When Coca-Cola Co. directed its global subsidiaries to launch more local flavors last year, the company’s Indian arm came up with a unique drink: chunky mango juice. Indians commonly squeeze mangoes to soften them and then bite a hole in the tropical fruit’s tough skin to suck out the pulp, Coke’s Indian drink developers knew. So they concocted a beverage to mimic that experience, called Maaza Chunky.
去年,当可口可乐公司(Coca-Cola Co., KO)要求其全球各地的分公司上市更多当地口味的饮料时,该公司在印度的分公司构推出了一种独特的饮料:口感醇厚的芒果汁。印度人通常会挤压芒果使其变软,然后在这种热带水果坚硬的表皮上咬一个洞,吸出果肉。可口可乐的印度饮料开发商知道这个习惯,因此他们调配出一种名为Maaza Chunky的饮料模拟这一过程。
开发一种仅投放印度市场的产品,这对三年前的饮料巨头可口可乐来说是不会轻易尝试的,但这凸显出可口可乐首席执行长James Quincey为推动该公司摆脱其谨慎的企业文化、向新的类别扩展并加快产品上市时间所做的努力。
“There are products out there in the world that perhaps we wouldn’t have tried a few years ago,” Mr. Quincey said in an interview.
Quincey在接受采访时表示:“世界上有一些产品是我们几年前可能不会去尝试的。”
Before Mr. Quincey was named CEO in May 2017, investors and analysts had criticized the Atlanta-based company for focusing too long on sugary soft drinks, even as consumers switched to healthier options and the company’s global beverage volumes stalled.
Quincey在2017年5月被任命为首席执行长之前,投资者和分析师已经批评这家总部位于亚特兰大的公司专注于含糖软饮料的时间过长,而消费者已经转向更为健康的饮料且该公司在全球的饮料销量停滞不前。
Since then, Coke has pushed harder to diversify, launching more than 500 new products and variants last year, a record for the company and an increase of roughly 25% over the previous year. Recent launches include a cucumber-flavored Sprite in Russia, a line of whey shakes in Brazil, a sesame-and-walnut drink in China and a salty lemon tonic water in France and Belgium. Coke says its expanding portfolio is helping to drive its recent growth in volumes.
自那时起,可口可乐公司已加大力度实现产品的多样性,去年推出了超过500种新产品和不同口味的饮料,创下该公司的历史纪录,较前一年增加了约25%。最近推出的产品包括在俄罗斯销售的黄瓜味雪碧(Sprite)汽水,在巴西的一系列乳清奶昔,在中国推出芝麻和核桃味饮料及在法国和比利时推出含盐柠檬汤力水。可口可乐表示其扩大的产品组合帮助推动了其最近销量的增长。
“We’re not betting the ranch on every idea until it’s proven to have some traction,” Mr. Quincey said. “I think we see more innovation in the marketplace...but just as importantly, a focus on removing the things that don’t work.”
Quincey表示:“在事实证明想法可行前,我们不会赌上全部身家。我认为我们在市场上看到了更多的创新,但同样重要的是,还要注重排除行不通的事物。”