The attention of Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited (CCNL) has been drawn to media reports alleging partisan support by our Company for a candidate in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Lagos State, whose names appear on some Coca-Cola plastic (PET) bottle labels under the ‘Share a Coke’ initiative.
We affirm that as a responsible business organization, we are apolitical and do not support or oppose any political party or candidate in any manner whatsoever.
We wish to clarify that in response to consumer feedback and popular request, we sustained on demand basis the ‘Share a Coke’ marketing initiative which we launched in Nigeria in 2012, enabling members of the public celebrating special events to place orders for Coca-Cola or Coca-Cola Zero customized with their choice of names or messages on the labels.
This customization service was outsourced to a distinct vendor and is not managed by our bottling partner, Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (NBC). We instituted appropriate control measures to forestall the abuse of this service by individuals or groups who may attempt to use it to spread offensive messages or promote causes that are illegal or against public interest. We note that these controls have been effective; that the present instance involves an individual’s personal names without any political emblem or campaign message and that it involves a limited quantity ordered by a member of the public and not a commercial quantity for the trade.
The Coca-Cola System has operated responsibly in Nigeria for almost seventy years and we remain committed to providing our consumers with quality beverage products for refreshment in private moments and on special occasions.
