Business Communication Report: Strategic Planning and CSR at Coca-Cola

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Coca-Cola's business strategies, focusing on strategic planning and corporate social responsibility (CSR). It explores the application of sustainable approaches to business management, highlighting the importance of creativity, flexibility, and stakeholder engagement. The report examines Coca-Cola's CSR activities, benefits, and implementation steps, emphasizing the creation of economic, social, and ethical environments. Furthermore, it details the development of key skills such as communication, numeracy, teamwork, and information and communication techniques within the company. An action plan for skill development is also included, outlining strategies to enhance operational efficiency and foster a positive work environment. The report also discusses the challenges Coca-Cola faces and provides insights into how the company can adapt and improve its strategies to maintain a competitive edge in the market.

BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Application of strategic planning and CSR activities.................................................................1
Development skills in the area used by Coca Cola.....................................................................4
Action plan for developing of the skills......................................................................................6
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Coca Cola is an American Company, retailer, manufacturer and marketer making non-
alcoholic syrups, beverages and concentrates. It is best known for its star product Coca-Cola
which was invented in year 1886. Coca-Cola brand and formula were bought by Asa Griggs
Candler in 1894 and incorporated this company. Name Coca-Cola was chosen because of its two
main ingredients' kola nuts and coca leaves (Penrose, 2015). Till 1948, Coca-Cola was a huge
success and claimed 60% of market share. But in year 1984 because of new competitors mainly
Pepsi, its market share decreased to 21.8%. Coca-Cola and all its subsidiaries produce syrup
concentrates only. Then these syrups are sold to various bottlers throughout the world who has
Coca-Cola franchise. Bottlers sell, distribute and merchandise Coca-Cola products. Its products
to restaurants, vending machines, retail stores and food service distributors (Eisenberg, Johnson
and Pieterson, 2015).
Company has acquired many products or companies since 1960. In 1960 Minute-Maid
was acquired,in 1993 Thums up was acquired, in 2001 Odwalla brand was acquired etc. Coca-
Cola have many products such as Coca-Cola, Diet coke, Fanta, Honest Tea, Minute-Maid,
Odwalla, Smart Water, Sprite, Maaza, Kinley, Coca-Cola vanilla and many more. According to
the latest report net revenue of Coca-Cola is USD$ 35,410 million. Coca-Cola has faced many
lawsuits because of various criticisms concerning health and environment and health issues.
Coca-Cola advertisement has always been in large number and had affected the culture and
society the most. It does its advertising through direct marketing, viral marketing, web and social
media marketing and through sales and promotion (Penrose, 2015). Coca-Cola has always
sponsored sports events, television events and theme parks ad done advertisement of its brand
and spends almost USD$ 3 billion.
This report will lay emphasis on sustainable approach to business management including
strategic planning and CSR challenges, will reflect updates on your key skills evident in journal
entry.
MAIN BODY
Application of strategic planning and CSR activities
A sustainable approach for business management is very important. A sustainable
environment create a good and positive approach to the employees. They penetrate the customers
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towards Coca-Cola. Sustainable approach is developed for the growth in customers and
stakeholders. Because with a growing company any stakeholder want to put share in it.
Sustainable development is using by many of the companies and one of them is coca-cola. The
term sustainable development is work for own and also for future generation because brand trust
is faithfully working in the mind of consumers.
Sustainable companies have key elements to build trust with workers and they are
following-
Accountability and profitability
Team management
Transparency
Respect of individuals
High performance working
In coca-cola every individual works with team management and have all qualities which have to.
Strategic planning in sustainable development of coca-cola and implementation of this have need
of creativity, flexibility, inquiry (Mayfield and Mayfield, 2017). Creativity comes through high
performance of work with engaged employees. Create something different from other companies
in term of packaging and labelling, because looks matter always. Flexible with the environment
with more creativity and new idea generation, use all the knowledge and experience to make the
product sustainable.
Strategic planning is defined to achieve goal of the organisation, identification of
organisations goals and objectives and how to put that strategy in the organisation. Strategic
management is done for to identify that the resources and the planning process which provide to
the employees, will achieve the goal and it supports the vision to implement the objectives.
Strategic planning forces coca-cola to be aware about the strength, weakness, opportunities and
threats.
Strategic planning for sustainable approach-
Decide the team which involve in planning process and gather all the information
regarding the product. Identify the values and mission and vision of coca-cola that how this
company exists. Identify market position of coca-cola in present and what it will be in the future.
