IamA Marketing Specialist in Coca-Cola, Russia. AMA about Coke or work in Russia!

Do you have a dash-cam?

Nope. But yes, many of Russians do.

Is Russia really as crazy as the dash-cams make them seem?

Sometimes yes. But mostly depends on city. E.g. my city has veeeery crazy drivers...

In Australia, Coke make a big deal about being the beverage of Summer and being cool (in both temperature and style) and refreshing. This has been very effective and hence they repeat the same process.

Example 1

Example 2

Example3

How does this work in Russia? Do they capitalize on the snow and cold?

There 2 main seasons for us, that make the sales volume: New Year and summer. For New Year the most popular and still loved commercial was this one. But this year we had polar bears. In this time of the year we have special campaigns - collect caps and receive a prize. This thing + the holiday itself works. The other season is, of course, summer. Though most people associate Russia with snow, half of the country still has hot summers (I have +40C). So the consumption in summers is very very big. Summer campaings are very important.

What is the Russian population's general attitude towards Americans? I always hear they don't like the USA. Have you experienced or heard of this? Is it mainly government to government or do their citizens portray this mentality?

Well, young people are absolutely open to anything from anywhere. Some older people are of course against American products, though sometimes they use them without noticing where is it from. I think it's more govermental, because from TV we can hear only that "Obama doesn't like Russians. New sanctions announced." In general we are Ok with any people.

I mean, obviously you aren't sanctioning us here in the U.S., so I get that I think... but I haven't really met too many people who dislike Russia over here. Putin, for sure... But not Russian people. I think during the cold war, we had a fear, but I think a lot of respect, because Russia was a worthy adversary.

Anyway... I'm glad to hear we can still be friends. :)

Sure we can :)

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When you need some "crazy Russian", PM me :D

"In general we are OK with any people." Unless they are gay... Or not white. Source: I'm Russian. (I am not suggesting either I or OP agree with this, simply stating that the country has an alarming amount of racism and homophobia)

That's true. I have 2 gay friends and though my other friends are fine with it, other people often react toо emotional and even cruel...

Are your bottles in cyrillic? Кока Кола?

No, "Coca-Cola" must be always written in English. But here's, for example, our bottle during the "Share a Coke" campaign.

Isn't CocaCola written in the Arabic alphabet in countries where the writing system is based on the Arabic alphabet?

I was talking about Russia. In other countries, especially Arabic, there can be logo in other writing.

What determines this? The specific country's laws, or is it market research?

The peoples' loyalty to foreign brands and of course laws. Yeah, and also on the ability of citizens to read English.

Woah! We got "Кока Кола" on the bottles once, maybe 20 years ago in Bulgaria.

We never had it in Serbia, but we can use the latin alphabet too. That's why I was wondering about Russia.

There were bottles with Cyrillic logo in 80s-90s in Russia, but as soon as Coke got famous enough, it was changed to English one.

Interesting... It does not say "Share a Coke", it says "This is your Coca Cola".

Saying "To share a Coke with..." would not require hard to pronounce or unmarketable sentences. Is there an underlying idea behind this? Russian people don't share? Asking as a Marketing student with Russian roots.

We wanted to go more personal here. It always interests people more, when you appeal to them personally. So it was decided to choose "This is your Coca-Cola". Also "Share a Coke" was a bit hard to translate so, that everyone will accept it. But we have different..mm..sayings on different bottle sizes. The smallest cans have "CC for him/her/me". Classic cans have nicknames, 0.5l bottles - names + father/sis/bro and so on. Bigger bottles have "CC for party/dacha/friends"

I work for Coca-Cola in America. Do they make you guys sit through those lame company rally videos with pretentious Muhtar Kent extolling his vague visions of the company? Or is that just a North America thing?

We don't watch Muhtar Kent, but watch and listen to Stefanos Vafeidis, country GM of Hellenic. But he is a nice and very positive guy.

Is there a big Feud over there with Russian Pepsi?

Yes, especially last 2-3 years.

In Soviet Russia, does Coke drink you?

Hehe! Sorry couldn't resist.

What's your favorite dinosaur?

