COCA-COLA ZERO..! NOW IN INDIA

COCA-COLA ZERO – ONE OF THE COCA-COLA COMPANY’S MOST SUCCESSFUL AND SIGNIFICANT INNOVATIONS –– NOW IN INDIA

~ Launch will complement the existing portfolio in India, provide more ‘CHOICE’ ~

The Coca-Cola system in India, today unveiled yet another strategic bet in its journey to achieve its 2020 Vision, by launching Coca-Cola Zero. The launch adds to the suite of Sparkling and Still products currently available in India, which now includes Minute Maid juice drinks, Kinley and Bonaqua packaged water, Schweppes sodas and mixers, Georgia tea and coffee, Energy drink - BURN and a range of sparkling beverages.

Coca-Cola Zero offers the same‘Great Coke Taste, with Zero sugar’. The product will be available on e-commerce platforms, modern trade and traditional trade outlets in South India. Coca-Cola Zero thus adds to the hydration and refreshment choices available to the consumers in South India.

According to independent estimates, the Non Alcoholic Ready To Drink (NARTD) beverage market is estimated at Rs. 7,000 crore with Sparkling beverages being more than 60% of this market. The average per capita consumption of all Coca-Cola products in South India is nearly twice that of its national average of 14. South India therefore is a strategic market for the Coca-Cola system in India.

In keeping with the bold, distinctive and individualistic character of Coca-Cola Zero, the first sip of the product in South India was enjoyed by some of its most avowed consumers - tennisstarsMahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna. They were joined on stage by Mr. T. Krishna kumar, CEO, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd, Mr. Damodar Mall, CEO, Reliance Retail and Sumanta Datta, Vice President, Operations, Coca-Cola India.

Speaking at the launch of Coca-Cola Zero in India, Mr. T Krishnakumar, said, “As we move towards the halfway mark of this decade, it is important that we add new offerings to our portfolio even as we deepen the availability of all the existing products. Coca-Cola Zero comes at a time when Coca-Cola classic has established itself as one of the country’s favourite beverage brands with a wide distribution and manufacturing set up. It therefore complements our sparkling portfolio and leverages the manufacturing capacities that we have created over the last many years. In a social and demographic set up, where consumers are increasingly demanding safe, hygienic, high quality and consistent hydration options, our portfolio is well placed to cater to the new age consumer’s requirements.” 

Coca-Cola Zero is simultaneously being launched in the top 100 towns of India. These towns contribute almost 90% of the SEC A urban population – a segment that is globally networked, well-traveled, has a distinct identity, is on-the-move and demands wider product choices.With the launch of Coca-Cola Zero in India, the brand is now available in all the top 6 markets of The Coca-Cola Company, the others being USA, Mexico, China, Brazil and Japan. Coca-Cola Zero is one of the 17 billion dollar brands of The Coca-Cola Company in revenue terms and is one of the fastest to this milestone. It was first launched in 2005 and is now available in 149 countries including India.

The Coca-Cola System is innovating with new channels to build preference and anticipation for the beverage prior to the national, on ground, roll out.  Coca Cola Zero will be available on Amazon India marketplace platform www.amazon.inso its customers across the country can experience it. 

Hindustan Coca-Cola’s own portal www.Coke2Home.com will be listing Coca-Cola Zero after 15 days of launch at Amazon.

Coca-Cola Zero, in modern trade outlets, will first be available across the Reliance Retail chain. Reliance Retail will also partner with us to create the biggest ever display of a Coca-Cola product, in-store, one that would possibly make it to the Limca Book of Records.

Amongst the Quick Service Restaurants; Coca-Cola Zero will be available at Subway outlets with exciting food combos.

Amongst airlines, travelers aboard IndiGo flights will be the first ones to enjoy Coca-Cola Zero.

Post 5^th of October, 2014, Coca-Cola Zero will be available across the top100 towns of India in more than 1.8 lakh outlets.

Mahesh Bhupati “Coke Zero finally comes to India! I know many people who are ardent followers of Coke Zero, and this definitely includes me. Wherever I go, I look for ways to stay refreshed and hydrated and always prefer to have choice. Today, it is all about having choices, be it clothing brands, gadgets, my tennis equipment or even a bar of chocolate. Coca-Cola India has been refreshing consumers with its great range of beverages for several years and now the addition of Coke Zero just completes the full range. This product will offer an exciting choice for people like me who love their Coke and also want a zero sugar variant for it. I think there will be many like me in India who will love this new addition from Coca-Cola.I wish the Coca-Cola Team the very best for this launch” Rohan Bopanna “I travel a lot in my profession and it won’t be wrong to say that the simple joy of sharing a Coca-Cola is common across the world. Now, it is absolutely fantastic that Coca-Cola is bringing Coke Zero to India! This is a beverage that I have had the pleasure of enjoying only away from India till today. I am delighted to be among the first people to enjoy a 'Made in India' Coke Zero and this will be an unforgettable memory. I am sure that Coca-Cola Zero will surely create a quick niche for itself as a refreshment of choice with people like me. I wish Coca-Cola Zero the very best for its India journey!”

