By Bartow J. Elmore
"Citizen Coke demostrate[s] a whole lack of awareness approximately . . . the Coca-Cola system―past and present." ―Ted Ryan, the Coca-Cola Company
How did Coca-Cola construct a world empire via promoting a low-price concoction of as a rule sugar, water, and caffeine? the simple solution is advertisements, however the genuine formulation to Coke’s luck was once its procedure, from the beginning, to dump bills and dangers onto providers, franchisees, and the govt.. for many of its heritage the corporate owned no bottling vegetation, water assets, cane- or cornfields. A lean operation, it benefited from public items like affordable municipal water and curbside recycling courses. Its large urge for food for constituents gave it oversized effect on providers and congressional committees. This was once Coca-Cola capitalism.
In this new background Bartow J. Elmore explores Coke via its materials, exhibiting how the corporate secured monstrous amounts of coca leaf, caffeine, sugar, and different inputs. Its progress was once pushed by means of smart leaders reminiscent of Asa Candler, who scaled an Atlanta soda-fountain operation right into a nationwide empire, and “boss” Robert Woodruff, who nurtured partnerships with businesses like Hershey and Monsanto. those males, and the corporate they helped construct, have been visible as dependable voters, bringing jobs and improvement to each nook of the globe. yet as Elmore exhibits, Coke used to be often getting the candy finish of the deal.
It maintains to take action. along Coke’s fresh public investments in water purification infrastructure, in particular in Africa, it has additionally built―less publicly―a rash of bottling vegetation in dangerously arid areas. having a look previous its message of company citizenship, Elmore unearths a method of relentless growth.
The expenses shed by way of Coke have fallen at the public at huge. Its annual use of many billions of gallons of water has strained an more and more scarce international source. Its copious servings of high-fructose corn syrup have threatened public health and wellbeing. Citizen Coke turned an incredible in an international of abundance. In an international of shortage it's a pressure on assets and all who rely on them.
eight pages of illustrations