Lol, triceratops

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Well, for Russia it's very important to inform people that Coke is not a "poison with some black dye". Especially older people often criticize youngers for drinking this kind of beverages. Our "great mission" is to let people know, that this is just a sweet soda, nothing else. Now our new strategy is also to make more Coke consumption with food at home, because home consumption in Russia is still low.

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We can drink Sprite instead and in fact some people drink it just because of this reason! And Coke is so much associated with black color, that clearness ruins everything :)

What about a campaign that shows how ingredients were created in the late 1800s. Like a black & white advert that shows the founder of coca cola dabbling with the natural ingredients for creating cola. Maybe this would cater to the older demographic and educate them about black not being poison or dirty.

Well, the first recipe of Coke was not very close to modern one. But in spring 2014 we launched TV this campaign to show how the Coke is created.

It kind of is, though, Soda is pretty bad for you.

And yet people drink it all the time and are perfectly healthy. All things are bad for you without proper moderation.

Absolutely agree!

Who is your favourite Russian goalie and why is it Sergei Bobrovsky?

I prefer hockey and support local team.

My dad actually designed and built the FreeStyle Machines, as well as the touch screen vending machines. Do you have either of these in Russia? How have they been received?

It's a pity we haven't these Machines here, though thinking about it. I love them, a big respect for your dad!

Do you wear a tracksuit to work?

God! No!

Whats your favorite drink other than coca cola?

Strawberry Fanta, Dr. Pepper, any Ice Teas, juices...

That's quite a coincidence, all the brands you named are owned by the Coca Cola company :)

EDIT: Dr Pepper only owned by Coke in 2 countries, my bad.

I used to drink Coca-Cola brands even before I started working here :) Dr.Pepper can't be officially named as ours. And also working here makes you drink what you produce :)

You can juice anything you know. Fruit juices? Vegetable juices? Animal juices? Wood fiber juices?

Orange, tomato, cherry. Also different smoothies.

How is Russian Coke different from American Coke?

There's no difference in ingredients. The difference in taste makes water. E.G. Ukrainian or Cambodian Cokes are less sweet than Russian or American.

Hola, Marina. Cats or dogs?

Cats!

How's the devaluation of the ruble effecting you?

For company: our business plans are in US dollars, so after devaluation we have to sell more, to achieve those goals in dollars. For me: foreign products got pretty more expensive, from food to electronics...

Do you ever get like really tired of soda?

Well... Although at work we can drink as much Coke/Sprite/Fanta as we want, usually I drink not more than 1 glass a day. So I can't say I'm tired of it. Yet :)

Do you live in a fancypants hirise condo/apartment in Moscow (or somewhere)? Buying or renting?

Originally I am from Sochi (where Winter Olympic Games took place), the very South of Russia, where lived for 17 years. Then I moved to Rostov-on-Don, it's far from Moscow. I rent an appartment, but plan to buy some soon. My app is quite modest.

Hi Marina!

I have two questions.

1) What demographic in Russia consumes the most Coke and soda?

2) What did you eat for breakfast today? :)

Hi! 1) Age 14-30 most, I can say. 2) As I have no time to have breakfasts at home, I usually drink my morning coffee and eat some kind of a bun, while checking my e-mail :)

How big is company market share in Russia? What are your closest competitors - Pepsi, some local kvas producer?

The market share of The Coca-Cola company is great here, because we're not only producing soft-cabonated beverages, but also water, ice tea, we have 3 Juice brands and also a kvass brand. But our kvass is less popular than Pepsi's one. The closest competitor is, of course, Pepsi.

Do they still sell Cola in glass bottles in Russia? I know that they didn't sell it in glass bottle in some parts of the world..

Did Cola in Russia distribute it to other countries as well? or just limited in Russia?

I realize that Russia is huge! In which part of Russia did Cola got consumed most?

Yes, we still sell in glass bottles, especially in cafes or restaurants is always used a glass bottle. Here is how it looks. We have lots of plants, almost in each country, so as far as I know, we don't distribute Russian produced Coke somewhere else. Of course, most of beverages, that are better to drink cold, are better sold in southern parts. Our South is very hot in summers, so the consuming volumes are very-very high.

Does Russian coke have krokodil in it?

I really love your questions, guys! :)

So does it ?

A secret hidden one. But don't tell anybody!

Are the ingredients that make up Coca-Cola in Russia different than that in the US? Or is the same?

