursors of disruption.
Disruption was always happening and it will continue to happen. Although the rate of change may increase as we move to a world where sharing of ideas becomes a norm.
Coca-Cola originated as a soda fountain beverage in 1886 selling for five cents a glass.
The founder of The Coca-Cola Company, Dr. John Pemberton failed several times before he eventually cracked the code for Coke which was initially intended as a patent medicine.
Early growth was impressive, but it was only when a strong bottling system developed that Coca-Cola became the world-famous brand it is today.
We are not one giant corporation owning and doing everything on our own. Over the years, we have created a Coca-Cola system that’s comprises more than 250 companies. This gave us the ability to scale fast.
Two young attorneys from Tennessee obtained exclusive rights to bottle Coca-Cola across most of the United States (specifically excluding Vicksburg) -- for the sum of one dollar. They were joined by a third partner. However, the rights to the syrup remained with then Coke’s chairman Asa Griggs Candler.
This marked the beginning of what we call The Coca-Cola System, a franchise partnership with bottlers that allowed the brand to truly take off.
In 1916, the contour bottle was introduced. In the same year, the iconic bottle that could even be recognized in the dark was granted trademark status by the U.S. Patent Office.
The franchise model allows The Coca-Cola Company to avoid costs associated with manufacturing, storage, and distribution.
This allowed us to maintain the global standards while taking a local approach to reach our consumers.
Over the years, we have used new age technologies to be an asset light organization. And we are one of the first to perfect the franchising model and grow our presence in more than 200 countries. This remains one of the key cornerstones of our success.
Disruption doesn’t always have to be “I came, I saw, I conquered.” It doesn’t have to be completely unforeseen.
Incremental advances and innovations often lay foundation for something that will become big and noticeable in due course of time. Internet was not invented in a day.
The history of the Internet is said to begin with the development of electronic computers in the 1950s.
Disruption doesn’t always have to be “I came, I saw, I conquered.” It doesn’t have to be completely unforeseen.
Incremental advances and innovations often lay foundation for something that will become big and noticeable in due course of time. Internet was not invented in a day.
The history of the Internet is said to begin with the development of electronic computers in the 1950s.
The ideas of modern-day disruption had been seeded somewhere in the form of incremental innovation and advances in research.
Disruption is about matching a known problem with a known concept so there is a solution which wasn’t always conventionally thought.
What is fascinating is how incremental innovation was applied to solve a problem that persisted for a long time.
How a positive difference can be made by changing traditional ways of doing things. It is not always about a new company or a product replacing an incumbent.
The ideas of modern-day disruption had been seeded somewhere in the form of incremental innovation and advances in research.
Disruption is about matching a known problem with a known concept so there is a solution which wasn’t always conventionally thought.
What is fascinating is how incremental innovation was applied to solve a problem that persisted for a long time.
How a positive difference can be made by changing traditional ways of doing things. It is not always about a new company or a product replacing an incumbent.
The ideas of modern-day disruption had been seeded somewhere in the form of incremental innovation and advances in research.
Disruption is about matching a known problem with a known concept so there is a solution which wasn’t always conventionally thought.
What is fascinating is how incremental innovation was applied to solve a problem that persisted for a long time.
How a positive difference can be made by changing traditional ways of doing things. It is not always about a new company or a product replacing an incumbent.
Disruption also means breaking the convention and stepping into new territories.
We realized that besides growth, we needed to focus on building better relationships with the civil society and earning the social license. And we were the forerunners when it came to contributing towards sustainable communities.
We are trying to disrupt agricultural practices with project Unnati.
Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages and Jain Irrigation Systems Limited partnered to help over 25,000 farmers adopt Ultra High Density Plantation technique to boost mango yield. HCCB and Jain Irrigation will be investing Rs. 50 crores into project Unnati by 2024.
Splash Bars are gathering spots in some Indian villages where a woman entrepreneur dispenses ice cold Coca-Cola from a simple dispenser into small cups at an affordable price.
Besides refreshment and delight of Coca-Cola products, these kiosks have been turned into community centers by the women who are running these kiosks.
Now more than 2,000 women serving 80-to-150 ml cups of Coca-Cola products are among the more than 1.2 million women Coca-Cola has economically empowered globally through its value chain, as part of the Company’s 5by20 initiative.
We started offering Coca-Cola through mobile trucks with fountain machines at ₹5 per cup.
It’s a form of paid sampling, where we were also reaching out to villages at a great price point.
You can even book a HOGO to serve your guests. The mobile vending machine comes to your doorstep and serves your guests.
‘eKocool’ or solar coolers technology has supported retailers in areas constantly suffering from electricity shortage.
Rooftop solar panels are linked to the chest-style coolers installed inside the store below.
The “eKOCool” coolers also feature ports for charging lanterns and mobile phones.
The “eKOCool” project is part of Coca-Cola’s 5by20 initiative to empower 5 million women entrepreneurs across its global value chain by 2020.
