The Coca-Cola Company facts for kids
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Coca-Cola headquarters in Atlanta, United States
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| Public | |
| Traded as | |
| ISIN | ISIN: [https://isin.toolforge.org/?language=en&isin=US1912161007 US1912161007] |
| Industry | Beverage |
| Founded | January 29, 1892 in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Founder | Asa Griggs Candler |
| Headquarters |
Atlanta, Georgia
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United States
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Area served
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Worldwide, except Russia |
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Key people
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| Products | Soft drinks, non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages |
| Brands | See List of Coca-Cola brands |
| Revenue |  US$47.06 billion (2024) |
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Operating income
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 US$9.992 billion (2024) |
| US$10.63 billion (2024) |
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| Total assets | US$100.5 billion (2024) |
| Total equity | US$26.37 billion (2024) |
| Owners |
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Number of employees
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69,700 (2024) |
| Subsidiaries | List of subsidiaries |
The Coca-Cola Company is a famous American company that makes, sells, and markets soft drinks and other beverages all over the world. It was founded in 1892. Besides its most famous drink, Coca-Cola, it also makes many other non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks. The company is so large that its stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange.
The original Coca-Cola drink was invented in 1886 by a pharmacist named John Stith Pemberton. The name "Coca-Cola" came from two of its original ingredients: coca leaves and kola nuts. Pemberton was looking for a new kind of tonic after being injured in the American Civil War. He first sold the drink as a patent medicine, which was a type of over-the-counter remedy.
In 1889, the recipe and brand were sold for $2,300 to Asa Griggs Candler. He started The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1892. Since 1889, the company has used a franchise system. This means Coca-Cola makes a secret syrup, which it sells to bottling companies around the world. These bottlers then add water and sweeteners to make the final drink, which they sell in their local areas.
Contents
History of Coca-Cola
In 1886, pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented the first Coca-Cola drink in Columbus, Georgia. It was advertised as a drink that could help with headaches and was sold in drugstores. Pemberton's bookkeeper, Frank Mason Robinson, came up with the name "Coca-Cola" and designed its famous flowing script logo.
A businessman named Asa Griggs Candler bought the Coca-Cola formula and brand. He started The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta in 1892. By 1895, Coca-Cola was being sold all across the United States. In 1919, the company was sold to Ernest Woodruff's Trust Company of Georgia.
One of Coca-Cola's first ads said, "Coca Cola. Delicious! Refreshing! Exhilarating! Invigorating!" Candler was one of the first business owners to use merchandising, like putting the logo on calendars and clocks, to advertise his product. By 1948, Coca-Cola was the most popular soft drink, with about 60% of the market. However, by 1984, its market share had dropped to about 22% because of new competitors.
Buying Other Companies
Over the years, The Coca-Cola Company has bought many other brands and companies. This is a common way for large companies to grow.
- 1960: It bought Minute Maid, a company known for its fruit juices.
- 1982: It bought the movie studio Columbia Pictures for $692 million. It later sold the studio to Sony in 1989 for $3 billion.
- 1993: It bought Thums Up, a popular cola brand in India.
- 1995: It bought Barq's, which is famous for its root beer.
- 2001: It bought Odwalla, a brand of fruit juices and smoothies, for $181 million.
- 2007: It bought Fuze Beverage, another juice and tea company.
- 2018: It bought Costa Coffee, a major coffee shop chain, for £3.9 billion (about $5.1 billion).
- 2021: The company bought the remaining part of Bodyarmor, a sports drink company, after first buying a small share in 2018.
The company has also bought stakes in many other beverage companies around the world, from coconut water to sparkling water brands.
Sales and Money
The Coca-Cola Company sells its drinks in more than 200 countries. An old report from 2005 said that out of about 50 billion drinks of all kinds consumed every day worldwide, over 1.3 billion were Coca-Cola products.
