Improving their reputation

The Coca-Cola company is a huge corporation. They have multiple projects and efforts that they are doing in relation to the community. The Coca-Cola Company Foundation, helps in
various organizations. They donate to community initiatives, education, environment, disaster relief, health care, HIV/AIDS and active healthy living. In 2008 alone, the Coca-Cola Foundation donated $82 million to the above initiatives. Recently, Coca-Cola donated $1 million to the disaster relief in Haiti after the earthquake.

A major focus is on the environment. All throughout their sustainability page they talk about what they are doing to make their products and factories more environmentally friendly. Also, how they are helping around the world in environmental efforts. We all know and love those Coca-Cola commercials with the polar bears, the penguins and the seals. They are a classic. However, in reality, these animals are suffering and may not be around much longer. By then, those cutesy commercials with the animals drinking coca-cola will not be so funny anymore. One of Coke's environmental issues they are helping with is Climate. On this web page you can see that the first picture is of the polar bear. In this page, along with the other pages listed on the left hand side, have all the information on what Coke is doing to help change their products and buildings to help the cause. Here it is stating that Coke has partnered with the WWF to help save wildlife. This is showing the community that yes, even though we are creating products, we can create these products in a better environmental way. There are people who care about the environment, people who are nutty over the environment and those who just really could care less, but Coke's environmental campaign will help in all those areas of people. It shows the environmental nuts that coke is helping and you should buy from them because they are the more environmental safe product and the ones who don't care about the environment, well they will buy coke no matter what.

Not only is the company as a whole improving their products and manufacturing practices to be environmentally safe, but the company employees are also giving back to the community. In 2008, company associates volunteered 273,000 hours of community service. This is telling the community that not only does the brand care about helping out, but the people who are working for this brand care. It is a network of caring that will help to improve the conditions of the community. What is not only a good community relation tactic but a good employee relation tactic, is that if a employee wants to make personal contributions to qualified organizations, then the Coca-Cola Gift Matching Program will match those contributions on a 2-for-1 basis. This will not only get the brands name out to the thousands of organizations, it helps out on a larger scale but also, the smaller organizations that need help. Employees from the company are also helping out with the WWF. This is showing how the company and its employees are reaching out o the community to make the enviornment a better place to live. here is a video that is talking about the partnership between WWF and Coke.

I think that the Coca-Cola Company is doing a great job at community relations. They are touching on a variety of areas that will effect more people. The company brings in tons of revenue each year and it is a great thing for them to give back to the community that helps put money in their pockets. I especially think it is such a good idea that not only do they help initiatives and people who need help each year, but they are changing their product manufacturing practices and helping to improve the planet around them. I think it is a good idea for them to come out and say that we are cleaning up our factories and they have set goals that they want to achieve by certain deadlines. For example by the end of 2010 they have to have 40-50% improved energy efficiency. From a Public Relations perspective, this was a good move for the company. It is making their reputation a reliable one. As before they started these initiatives, there was many criticism of the company and its product. To the right is a picture making fun of how Coke for all of the environmental issues their product caused. Now consumers can investigate the website and see for themselves all the initiatives Coca-Cola is taking to improve their environmental contribution.