The same, no differs. The slight differences in tastes in countries makes water.

What's pricing like is it a cheap or expensive drink in Russia?

It's more expensive than Pepsi, for example. But still not a "premium" beverage. A bit above the avegare.

Coke is more expensive than pepsi pretty much everywhere. Which sucks when you work for Coke in a pepsi dominate market. It's the end of the world every time the prices go up

Yes, many clients begin those endless price talks.

What tool/ thing do you use most at work. That does not have a computer in it?

Of course I live with my laptop near me like always. But if not computer-thing...hmm...Then my notebook, where I plan everything or some marketing materials we produce.

This question is important, seriously. Do you guys have a vodka and cola Coca-Cola product in Russia? If not you should patent that shit.

We don't mix vodka and Coke normally, so that won't work here.

I'm genuinely impressed that you searched through all of these comments and replied to my shitty question.

How could I leave you without an answer!

What are the main traits of Coke's brand identity?

I can say that happiness and sharing it is the most important trait.

Hi Marina!

I'm currently writing a high school paper on viral marketing, with a focus on Coca-Colas #shareacoke campaign. One of the things i'm writing about is what i think Coca-Cola will do next, so my question is:

How do you feel about the increasing presence of companies on Snapchat, and do you see Coca-Cola being on Snapchat soon?

Snapchat isn't popular in Russia at all, so I'm sorry, I can't answer your question...

Do you know anything about cybersport? Do you know that companies like Monster Energy, RedBull, Axe and even McDonalds are already sponsoring particular esport teams/tournaments? Have you considered moving into esports?

ps http://i.imgur.com/D5qmpOR.jpg - thats the numbers of the biggest CIS esport tournament from mid-2013.

Hi! Of course I know. Coke Zero is also a sponsor of some tournaments already. Are you Russian, btw?

Hi Marina,

Thank you for doing this AMA. I am bilingual in both English and Russian having lived in both Russia and America/UK. Is there any chance coca cola Russia looking for someone with an economics degree with these language preferences to work at their offices in Russia?

Спасибо большое!

Hi! Sure! I recommend to check out vacancies on hh.ru or on company's web page. If need any additional info, PM me, rady to help!

Are there any flavours that are exclusive to Russia, like how we have Cherry and Vanilla Coke?

We also had Cherry and Vanilla, but about 15 years ago. Now we have only Fanta flavours: Grape, Strawberry and Tangerine. The last one is rather popular in winter!

What's the formula?

Also, what's your idea of the perfect first date?

I don't know it! First date... No cinema, cafe or this kind of stuff. To do something together, like playing something, crafting, I don't know... Or simply walking and chatting :)

I once heard that Irn Bru (a sweet Scottish form of hydrochloric acid) was extremely popular in Russia. Is this true, and are they a serious competitor?

About 10 years ago it was really extremely popular, but now it's almost gone and I can't even remember when I saw a bottle in any store for the last time...

I never liked coke, until I was 16 (1999) and on the beach here (Argentina) there were a few buses that had a mini cinema.

Basically, they gave you a bottle of coke, you got in, sit down and showed you a few scenes. The last, a guy going to buy a Coke, on a very hot summer day.

The guy opened the coke, was about to drink and a voice at the cinema said "drink your coke now". You did as the guy was gulping delightfully his and cool water was sprinkled on your face as a mist by a machine. Afterwards, the guy on the screen finished with a satisfied " ahhhh!".

What's the deal with that campaign? Do you have any info? I'm amazed by it, because ever since I loved the beverage!

That's the great presentation for people that haven't tried Coke. It's hot, you want to drink. What do you want? I guess you'd prefer water. Campaign you participated in helpd you to try something new, to open new refreshment method that really works. The point is that you received Coke at the exact moment when you needed it - hot, thirst, the picture of a person who enjoys something and you want it yoo.

some time ago I learned in Brazil there is a version of Coca Cola that contains stevia-sweetener (kinda the same like Coke Zero but with natural sweetener) I was sorry to hear that the trials led only to Britain not anywhere else in the EU. is there anything planned that the stevia-Coke gets a try on the Russian market?

Have no info on it yet.

My wife is getting a marketing degree right now and is looking for job/internship prospects. Do you have any advice on where or how to get started in the industry?

