Coca-Cola Headquarters

By Alyse Lovett and Meredith Stringer

The Coca-Cola Company is truly a magical place. The vending machines located in the company’s Atlanta headquarters offer employees (and certain special visitors) a free Coke at the touch of a button. The company prides itself on a product that people the world over can agree to love. Jonathan “Rocky” Rief, director of Public Policy, Trends, and Insights at Coca-Cola, gave us an inside look into research the company has done on several contemporary issues that affect public perception of the company.

Rief brought up the issue of the public’s lack of confidence in large corporations — a major challenge for the company. The company has counteracted this perception through its work as a socially responsible organization. Coca-Cola prides itself on making the world a better place by producing 100% recyclable materials, working with environmental organizations like the World Wildlife Federation, donating money toward education, and aiding in the efforts to combat childhood obesity.

In terms of the objectives that Coca-Cola strives to reach, Rief explained to us that there are several important things one must keep in mind. He admitted that one should “be proactive in neutralizing health concerns, but recognize that there are borders around the product.” Coca-Cola has reacted to Americans’ concerns about childhood obesity by offering beverages like Coke Zeroä. Nevertheless, the company acknowledges that they cannot single-handedly end childhood obesity. The most beneficial tactic is simply to offer variety and options in Coke products.

Rief went on to advise, “When it comes to corporate social responsibility, less is more.” Though the endorser of a product must know what its customers and potential customers value and dislike, as well as the public’s general mood, they cannot make everyone happy. Rief and his team at Coca-Cola have an extensive knowledge of what the American people are thinking and feeling, but, as Rief contended, addressing all of the issues may lead to problems. The more effective method of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is to address select issues and address them well. As Rief explained, “Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow: communicate Coca-Cola’s core values.”

Coca-Cola offers internships primarily during the summer in the areas of internal communications, media, healthcare, governmental affairs, environmental policy and brand public relations. For more information about applying and a list of possible placement opportunities, you can visit Coca-Cola Internships.