Coca-Cola, The shape to be in

Manufacturing in Action, Source : The Manufacturer
Published : December 2001

America's most famous export has a history of involving local businesses. Ruari McCallion reports on Coca-Cola

It's somehow appropriate to be writing about Coca-Cola in the run up to Christmas, because Father Christmas himself wears a red coat because of Coca-Cola. For centuries, Santa had been portrayed in a blue or green cloak. It was Coke's advertising campaign in the early 30s that gave him the red overcoat that we now regard as the tradition. That a carbonated beverage could have the power to change the look of a cultural character is quite astonishing, when you take the time to think about it. On the other hand, that it should be Coca-Cola that achieved it is less surprising, as Coke is something of an icon itself. Its advertising is famous the world over: 'It's the Real Thing', 'Things go better with Coca-Cola' and 'Life Tastes Good' are just three of the slogans that have sunk deep into the world's consciousness. 'A taste of America' was another, I seem to recall, holding out a promise of wide-open freeways, prairies and a lifestyle that held and offered so much. 'Coca-Cola', 'Coke' and the symbols themselves are among the most recognised words in English anywhere in the world - only 'OK' may have a greater recognition or circulation. 'Coca-colonisation' is used as a positive and negative shorthand for the dissemination of Western - particularly American - cultural values. The phrase 'coke-bottle shape' has been applied to streamlined or voluptuous objects for decades.

The Coke contour-bottle shape is one of very few packages ever granted trademark status by the US Patent office. It's recognisable by touch alone and has been with us since 1916. Even though most regular single-consumer vends are now in cans, the famous shape persists in larger, plastic packaging. Coca-Cola itself wasn't originally sold in bottles: it started as a 'soda-fountain' (i.e., dispensed on draught) beverage in 1886 and persisted in that form until 1899. It had first been put in bottles by a Mississippi drugstore owner named Joseph A Biedenham, who found a brisk trade in bottled Coke during the hot summer months. He sent a case to the brand's owner, Asa Griggs Candler, who thanked him but did nothing, preferring to concentrate on soda-fountain sales. In 1899, two young lawyers from Tennessee bought the US bottling rights from Mr Candler - for the princely sum of one dollar. Joined soon after by another Tennessee lawyer, John T Lupton, Benjamin F Thomas and Joseph B Whitehead went into business and, within nine years, nearly 400 bottling plants were operating across the USA, under rights sold to local entrepreneurs. By 1920, that 400 had become more than 1000 and the first Coke cooling cabinets had made their appearance. Before the onset of the Great depression, bottle sales of Coca-Cola had surpassed fountain sales. The famous 'contour bottle' was introduced in order to differentiate Coke by sight from other colas, of which there were quite a few. Coca-Cola has a distinctive taste and the bottle shape, created by the Root Glass Company of Terre Haute, Indiana, not only gave identity, it protected the brand by being available only to accredited owners of local bottling plants.

International bottling started in the 1930s, under the direct control of the Coca-Cola company - which wasn't about to sell national rights for a dollar again! Over 100 plants were established outside the US up to 1950, more than half during the Second World War, initially at the request of General Eisenhower for his thirsty troops in North Africa. Rapid expansion followed in the 50s and 60s, with the introduction of different bottle sizes. The traditional single-vend size was six-and-a-half fluid ounces: 10, 12 and 26 fl.oz. versions debuted during the 50s and cans became generally available as long ago as 1960. The decade of 'flower power' saw the introduction of new brands, including Fanta, Sprite, TAB and Fresca - don't pretend you don't remember the 'it's frothy, man' singing bear! Changes in lifestyle and consumer taste led to the introduction of Diet Coke(R) and Cherry Coke(R) in the 80s.

The company now offers a total of 44 different beverage brands and the Coca-Cola Company has expanded into the old communist countries east of the Iron Curtain and into the developing world: $1.5 billion is currently committed to new bottling facilities in Africa.

Since the company first sold bottling rights, the involvement of local businesses has been an important element in the bottling of Coca-Cola, even since the advent of efficient IT and the emergence of the global economy. Mergers and acquisitions have resulted in many of the company's customers becoming world players in their own right, and many small and medium-sized bottling companies have merged in order to provide the multi-national reach that retailers require. But that doesn't mean that the 'local touch' has gone: stories from less-developed areas show that the Coca-Cola Company and its bottling partners adapt to a variety of demanding local conditions. While we in the UK are familiar with branded trucks delivering to shops, supermarkets, pubs and bars, in parts of the Andes region of South America Coke is more likely to make its final journey on the four feet of a 'burro' than on four wheels!

Building a global brand of the strength of Coca-Cola is about much more than advertising and marketing. Some recognisable brands vary their product from territory to territory, to reflect what are described as 'local tastes'. That's one of the reasons why coffee from a branded chain tastes insipid in Britain, compared with the same thing in (say) Spain. Go anywhere in the world and the taste of Coke is exactly the same. The only variation will be in the sweeteners, with aspartame used in diet drinks in the US and acesulfame-K for the EU.

Brand standards are based on consistent quality. The 'secret recipe' for the concentrated syrup is still secret, which is why nothing else has the same flavour and texture. It doesn't all come from company headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia - there are other production facilities around the world. The history and origin of each unit of concentrate can be identified and researched at any stage of production, storage or use.

Water standards vary between counties of the UK, never mind different countries around the world. To overcome local differences - and to ensure top quality - each Coca-Cola bottling plant further filters and cleans its water supplies. In the US, only new bottles are used: elsewhere in the world, reusable bottles are inspected before being washed and allowed into the facility. Washing involves initial cleaning by high-pressure jets, followed by immersion in high-temperature cleaning solutions. They are then washed again in a 'hydrowash' deep-cleaning pressure spray before being rinsed again under cooling water jets. Even where reusable bottles are not used, they go through the washing process (but more quickly) before being visually or electronically inspected prior to the production line. In Austin, Texas, the company is piloting an environmental system to capture cleansing liquid for cleaning and reuse in a local composting operation. The scheme will recycle 250,000 gallons of wastewater a year.

Making Coca-Cola involves the precise blending of a plain water and sugar solution with the Coke syrup and carbon dioxide gas (CO2). In American, British and European plants, continuous blending systems and beverage proportioning equipment are used to ensure the right proportions. The filling process involves continuous timed runs with either grippers or centring devices to hold the container under the valve. CO2 is added to the mixture in the container, which is pressurised to ensure that the gas is dissolved, rather than escaping. Pressure in the bottle is maintained - and the contents are sealed from the outside atmosphere - by capping, which is checked for integrity by a 'no closure' detector during the capping process and by either a 'go-no-go gauge' or a torque meter after. 'No-closure' detects if a screw-top or crown is in place; the 'go-no-go-gauge' checks for correct crimping and the torque meter makes sure screw tops are tight.

Inspection within plants occurs all the way from washing to despatch and uses both the human eye and machines that use light to detect variations in bottles or contents. Each plant undertakes batch sampling for analysis in its laboratories after filling. Any bottle or batch that fails at any stage is discarded.

The world-spanning brand that Coca-Cola has become may not have been what founder Asa Griggs Candler had in mind when he started selling his beverage back in 1886 - and bottling was clearly not on his agenda, as his indifference to it indicates. But its success has been based on the involvement of local businesses in the bottling that has enabled it to spread, while maintaining quality and standards. From the original contour bottle that was intended to protect against imitators to the quality control systems that protect brand values, Coke has set examples that others have followed - and achieved market strength that has competitors have envied and sought to emulate - but never achieved.

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