Disruption is not about launching products and services that will take market by the storm. If a disruptive product is not understood well by a consumer or a potential adopter, then it might result in failure.
Communication plays an important role in gaining allies, supporters or adopters.
Disruption is not about launching products and services that will take market by the storm. If a disruptive product is not understood well by a consumer or a potential adopter, then it might result in failure.
Communication plays an important role in gaining allies, supporters or adopters.
Digital has changed the way brands communicate. However, digital has created greater media for information dissemination. What plays a critical role is the overall communication strategy. It can be amplified using various media and using media as an enabler.
In a world of trending hashtags, one of the disruptive ways to achieve your goals is by not fighting for the trending space in media and yet delivering your message to your target audience effectively. We did that when there was huge outcry in Tamil Nadu to ban Coca-Cola products for no known reason. We went back to the historical way of leveraging human connect and local relationships than doing massive media campaigns. And that’s disruptive in a digital world.
Back in the early 2000s during the pesticide issue, the alleged concerns were known and the channels of communication were limited.
However, the recent uprising in Tamil Nadu was unprecedented as somehow the protest against Jallikattu ban was followed by call to boycott Coca-Cola and Pepsi products. Tamilnadu Vanigar Sangankalin Peramaippu, (TVSP) a Traders Association of Tamil Nadu, supported the protest and decided to persuade traders in Tamil Nadu not to sell our products. This boycott however did not have the support of the state Govt. and the law.
We decided to tackle the issue is a unique way by getting our local representatives and sales staff leverage their local relationships and work through the issue. We took upon a ‘silent commitment’ to confront it by letting other highly-visible forms of communication take a backseat and putting our representatives at the forefront.
Contrary to what people would have believed that we would take out big ads and pleas, we were confident of doing the right thing and went back to leveraging our relationships we had sustainably built over a period of time.
Back in the early 2000s during the pesticide issue, the alleged concerns were known and the channels of communication were limited.
However, the recent uprising in Tamil Nadu was unprecedented as somehow the protest against Jallikattu ban was followed by call to boycott Coca-Cola and Pepsi products. Tamilnadu Vanigar Sangankalin Peramaippu, (TVSP) a Traders Association of Tamil Nadu, supported the protest and decided to persuade traders in Tamil Nadu not to sell our products. This boycott however did not have the support of the state Govt. and the law.
We decided to tackle the issue is a unique way by getting our local representatives and sales staff leverage their local relationships and work through the issue. We took upon a ‘silent commitment’ to confront it by letting other highly-visible forms of communication take a backseat and putting our representatives at the forefront.
Contrary to what people would have believed that we would take out big ads and pleas, we were confident of doing the right thing and went back to leveraging our relationships we had sustainably built over a period of time.
Back in the early 2000s during the pesticide issue, the alleged concerns were known and the channels of communication were limited.
However, the recent uprising in Tamil Nadu was unprecedented as somehow the protest against Jallikattu ban was followed by call to boycott Coca-Cola and Pepsi products. Tamilnadu Vanigar Sangankalin Peramaippu, (TVSP) a Traders Association of Tamil Nadu, supported the protest and decided to persuade traders in Tamil Nadu not to sell our products. This boycott however did not have the support of the state Govt. and the law.
We decided to tackle the issue is a unique way by getting our local representatives and sales staff leverage their local relationships and work through the issue. We took upon a ‘silent commitment’ to confront it by letting other highly-visible forms of communication take a backseat and putting our representatives at the forefront.
Contrary to what people would have believed that we would take out big ads and pleas, we were confident of doing the right thing and went back to leveraging our relationships we had sustainably built over a period of time.
Our communication approach is more about collaboration.
Our collaborators and communities then take to the role of speaking on our behalf as they have already worked closely with us and understand our values and ethos.
Our system has massive reach and we work with people who are experts in their respective fields and help them benefit through our reach and strengths in marketing, operations and distribution.
It’s challenging for one business or even one industry to make significant contribution to today’s health and environmental issues which are quite enormous and complex. That’s why we rely on partnerships that connect across what we call“ the “Golden Triangle” of business, government and civil society.
We fully leverage our organizational expertise in, among other things, marketing, operations and distribution, to engage and collaborate with our partners, local communities, NGOs, and on-ground workers to create a sustainable future in water, agriculture and recycling. We have also taken up the cause of empowering women by enabling them through sustainable livelihoods.
We believe in shaping up our people to be able to handle and lead the dynamics of an evolving business.
Being a system of such magnitude, we have been doing that at an appreciable pace.
Our people policies are more about enabling and empowering people. Our belief in sustainability also applies to our people practices and we believe in preparing and making the younger members of our firm equally capable to sustain the challenges that may come their way. For that, there are frequent informal discussions, greater responsibilities and the freedom to bring their disruptive selves to work.
As we always say “A journey of a thousand steps…starts with one.”
Disruption isn’t an overnight phenomenon. It is sustained effort and innovation over a period of time that comes together to do things differently and change the status quo to create a new future.