The Coca-Cola company is 5th most respected in the world

November 29, 2004
New Delhi

The Coca-Cola Company has been ranked as the fifth most respected company in the world by the Financial Times/ PricewaterhouseCoopers survey on world's 'Most Respected Companies'. The company also came top in its category of food and beverage industries.

Since the rankings began, the company has remained in the top ten, never falling below the sixth slot. "There's hardly any village in the world where Coca-Cola isn't known," one chief executive said. "For 100 years, they have maintained dominance," said another. "A fabulous brand story," commented a third.

Coca-Cola is ranked in the top ten by business leaders (No. 10, same as in 2003) for 'Best Corporate Governance'. In a separate ranking of corporate governance by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Coca-Cola moved into the top ten for the first time at number 5. Coca-Cola is involved in hundreds of citizenship initiatives, ranging from funding a floating library in the Amazon and building schools in China to renovating a museum in St. Petersburg, providing extensive support for community programs across India, with a focus on education, health and water conservation, all key priorities of the Indian Government and helping fight Aids in Africa.

Sanjiv Gupta, president of Coca-Cola India said, "This is a great tribute to our workforce throughout the world, as well as in India. We recently appeared in the top ten most admired companies in India too so really feel a part of this success."

Coca-Cola has helped build school athletics tracks and sponsored several initiatives designed to encourage exercise among young people across the world. The Company also issued guidelines recommending that carbonated drinks should not be provided to elementary and middle schools, suggesting that vending machines should instead be stocked with fruit juices and bottled waters.

In terms of providing shareholder value, Coca-Cola has remained in the top ten, ranked number 7 by business leaders as in 2003. Coca-Cola also was ranked in the top ten for shareholder value by fund managers at number 8, same as in 2003.


The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company. Along with Coca-Cola, recognized as the world's best-known brand, The Coca-Cola Company markets four of the world's top five soft drink brands, including diet Coke, Fanta and Sprite, and a wide range of other beverages, including diet and light soft drinks, waters, juices and juice drinks, teas, coffees and sports drinks. Through the world's largest distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company's beverages at a rate exceeding 1 billion servings each day.