It is important to work with team. Then describe about the plan in a single document and send it
to each employee who is included in it. After it they distribute the task to each employee and
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allocate resources for vision. Now the plan is to communicate with all employees. Direction of
efforts has to same.
After completion of all steps the plan have to move in right direction and has to be implement.
Sustainable approach with CSR
Corporate social responsibility refers to that how a business runs with understand the
social environment and make positive impacts on the environment. It covers sustainability with
moral values and ethics. Corporate social responsibility said that an organisation has to
contribute in economic environment to follow ethics. It builds capacity for sustainable
development. It helps to build wealth. Coca-Cola applying CSR with sustainable approach and
help in wealth creation against competitive market.
It is a concept where company build a better and clear society with their responsibilities.
Sustainability is a concept in which companies will make economical, social and ethical
environment across the country (Mayfield and Mayfield, 2017). To stay with sustainability in
the competitive world for coca-cola is critical. because they have to face many difficulties.
Benefits of CSR for Coca-Cola -
 Identification of the market in which they have to invest, which through they create long
term growth.
 Operating cost are reduce due to the supply chain and its management.
 Contribute in economical, social environment.
 Good relationship with stakeholders and shareholders.
 Trust building through high performance work of employees.
The sustainability based on how employees react and work today. Advantage of implementing
CSR is risk reduction, competitive advantage, develop reputation in corporate world, outcomes
with strategic value creation.
CSR implementation has following steps-
Examine and understand- Understand the value of company and culture. The one is
employee who develop the new products, provide best services to the customer, maintain the
quality of organisation. Understand the behaviour of employee will make wealth for coca-cola.
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Keep it holistic- That means link past with the future. Sustainable leaders make process
with strategy that work for the organisation and their shareholder. Before knowing that what
happen, it will be managed.
Establishment- Some group of employees dedicated to the organisation. Need to make a
team with full of energy who establish suitability principles in the organisation. Implementation
of this to remember the experience.
Motivate and engage- Keep employee engaged with company and it is the key of
achieving aim. To maintain the moment when employees are excited for new mission. Motivate
them with engagement of work.
Prepare to adapt- If the corporate is healthy then it is not critical to achieve the target.
Good changes will obviously take time. Challenges will address with the creativity and
flexibility and transparency will create understanding.
Development skills in the area used by Coca Cola
Coca cola has been engaged in making use of strategic planning and corporate social
responsibility so that they can involve in improving their image and enhance their good will.
They have analysed that company needs to get enhanced in various development areas. These
areas include the following:
Communication: This means exchanging of information from one person to another.
Coca cola must be engaged in effective communication. There are two types of interaction that
includes verbal and non verbal. Company must make sure that they are engaged in effective
communication with employees. All the planning and strategies made by them must be
efficiently exchanged with workers (Mayfield and Mayfield, 2017). This can help them in
developing relationship between them. This can support organisation in enhancing the efficiency
and productivity of workers. For improving verbal communication company can also get
involved in providing training on this. Employees must be engaged in using right gestures to
interact with board of managers and other people.
Like for example Hand shake and nodding of head can be used by them if they are
agreeing with rules and regulations of board of managers. Effective interaction can help them in
improving the relationship between workers and organisation. Also, emphasis can be laid by
Coca-cola on non verbal communication. It can be in the form of interacting with other people
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by using gestures. Written communication can also be part of this (Pearson, 2017). For
improving written communication proper training can be given by Coca- cola to employees.
They can make employees learn about how to write email and greeting mail. This can help in
enhancing the operational efficiency of people. This part needs a concrete development from
companies basis
Numeracy: It is basically the ability to adapt and work with numbers. This development
skill can also be used by Coca Cola in order to improve their operational efficiency. A numerical
literate person can manage the aspects related to mathematics. Like for example in order to
manage their finance department company should be engaged in hiring a well qualified and
highly efficient finance staff. They can assist Coca cola in making their budgets and doing
calculations related to it (Penrose, 2015). Rules and policies related to making decision should be
effectively communicated with them. This can help organisation or company in achieving the
highest rate of efficiency. Also, Coca cola by hiring effective staff who are good in number can
save a lot of time for more better activities. This can increase efficiency of firm.
Coca cola can also engaged in providing training related to improvement in numbers for
their employees. This can assist workers in enhancing their aspects related to growth. It can also
make staff more efficient and by increasing their efficiency in numeracy they can have wider
choice. It is very important for the staff member to give training related to handling of number,
this will help them in increasing the productivity of organisation. Training can also help
company in creating a special bond or relationship with workers. This makes working
environment better. Company also needs to have development in this area.
