Company Description
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company in the soft drink manufacturing industry. According to company disclosures, it offers products across multiple beverage categories and sells them in more than 200 countries and territories. The company describes its purpose as "to refresh the world and make a difference," reflecting a focus on both beverages and broader social and environmental impact. Together with its bottling partners, The Coca-Cola Company participates in a global system that brings its brands to retailers, food-service locations and local communities around the world.
Founded in 1886 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, The Coca-Cola Company has grown from a single trademark beverage into a broad portfolio of brands. The company is included in the manufacturing sector and soft drink manufacturing industry, and its common stock and multiple series of notes are listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Coca-Cola reports that it sells multiple billion-dollar brands across several beverage categories, highlighting the scale of its brand portfolio and its reach in both developed and emerging markets.
Brand and product portfolio
The Coca-Cola Company states that its portfolio of sparkling soft drink brands includes Coca-Cola, Sprite and Fanta. In addition to these trademark sparkling beverages, the company reports a significant presence in water, sports, coffee and tea. Brands in these categories include Dasani, smartwater, vitaminwater, Topo Chico, BODYARMOR, Powerade, Costa, Georgia, Fuze Tea, Gold Peak and Ayataka. The company also highlights a portfolio of juice, value-added dairy and plant-based beverage brands, including Minute Maid, Simply, innocent, Del Valle, fairlife and AdeS.
Across these categories, The Coca-Cola Company emphasizes that it sells multiple billion-dollar brands worldwide. The breadth of this portfolio supports a "total beverage" positioning that extends beyond carbonated soft drinks into still beverages, functional drinks and ready-to-drink coffee and tea. Company communications also note that Coca-Cola is "constantly transforming" its portfolio, including efforts to reduce sugar in its drinks and to bring new products to market.
Global footprint and Coca-Cola system
The Coca-Cola Company reports that its products are sold in more than 200 countries and territories. It operates through what it often refers to as the Coca-Cola system, which includes the company and its bottling partners. The company and its partners work together to manufacture, distribute and sell finished beverages bearing Coca-Cola and licensed brands. This system structure allows the company to combine global brand management with local execution by bottlers that have expertise in their respective markets.
According to company statements, The Coca-Cola Company and its bottling partners employ more than 700,000 people worldwide. The company notes that this employment base helps bring economic opportunity to local communities, reflecting the role of the Coca-Cola system in manufacturing, distribution and retail channels. In Africa, for example, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa Pty. Ltd. (CCBA) is described as the largest Coca-Cola bottler on the continent, accounting for over 40% of Coca-Cola ready-to-drink beverages sold in Africa by volume, while Coca-Cola HBC AG is identified as one of the largest Coca-Cola bottlers in the world with operations in numerous countries across Europe and Africa.
Business model and bottling relationships
The Coca-Cola Company describes itself as a brand owner and total beverage company that works closely with a network of bottling partners. Company updates highlight ongoing refranchising of bottling operations, where ownership stakes in bottlers are sold to strategic partners while maintaining long-term commercial relationships. For example, Coca-Cola and Gutsche Family Investments agreed to sell a controlling interest in Coca-Cola Beverages Africa to Coca-Cola HBC AG, with an option for Coca-Cola HBC to acquire the remaining stake over time. The company has also reported the sale of ownership stakes in bottlers in India as part of this refranchising approach.
These transactions reflect a focus on building what the company calls a strong consumer franchise system, where The Coca-Cola Company concentrates on brand building, concentrate production and system leadership, while bottling partners handle much of the production and distribution of finished beverages. Company communications indicate that this model is intended to support long-term growth by pairing global brands with local execution and investment by bottlers.
Categories and consumer focus
In its public statements, The Coca-Cola Company emphasizes a "total beverage" and consumer-centric approach. It notes that it offers choice across its beverage portfolio and that it is focused on meeting evolving consumer preferences. Examples in company updates include growth in ready-to-drink tea under the Fuze Tea brand, a dual-brand sports strategy with Powerade and BODYARMOR, and the expansion of Minute Maid Zero Sugar into markets in Asia Pacific. The company also highlights the performance of value-added dairy brands such as fairlife in the United States and Santa Clara in Mexico, and reports that Santa Clara has become a value share leader within its category in that market.
