What is Coca Cola looking for from start-ups?
Speaking at an event for startups as part of the IFTNEXT program, Jim Murphy, VP, Strategy and Venturing at Coca Cola, said he was looking for emerging brands with a great tasting and differentiated product, a great founder's story, and a brand/product that is defensible over time, "so you can maintain your competitive advantage."
While one obvious benefit of securing investment from Coca-Cola might be a distribution boost, said Murphy, "Everybody thinks that the road to heaven is on a big red [Coca Cola] truck that goes everywhere. But sometimes, that's not the case. You can't just shove everything into the mothership."
In some cases, he said, it might be more beneficial for an emerging brand to tap into Coca Cola's expertise when it comes to procurement, marketing strategy and R&D.