Working with others: Coca cola can improve working and workplace with others by
following ways. Most of the companies communicate with their employees only when there is
need or a problem etc, this makes employees feel as machines(Penrose, 2015). Coca cola need to
make the communication as an event. It will improve the collaboration which can be achieved
through effective communication. Coca cola should establish team rules as early as best. It will
give everyone a direction by making them work together with uniformity. Building a stronger
team doesn't come only by inspiration and discussion, coca cola should give rewards and
recognitions which can be in the form of promotions, bonuses, extra holiday days etc.
Coca cola should focus on the strengths of its employees. If it focuses on the weaknesses
of the team member it can affect engagement and will lower the teams' productivity. Coca cola
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should run more effective meetings while increasing participation, ideas and out comes, it will
strengthen relationships so they can take the full advantage of their collective intelligence. Coca
cola should practice participative leadership in leading meetings, assigning tasks, recording
decisions and commitments, assessing progress, and holding team members accountable and
providing directions for the team which will build team spirits and working conditions.
Information and communication techniques: Coca Cola can engaged in making use of ICT
software so that they will be able to manage and effectively use the data related to consumers
and clients. This can help them in properly and efficiently managing the task and activities in the
organisation. By this coca cola can improve their productivity as well as efficiency. Information
and communication techniques can also engaged in developing effective relationship with other
employees and also with board of management.
Action plan for developing of the skills
In order to have critical development to increase operational efficiency of Coca cola
company, they need to make an action plan for this (Moshiri and Cardon, 2014). Action plan will
lay emphasis on the areas of development. This can support organisation in increasing their
efficiency and productivity.
Action area Task Strategies to
implement
Resources Time required
To implement
effective
communication
The task that
Coca cola needs
to lay focus on is
making verbal
and non verbal
communication
more effective
This can be done
by Coca-Cola by
effectively
providing training
to employees on
both verbal and
non verbal
communication.
They can make
workers learn
about how to
write an email or
Resources that
can be needed by
Coca-Cola is
support from
senior staff,
internet and
online tutorials
related to same.
And use of
updated
techniques.
1 Month
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greeting cards. Or
emphasis can be
laid by industry
on improving the
gestures of
workers.
Effective
communication
can support
company in
improving the
operational
efficiency and
productivity
(Mayfield and
Mayfield, 2017).
This can make
them more
efficient and can
help them in
growing. Also,
knowledge and
learning can be
given related to
the same. This
can assist workers
in enhancing their
aspects related to
growth. It can
also make staff
more efficient and
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by increasing
their efficiency
through learning
communication.
This will also
support company
in increasing
profitability and
attracting more
consumers
The action area is
to improve the
capability related
to Issue solving
The task that
Coca cola needs
to focus on is
solving of the
problems rising in
their organisation.
Coca cola can
engage in
enhancing their
this skill by
identifying and
analysing the
needs and
demands of
employee's as
well as their
clients. They
must be engaged
in acute
conversation with
them. I have also
analysed that
keen emphasis
should also be
laid on making
employee's
involve in the
Resources that
can be needed by
Coca-Cola is
support from
senior staff,
internet and
online tutorials
related to same
(Kernbach,
Eppler and
Bresciani, 2015).
And use of
updated
techniques.
2 Months
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decision making
process, so that
most of the issues
and problems can
be solved
effectively and
efficiently. It can
also make staff
more efficient and
by increasing
their efficiency
through learning
communication.
Training can also
be given to
employee's on
issue solving. It
will increase
employees,
individuals and
team abilities to
solve problems
related to it.
Numeracy The task that
Coca cola needs
to get focus on
developing the
skills related to
numeracy. It is
very necessary for
organisation to
Strategies that can
be used by Coca
cola in order to
develop this skill
training and
learning can be
given on the
strategies to
Coca-Cola is
support from
senior staff,
internet and
online tutorials
related to same.
And use of
updated
2 Months
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develop this skill. develop power of
numeracy. This
can make
employees more
efficient on it.
Developing of
skills like
numeracy can
support coca cola
in making
budgets very
easily. This can
support in making
company more
efficient and
effective. Also
numeracy can
help in managing
and maintaining
of the things
(Kernbach,
Eppler and
Bresciani, 2015).
It can enhance
efficiency of
workers to
manage the most
tough task easily
and effectively.
Also, Coca cola
by hiring
techniques.
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