At the launch of Coca-Cola Zero, Mr. Damodar Mall, said, “Coca-Cola has been a partner with us since the time Reliance Retail started its journey in India. We now have over 500 supermarkets and Coca-Cola products are present in all of them. Coca-Cola Zero is the kind of contemporary product that we would love to showcase it to our family customers. We are working towards celebrating this new beverage choice with Coca-Cola Zero, in our Reliance Fresh and Mart stores. Our joint working would benefit both partners and delight our customers. There are many other exciting consumer propositions on the anvil, all of them with the consumer at the centre.”

In South India, Coca-Cola Zero will be available in 300 ml slim cans and 400 ml PET bottles -both for Rs. 25/- in traditional trade outlets. In modern trade, it will be available in 330 ml cans for Rs. 30/- and 600 ml PET bottles for Rs. 36.

Mr. Amit Agarwal, Country Manager, Amazon India, said, “We are very excited to be part of this initiative. It aligns with our vision of providing our customers with a vast, unique and exclusive selection of products across categories.”

The product will be manufactured at 10 facilities across the country, including the Hindustan Coca-Cola owned manufacturing Plants in Bidadi, Karnataka; Moulaali, Andhra Pradesh and Nemam, Tamil Nadu.

Elaborating on the launch plans Mr. SumantaDattasaid, “Coca-Cola Zero is a part of our global Red-Silver-Black model on Coca-Cola Trademark. Its strength lies in its great taste and sharp brand positioning. To ensure that consumers get their first taste of Coca-Cola Zero, we will be sampling more than 1.5 million packs of the product in the next four months, all across India. 

We have a strong communication plan which includes digital media, television and print campaigns. The uniqueness of the product can be gauged from the fact that since its launch, it has done well in matured as well as emerging markets, across the globe. Its top 5 markets include countries like USA and Brazil. We expect that Coca-Cola Zero will hit all the right notes with consumers in India”

About Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd (HCCBPL)

Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages is Coca-Cola’s largest bottler in India and contributes more than 65% of the volumes for The Coca-Cola Company in India. It is responsible for the manufacture, package, sale and distribution of beverages under the trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company.HCCBPL has 24 bottling plants at strategic locations in various states spread across India. 

It has an extensive distribution system spanning more than a million outlets operating with world class execution standards. The focus of the system is to develop strong consumer value while delivering preferred choice of refreshment at an arm’s reach of desire to the consumer.It employs more than 12,000 employees directly across different Plant locations in the country.

Hindustan Coca-Cola is already e-retailing its entire range of beverages online for free home delivery. Its own e-commerce portal www.Coke2Home.com now serves in 6 cities including Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune. 

Mahesh Bhupati

“Coke Zero finally comes to India! I know many people who are ardent followers of Coke Zero, and this definitely includes me. Wherever I go, I look for ways to stay refreshed and hydrated and always prefer to have choice. Today, it is all about having choices, be it clothing brands, gadgets, my tennis equipment or even a bar of chocolate. 

Coca-Cola India has been refreshing consumers with its great range of beverages for several years and now the addition of Coke Zero just completes the full range. This product will offer an exciting choice for people like me who love their Coke and also want a zero sugar variant for it. I think there will be many like me in India who will love this new addition from Coca-Cola.I wish the Coca-Cola Team the very best for this launch”

Rohan Bopanna

“I travel a lot in my profession and it won’t be wrong to say that the simple joy of sharing a Coca-Cola is common across the world. Now, it is absolutely fantastic that Coca-Cola is bringing Coke Zero to India! This is a beverage that I have had the pleasure of enjoying only away from India till today.

 I am delighted to be among the first people to enjoy a 'Made in India' Coke Zero and this will be an unforgettable memory. I am sure that Coca-Cola Zero will surely create a quick niche for itself as a refreshment of choice with people like me. I wish Coca-Cola Zero the very best for its India journey!”

About Coca-Cola India

Coca-Cola India is one of the country’s leading beverage companies, offering a range of healthy, safe, high quality, refreshing beverage options to consumers. Over the last 20 years, ever since its re-entry in 1993, the company has been refreshing consumers with its beverage products - Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Thums Up, Fanta, Limca, Sprite, Maaza, Maaza Milky Delite, Minute Maid range of juices, Georgia and Georgia gold range of hot and cold tea and coffee options, Schweppes, Kinley and Bonaqua packaged drinking water, Kinley Club Soda and BURN. The Company along with its bottling partners, through a strong network of over 2.2 million retail outlets, touches the lives of millions of consumers. Its brands are some of the most preferred and most sold beverages in the country – Thums Up and Sprite – being the top two selling sparkling beverages.

The system already provides direct employment to 25,000 people and indirect employment to 150,000 people.The Coca-Cola system in India is contributing in its own small way to building sustainable communities and reducing its own environmental footprint. Some of our community development programs include the ‘Parivartan’ and ‘Pragati’ retailer training program, Career Development centers to train youth and make them employable, women empowerment program as a part of the global 5BY20 campaign, Unnati – a sustainable mango farming project etc.

For further information please contact Mr. Satyan Bhatt, MD, Prism PR – 98400 85411

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