Company disclosures also reference consumer need states such as functionality and refreshment, and describe efforts to align product offerings with these needs. Within sparkling soft drinks, the company reports growth in Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Diet Coke/Coca-Cola Light, indicating attention to sugar-reduced and no-sugar variants. These examples illustrate how The Coca-Cola Company positions its brands across different categories and consumer segments within the nonalcoholic ready-to-drink beverage market.
Digital transformation and organizational structure
The Coca-Cola Company has announced organizational changes designed to support technology adoption and digital transformation. In an 8-K filing and accompanying press release, the company reported the creation of a new Chief Digital Officer role to unify digital, data and operational excellence across the enterprise. The responsibilities associated with digital strategy, previously overseen by the President and Chief Financial Officer, are scheduled to transition to this new role. The company has also described changes in operational leadership to group markets in Asia, Africa and the Middle East under new regional leads.
These organizational updates are presented by the company as part of an effort to bring the business closer to consumers and to move faster in adopting technology. The company references an "operating organization structure" and "digital network" that it seeks to integrate, with the goal of improving execution, simplifying ways of working and enabling more precise and rapid responses to consumer needs across markets.
Sustainability and community initiatives
In multiple press releases, The Coca-Cola Company highlights sustainability and community-focused initiatives as part of its corporate purpose. The company states that it seeks to positively impact people’s lives, communities and the planet through water replenishment, packaging recycling, sustainable sourcing practices and carbon emissions reductions across its value chain. It also notes that it works with local teams and bottling partners to support sustainability initiatives, including packaging collection and recycling efforts associated with events such as the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola.
The company’s communications describe Coca-Cola as more than just a beverage, characterizing it as a symbol of optimism and a presence in memorable experiences. At major global events like the FIFA World Cup, Coca-Cola positions its beverages as part of celebrations that bring fans together, while also using these platforms to promote initiatives related to environmental impact and local community engagement.
Capital markets presence
The Coca-Cola Company’s common stock, with a par value of $0.25 per share, trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol KO. In addition to common stock, the company has multiple series of notes listed on the New York Stock Exchange, with maturities extending from 2026 to 2053. These securities are referenced in several Form 8-K filings, which list the titles of each class of notes and their associated trading symbols. The company also issues regular press releases and SEC filings related to its quarterly and annual financial results, leadership changes, board appointments and significant transactions.
Through these disclosures, The Coca-Cola Company provides information on its financial performance, including net revenues, operating income, earnings per share and unit case volume by region and category. While specific figures change over time, the company’s reporting underscores its participation in the global nonalcoholic ready-to-drink beverage market and its focus on organic revenue growth, cost management and marketing investments.
Corporate governance and leadership
The Coca-Cola Company’s board of directors and executive leadership team are active topics in its SEC filings and press releases. For example, the company has reported that its board elected Henrique Braun, then Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, as Chief Executive Officer effective March 31, 2026, with the prior CEO transitioning to Executive Chairman. The company has also disclosed the election of Max Levchin as a director and his appointment to the board’s Talent and Compensation Committee.
These governance updates are documented in Form 8-K filings under Item 5.02, which addresses departures and appointments of directors and certain officers, and in accompanying press releases. They illustrate the company’s process for leadership succession and board composition, as well as the continued involvement of senior leaders in shaping strategy, digital transformation and growth priorities.
Events, partnerships and brand activations
The Coca-Cola Company frequently associates its brands with global events and partnerships. A notable example is its long-standing relationship with FIFA and its sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola. The company notes that it has had a relationship with FIFA since the 1970s and has been an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup for decades. The trophy tour gives fans in multiple countries the opportunity to see the original FIFA World Cup Trophy, and includes immersive brand experiences, interactive football challenges and content featuring FIFA Legends.
Through such partnerships, The Coca-Cola Company uses its beverage portfolio to "refresh fans" at major sporting events and to connect its brands with moments of celebration. The company also highlights that these platforms support its sustainability efforts, particularly in areas such as packaging collection and recycling in host communities.