Coke under lens over social responsibility
COCA-Cola’s performance as an ethically-conscious global brand has come under scrutiny in a 15-nation, Europe-wide study into the soft drinks giant’s involvement in social causes and environmental responsibility. Over two-thirds of respondents questioned whether the company makes a positive contribution to society. The study, which was commissioned by Vlerick Leuven Ghent Management School in Belgium, looked at the Socially Responsible Trading performance of Coca-Cola across 15 major European markets and eight separate consumer groups. According to the report, more than 40% of respondents felt Coca-Cola was not making a positive contribution to society, with over-three quarters of those polled stating they were prepared to pay more for ethically produced goods. Additionally, 86% of people surveyed said companies should speak about their charitable work, but a proportion of respondents said “virtue is its own reward”. However, the report warned that brands must be seen to be engaging in social and environmental programmes to remain successful. The survey was critical of companies which seemed to be pay “lip service” to charity work, arguing that one-off, short term actions were “pointless” and seen as “commercial stunts by the consumer”. The report’s analysis stated: “Certainly in the case of Coca-Cola we can assume that consumers already have a strong, sound brand attitude through years of product experience and advertising messages. “But, the soft drinks giant would certainly be ill advised not to invest in social projects. In the long-term, companies would certainly have to engage in SRT in order to remain successful.” The survey polled consumers across Eastern and Western Europe, including ones in Belgium, France, Germany, the UK, Denmark, Italy, Spain Poland, Romania and Hungary.
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