Check out the web pages of the companies that you are interest in. A lot of them offer internships, after which you can stay on a full pay. As I also started with an internship I can say that's a nice way to start a career. Good luck to your wife!

I want to be a category manager for coke. What can I do to make this dream come true?

It depends on your experience. If none of it, start your career on Coke and you'll be able to do that. If yes, look up for vacancies, though it's harder to get into company from the outside. Maybe LinkedIn can help. Good luck!

Do you have a dash cam? And do you get free coke?

No, I don't have a dash cam. Yes, I can drink Coke, Fanta and Sprite for free. Sometimes we also get free packs of other brands.

How is russia holding up these days? is there talk of war? and does the political alliance between Russia and Chinese filter down into the average Joe on the street?

We feel the increasing prices on everything, especially food. Talks about war - always. My city is the closest in Russia to Ukraine, so we have lots of refugees here around. Sorry, didn't catch your last question...

Did you introduce any regional product under coca cola brand? Like wheat cola? Any potato cola comming?

We don't play with the Coke brand itself, but have local brands as an independent brands. E.g. Kvass brand, some local juices or energy drinks.

Hi Marina,

do they tell you what the "secret ingredient" is?

Thanks!

Hi! Nope, it's a sssssecret :) We get the syrup and don't know details about it.

have you tasted the syrup raw?

No, I guess it's tooooo sweet.

What would you rather have, Kvass or Coke?

Also, any change in lifestyle for average Russians since the fall of the Ruble and the sanctions?

We actually have a Nicola kvass brand with slogan "kvas ne cola, pei nicola"-kvass is not coke, drink nicola.The struggle is real)

Goods became more expensive(even those, which are produced locally with local resources).Even more bullshit on TV than usual.

Though I don't like the slogan, but Nicola is a good kvass. The goods are more expensive, agree.

Вау, здрастьте :) Как потребитель ваших продуктов хочу спросить, будет когда нибудь виноградная Фанта?))) Во всем мире есть блин, у нас нету. UPDATE: Погуглил, оказывается продавалась у нас такая, странно что убрали с производства.

Привет! Очень странно, что вы ее не застали, она продавалась довольно долго... А вы из какого региона? А вообще у нас планируются сезонные запуски разных вкусов. Виноград возможно вернется, но пока не могу сказать когда.

С Новосибирска. У нас тут даже завод свой ваш есть :) Да вот вдруг попробовал вкус импортный такой, толи Корейская газировка была, понравилось, стал искать фанту виноградную, не нашел :( Теперь все хочется.

Кстати всегда удивляло что стеклянные бутылочки везут аж с Москвы, а завод есть прямо в Новосибирске.

Не на всех заводах есть линии стекла. Объемы не такие большие как у ПЭТ или банок, потому выгоднее производить в больших объемах в Москве и перевозить. На самом деле у фанты, конечно, куча крутых вкусов, в Россию выбирается по одному и очень тщательно, т.к. у нас народ не всегда лояльно в экспериментам относится. А в Австрии, например, пила вот такую Фанту. Отменная!

Is it true that in Mother Russia you don't drink coke, coke drinks you?

Conrats, you're the 10000000 that wrote this joke :)

How popular is Coke in Russia? Do you sell more in Russia than America?

Of course not. America leads in selling Coke, it's their national property somehow :) But still Coke is very popular in Russia, every kid or older people know it. Christmas time is always connected with Coke-commercial, literally everyone waits for it and loves it!

Когда Путин будет на бутылке с колой? When Putin be on bottle of cola?

When he will become the total God of this world, I guess :)

Are you Russian? or American? I'm confused right now.

I'm Russian

How much of this video do you see on a regular basis in Russia?

What do you mean by "regular basis"? I don't watch TV, so I saw this only on YouTube. Though many people find this song offensive, I find it funny.

How are the sanctions effecting coke as a business and a western brand in Russia? First!!!

Sanctions are not affecting us as much as a company, because we have 11 plants in Russia and we are a Russian producer. The other thing is people's mind. After all the sanctions of course there are people that do not want "to pay some American brand" and prefer some local beverages. But these people always existed. So I can't say that anything much changed.

Does coca-cola contain alcohol?

No.