Coca-Cola Goes for Gold with Olympic Advertising

The Coca-Cola Company has been an Olympic partner since 1928. This year, it is the holder of the exclusive right to sell nonalcoholic beverages at the One World One Dream 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. This not only gives Coca-Cola access to existing world markets, but also access to millions and millions of consumers in China.

China is Coca-Cola's fourth largest market. Some financial analysts project that it will become number one. Coca-Cola has created new drinks for China. And its Chinese website features a colorful Olympic theme.

Coke executives, like Marketing Director Andres Kriger, are hoping that their Olympic advertising, and subsequent brand recognition, will help endear 1 billion Chinese consumers to their product.

In addition to Coca-Cola being an advertising juggernaut, they have sought to become a positive corporate force in the world. Coca-Cola Company has released a public Human Rights Statement, expressing support for principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In its 2006 Corporate Responsibility Review, Coca-cola states, "We respect the human right principles embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and strive to ensure that human rights are respected by our business partners."

The company confirmed this commitment by voluntarily signing on to the United Nations Global Compact. The compact's first two principles state, "Businesses should support and respect the protection of international human rights within their sphere of influence" and "make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses." Does this include business dealings in China?

China continues to support the actions of Khartoum through over $10 billion in commercial and capital investments in Sudan. It has also served as an impediment to the United Nations' making any serious inroads to peace in Darfur. Due to the inextricable economic and diplomatic links between Khartoum and Beijing, China is in a unique position to help push forward peace negotiations. How does this complicate Coca-Cola's business interests in China?

It is clear that the Coca-Cola Company is concerned about the crisis in Darfur. It donated $750,000 to the Red Cross and Red Crescent to provide humanitarian relief in Darfur. This exemplifies their striving to be responsible corporate world citizens.

But now we must ask them to act in accordance with their own expressed human-rights principles and use their influence in China to pursuade Beijing to act immediately to help to end the genocide in Darfur. Otherwise, its silence must be viewed as complicity.