Thomas Oth: Coca-Cola chce dalej inwestować w Polsce

This is not something that we know a lot in the other markets and I find it great to see these traditions being perpetuated in Poland. That was my biggest surprise I would say. The power of the traditions. Let's talk business. Poland is considered a fast-growing, significant market for Coca-Cola. I've seen it valued around 6.5 billion euro, if my numbers are correct. And Coca-Cola as a brand has been in Poland for over 50 years, right? So the history is important, as you already said. W jaki sposób Polska jest tak ważna w strategii globalnej Coca-Cola? Słuchaj, są różne rzeczy. Po pierwsze, jak wspomniałeś, Polska jest rozwiniętym markiem i jest to bardzo określony.

Let's add some broader perspective, let's call it industry context. You've worked in other markets, Belgium, Luxembourg and Nordics, right? Correct. Before coming to Poland, so how does what you've seen in Poland so far compare? Niektóre rzeczy. Widzimy Polskę jako bardzo dynamiczną markę, rozwiniętej markę, która jest bardzo dobrym potencjałem dla tej krainy i tej ekonomii. Kolejna rzecz, która jest ważna do wspomnienia, jeśli chodzi o polskie marki i polską ekonomię, to dynamiczne środowisko retailowe. I one wpływają na pozytywny klimat dla FMCG i dla rynku retailowego w generalności.

During this Coca-Cola Warsaw cookout, I heard that you featured Michelin-starred chefs making dishes, right? That's correct. So we regrouped different Michelin chefs from different places in the world and each one of them was coming with one of their signature dishes that basically the Coca-Cola consumers could come and enjoy with an ice-cold Coca-Cola. Christmas is around the corner. I need to ask you about the Christmas. The Coca-Cola trucks are a holiday staple in Poland or across Europe or across the world, wherever Coca-Cola is popular.

But this is not the most important part. The most important part is the thing that beyond this iconic holiday caravan Coca-Cola partners each year with the Polish food banks, right? Of course, because you're right, now is that magical time of the year, right? Christmas is approaching and like it has been the case for many years, you will have the Christmas truck of Coca-Cola will start its journey through Poland. It will have seven stops. It will go to Opolę, Kielce, Krasnik, Radom, Poznań and Elk. I hope I'm pronouncing correctly. Ale masz rację. Masz rację, że poza tym doświadczeniem w Christmas Truck, chcieliśmy znowu zmienić lokalne społeczeństwa.

Podzieliliś się Twoimi najlepszymi praktykami z całego świata tak wcześnie jak w 2020 roku. Last year you joined forces with 10 other companies, even your competitors, to create something what is called Kautsja.pl. Correct. One of the strengths of the Coca-Cola system is that we can leverage best practices from all over the world, right? So, as such, you are very correct that Coca-Cola HBC, since 2020, has been involved in this area of a deposit return scheme in Poland, where we've been sharing learnings, best practices from the other markets, together with ten representatives of the sector.

Co robimy każdego dnia, to oferujemy świetne, smakujące drzwi, które dopasują do życia konsumentów. This is also where we are focusing our marketing efforts on these low and low calorie versions. Today in the portfolio in Poland we have more than 12 products that have low or no calories and in whatever we do we always align with the recommendation of leading health authorities like the World Health Organization. So that free sugars should not exceed more than 10% of your daily total energy intake. And this is also why we are reshaping our portfolio today. You were correct. Today 45% of our portfolio in Europe consists of these low or no sugar products.