Is Coca-Cola it?
Simon Berry and others on the blog have been keen for iPM to to hear more about his big idea. For more than ten years, Simon worked all over the world as part of the British aid effort. He thinks there is a simple way to help the one in five children in Africa who die from simple causes - usually diarrhoea. And the answer is Coca-Cola. Not the product - but its distribution network. Eddie has been speaking to Simon about him and his idea.
This just in from Coca Cola -
"This is an extraordinarily interesting discussion. And it is one which goes to the heart of the key question of how we can make better use of the successes of business to serve the development needs of the world in general and of Africa in particular. The recent Millennium Development Goal Call for Action by Prime Minister Gordon Brown stems from this simple starting point.
It is also something we take very seriously at Coca-Cola. We are proud of what we are already doing through the Africa Foundation - for example, providing safe drinking water to communities throughout the continent. But we are also asking ourselves how our core business operation can do more. And this includes whether we can use our distribution network to deliver other goods which will help improve lives in local communities.
The challenge, of course, is to do this without undermining the successful model which helps explain why you can get a Coke across Africa. Because the very success of this network rests on the fact that it is not owned by Coca-Cola but made up of many small independent local distributors.
Our bottlers do help these small firms get started with training and start-up capital. But the system works so well because the better they distribute our drinks, the more money they make. It taps into Africa's entrepreneurial spirit of and gives people the means and the incentive to develop their business and create more jobs.
So what we are considering is if, and how, this system can be tweaked so it remains economically successful but can be extended so it does more to help the common good.
We don't have the answers yet. As often happens, it is not as straightforward as it looks at first glance. But I can promise we are working hard to find solutions.
This summer, we are beginning a research project and pilot in Tanzania to analyse in depth our distribution model and examine how it can be used to enhance its development potential. The Harvard Kennedy School of Government and the International Finance Corporation are helping with it.
Our hope is that this research will come up with concrete measures we can then apply to our distribution systems across the African continent and beyond.
Together I hope we can come up with the right solutions. And I am happy to have a chat on this subject with Simon in the near future."
Salvatore Gabola, Global Director Stakeholder Relations, Coca-Cola.
So, no on air debate yet - but perhaps some progress.
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I'll sign up for this! Fabulous idea!!
Fifi
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Well! That was quite a result. Good for Simon and PM. Now where do we find those lyrics?
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what a fantastic idea, lets hope that Coca Cola can implement this. When it is, Simon should be put forward for a major honour.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Full marks to Simon and you for trying BUT this is not the answer to the problem. in the longterm. Rehydrating a dehydrated infant does help for that episode BUT that one only. The long term solution is provision of a reliable supply of potable water - not in bottles but through wells and taps. This also saves women and children walking many miles, sometimes for hours, to collect unsafe water and thus frees up more time for doing other things like farming, going to school etc. Please do consider this longer term approach - more info if you want it.
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This link to an old BBC feature might be interesting in the context of involving the Coca Cola company in this project: http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2003/07_july/24/face_facts.shtml
Coca Cola has been widely criticised for being a socially irresponsible company - perhaps Coca Cola is not the best partner for Simon's project?
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I agree with millieliot, Coca Cola hardly has an exemplary record in the field of human rights, you only have to look at their activities in Colombia to see that.
Should they choose to involve themselves in such a venture as the one suggested, wouldn't this provide an easy method to cover up the less savoury side of this Company.
In addition the comments by Simon that a coca cola is available and popular anywhere in the world is the result of aggressive marketing that promotes coca cola as status symbol, preferable to buying food for your family.
I'm sure lessons could be learnt from them but a partnership needs more thought.
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Coca Cola is a franchised product, so the people getting the product out into the corners of the third world are actually local bottling companies and not the suits in Atlanta.
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I would not be concerned about the motives of Coca Cola (or any company) or its track record. If you start from the premise that they are primarily out to make money for you and me (i.e. shareholders) and that any additional social task (even if it is for cynical corporate PR CSR) is a bonus. Our governmnets work with dictators, rich people hold fabulous charity events for poor people, you and I spend wastefully on consumer goods when our money could be better diverted elsewhere etc etc.. We should be grateful that Cocoa Cola does social work whatever it's motives. In many ways CSR is a reflection of our weak personal contributions to social problems. It is our conscience by proxy.
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It's been a while since I visited here and what a great discussion. On Coca Cola, I am with lostinshropshire and Inappropriate1 - the trick, I think is to combine the best of each organisation/group and move forward to make change happen.
I would also agree with jkrf4h - but would say two things: 1) this Coca Cola idea doesn't conflict with the provision of potable water and 2) the educational and awareness-raising elements of the Coca Cola idea are as important as the distribution aspect.
And finally, here's an update on progress. I had a telephone conference with Coca Cola's Head of Global Stakeholder Relations and his colleague in the UK on 5/6/08 and a face to face meeting is set up for 16/6. A report on the meeting is here: http://www.simonberry.net
If you are member of facebook please join the group AND invite your friends. We are nothing without numbers! A search for Coca Cola Children on facebook will find it. Thanks.
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Hi Everybody
I thought you'd be interested in this 30 second video that supports ColaLife's submission to Google's Project 10^100 initiative:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=bj24ofyfr6E
If you've got a YouTube account please make it one of your favourites and give it a 5 star rating! We continue to need all the support we can get!
Thanks, Simon
http://www.colalife.org
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Simon - a great video. Gets the message across simply but effectively. Goo luck with the Google Project 10^100 initiative.
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