BAR NEWS: How much Switzerland is in Coca-Cola?
Vincent Rameau: Switzerland plays an important role for us. Almost half of Swiss households buy our products every month. Whenever a Coca-Cola drink is sold in this country, it is not only our approximately 650 employees who win, but also the Swiss economy. This is because we source 95 percent of the ingredients from Swiss suppliers, and we produce more than 80 percent of the products we sell here in Dietlikon / Brüttisellen (ZH) and Vals (GR).
What is typical for the Swiss market?
In Switzerland, innovations are particularly in demand, because customers like to try something new. That's why new launches are successful here. I'm not only thinking of the special editions of Coca-Cola, but also of the Lurisia or Kinley products. Sugar-reduced and sugar-free beverages are also particularly popular with Swiss customers. Coca-Cola Zero sugar, for example, has a very high share of local sales compared to other European countries.
What role does gastronomy play for Coca-Cola?
The role of gastronomy is becoming increasingly important. My work in the consumer goods industry has shown me one thing: brand adoption comes primarily from personal experiences. In this way, we can work together with event and evening catering to bring our new brands, such as Kinley, to life. And of course, a Coca-Cola is simply a "magical" accompaniment to a fine lunch or dinner.
How will Coca-Cola's recipes change in the coming years – keywords less sugar or perhaps a variant with alcohol?
Since 2005, we have been continuously reducing the sugar content in our portfolio. The demand from our customers for more sugar-reduced products is high and we meet this need with a wide range of beverages. In addition, as part of the Milan Declaration, we have committed ourselves to reducing the sugar content in our portfolio by a further 10 percent by the end of 2024. Accordingly, we will launch further innovations for sugar-free and sugar-reduced beverages in the coming years. Together with Brown Forman for "Jack & Coke" and Pernod Ricard for "Absolut & Sprite", two variants with alcohol were successfully launched in Great Britain and Germany, among others. This development is exciting to observe.
"We also produce 80 percent of the products sold in Switzerland in Switzerland."
What are the biggest challenges?
It is pleasing to see that after the pandemic, customers are once again enjoying going out, sharing experiences and moments. Nevertheless, the general economic developments in the market are a challenge for our partners in the hospitality industry. Not only inflation, but also the trend towards ever new regulations is a burden for SMEs.
"We source 95 percent of our ingredients from Swiss suppliers."
How important is the topic of sustainability?
"Sustainability is an important factor in customer acquisition," GastroSuisse wrote last year. This trend is set to continue. In addition to the topic of the circular economy, i.e. recycling of glass and PET, the reduction of CO2 is also at the top of the company's agenda. At HoReCa (hotels, restaurant and catering) we deliberately rely on the returnable glass bottle. For on-the-go catering, rPET, i.e. recycled PET, remains indispensable. Since autumn 2019, the PET bottles of the Coca-Cola subsidiary VALSER have been made of 100 percent PET, and since 2022 all PET bottles from Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite and Mezzomix have also been made of PET. This makes us a leader in Switzerland.
About Vincent Rameau
Vincent Rameau, 43, was born in France. Since February 2020, he has been Country Manager of Coca-Cola Switzerland and leads Coca-Cola's Swiss business, including production in Dietlikon / Brüttisellen (ZH) and VALSER in Graubünden. After graduating with a master's degree in business administration from the Kedge Business School in Marseille, he started his career in 2000 at the Mars subsidiary Royal Canin. Since 2002, he has held various global leadership positions at Mars. Today, Rameau lives with his wife and two children near Zurich. His favorite drink is Coca-Cola Zero Sugar.
