A Closer Look At Coca Cola’s “Bridge” Program

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The Coca-Cola Company

New technologies are impacting consumer companies in several ways. From improving the customer experience by bringing in convenience and personalization to streamlining the production and employee training processes, newer technologies are contributing in every sphere of the business. The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) has a unique program termed the “Bridge” which is aimed at bringing newer technologies to the company faster than competitors. This program which is aimed to be a bridge between technology entrepreneurs and global markets identifies software start-ups which are on the verge of commercialization. Coca-Cola identifies start-ups which are important for its business and provides them with a platform where they can connect with investors and customers. In the past the company has participated in funding rounds for these companies and one of the start-ups under this program was acquired by social media company Snap. The current start-ups under this program include a social polling service for companies, a content management system for virtual reality, and a marketing solution for small and medium businesses. The “Bridge” program has been in existence for three years and Coca-Cola’s goal is to boost start-ups with whom it can partner as they grow into bigger companies.

Innovation is an essential part of Coca-Cola’s strategy and as the company looks to grow in a changing beverage industry where consumers are shifting focus to healthier drinks, investments in newer technologies can give it a competitive edge. Further, this program ensures that speed of execution for a new technology process is faster since it has been already developed and tested by the start-up. If Coca Cola finds the technology useful, the company can directly implement it in its processes.

In March this year, Mercedes Benz joined Coca-Cola’s Bridge program as a sponsor. This partnership will allow Coca-Cola to learn from this leading brand helping it to deploy innovative solutions. Further through this partnership the company can also improve its ability to identify the best start ups for its Bridge program.

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While several companies have start-up incubator programs, Coca-Cola’s goal through its Bridge program is to identify companies with whom it can partner to improve its technology. Further, this program looks at later stage start-ups which can be commercialized quickly.

Innovation is likely to be a key differentiator for consumer companies in the long term. Coca-Cola’s Bridge program has been successfully running for the past three years and we believe this can give the company the much needed competitive differentiation in terms of newer technology for its processes and consumer experience.

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