In 2010, Coca-Cola became the first brand to have over £1 billion in yearly grocery sales in the UK. However, in 2017, sales went down because many people started choosing drinks with less sugar.
| Region | Share |
|---|---|
| North America | 38.7% |
| Europe, Middle East and Africa | 16.8% |
| Latin America | 13.4% |
| Asia–Pacific | 11.5% |
| Unallocated | 19.4% |
Company Stock
Since 1919, Coca-Cola has been a public company. This means anyone can buy a small piece of the company, called a share of stock. The company's stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange with the symbol "KO".
Investing in Coca-Cola has been very profitable for a long time. A single share bought for $40 in 1919 would have been worth $9.8 million by 2012 if all the earnings were reinvested. The company has paid a dividend (a share of the profits) to its stockholders every year since 1920.
Bottling Companies
The Coca-Cola Company usually only makes the concentrated syrup for its drinks. This syrup is then sold to bottling companies all over the world. These bottlers have exclusive contracts, meaning they are the only ones allowed to bottle and sell Coca-Cola products in their specific area.
The bottlers mix the syrup with filtered water and sweeteners to create the finished drink. They then package it in cans and bottles and sell it to stores, restaurants, and vending machines.
Some of the largest bottling partners include:
- Coca-Cola Europacific Partners: Operates in Western Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
- Coca-Cola FEMSA: The world's largest franchise bottler, operating in Mexico and Latin America.
- Coca-Cola HBC AG: Operates in 28 countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa.
- Swire Coca-Cola: Operates in parts of China, the United States, and Southeast Asia.
Products and Brands
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As of 2020, The Coca-Cola Company had over 500 brands. However, it later decided to stop selling about half of them to focus on its most popular products.
Famous Drink Brands
Besides Coca-Cola, the company makes many other famous soft drinks.
- Fanta: This fruit-flavored drink was created in Germany during World War II when it was hard to get cola syrup. The head of Coca-Cola in Germany, Max Keith, created Fanta using ingredients available at the time. It was a big hit, and the company kept the brand after the war.
- Sprite: Introduced in 1961, this lemon-lime soda is one of the company's best-selling drinks and was created to compete with 7 Up.
- Diet Coke: This is the sugar-free version of Coca-Cola and is one of the most popular diet sodas in the world.
- Powerade: A sports drink created to compete with Gatorade.
- Dasani: The company's brand of bottled water.
Tourist Attraction
In Atlanta, Georgia, Coca-Cola runs a tourist attraction called the World of Coca-Cola. It is a large museum where visitors can learn about the history of the company, see old advertisements, and taste over 100 different drinks that the company sells around the world.
Advertising and Sponsorship
Coca-Cola is known for its powerful advertising. The company spends about $4 billion a year on marketing worldwide. Its ads are famous for their catchy slogans and heartwarming themes, especially its Christmas ads featuring polar bears and Santa Claus.
The company also sponsors many major events and organizations.
- Sports: Coca-Cola is a longtime sponsor of the Olympic Games, the FIFA World Cup, and NASCAR. It also has partnerships with Major League Baseball and the NFL.
- Television: For many years, Coca-Cola was a major sponsor of the singing competition show American Idol.
- Theme Parks: Coca-Cola is the official beverage provider for many of the world's largest theme parks, including Disney Experiences, Universal Destinations & Experiences, and Six Flags.
Community Involvement
The Coca-Cola Company has been involved in important social events. After Martin Luther King Jr. won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize, some business leaders in his hometown of Atlanta were hesitant to hold a dinner to celebrate him because the city was still racially segregated.
The head of Coca-Cola at the time, J. Paul Austin, called a meeting with other city leaders. He told them it would be embarrassing for an international company like Coca-Cola to be in a city that would not honor its Nobel Prize winner. His speech helped convince the city to celebrate Dr. King, and the event was a success.
See also
In Spanish: The Coca-Cola Company para niños
- List of assets owned by the Coca-Cola Company
- Stepan Company – produces coca leaf extract
