Empowering entrepreneurs is accelerating financial growth, says Coca-Cola CEO

Coca-Cola Brasil announces investment of up to 200 million reais in training entrepreneurs in the small retail of bars and restaurants. Luís Felipe Avellar, President Brazil, detailed the plan and expected results

In an atmosphere of celebration of the 80 years of operation in Brazil, the beverage manufacturer Coke announces the acceleration of 300 thousand small retail establishments, such as bars and restaurants, during one year of the program. The novelty, which will take place through training, is a new stage of “Coca-Cola gives your business a boost”, which provides tools for entrepreneurs.

“Reflecting the covid-19 pandemic, there was a reconfiguration of small retail, when some closed and new entrepreneurs started in the food segment. Thus, the unique platform we are launching helps entrepreneurs to connect and train on a number of fronts, such as digital communication, service, management and more”, says Luís Felipe Avellar, president Brazil and Cone Sul at Coca-Cola Latin America, in an interview with EXAME.

According to the executive, the company maintains an investment of 3 billion reais a year to promote social and environmental impact. Now, the contribution for small entrepreneurs is approximately 200 million reais in the first twelve months. In addition, there is enormous potential for expansion as Coca-Cola reaches around 1 million points of sale.

“This initiative comes to inspire and support the growth of the places where we operate in the resumption of the pandemic, positioning Coca-Cola as the best business partner”, says Silmara Olívio, director of corporate relations Cone Sul at Coca-Cola Latin America.

With exclusive training and materials developed by Sebrae and the Brazilian Association of Bars and Restaurants (Abrasel), the platform aims to be a hub for professional training through content that brings a simple and easy-to-apply approach, even for more complex topics such as economics. circular, digitization, among others.

“We understand training as a path of no return, as it transforms the mentality of those who invest in this process. Regardless of the motivation that drives the entrepreneur to open a business, seeking improvement increases your chances of success. Being driven only by passion or experience is often not enough”, says Carlos Eduardo Pinto Santiago, Deputy Manager of Competitiveness at SEBRAE, who at the program’s launch event cited data such as the average revenue of these projects as 22% lower in April 2019. 2022, when compared to the pre-pandemic period.

“Our recent research shows that the sector is in a recovery phase in this period of recovery, but entrepreneurs are still struggling to adjust prices and maintain their business. The risks are still high, due to indebtedness and cost pressure. Therefore, training allows a huge competitive advantage, because you start to understand much more about the business and know the necessary tools to be able to get there”, analyzes Paulo Solmucci, CEO of Abrasel.

ESG

Aiming to train and empower women who are already entrepreneurs or have the desire to undertake, the platform “Coca-Cola gives your business a boost” has two exclusive projects for them. In all, more than 4,150 women will benefit from the program at this stage. The aim is to impact the part of the population that was even more vulnerable during the pandemic and that is directly linked to the heart of the project.

“We started the pilot project in Porto Alegre (RS) two months ago and launched the public notice exclusively for women, as we understand the importance of training them, who are the owners of their businesses and heads of families”, says Avellar. According to him, in Porto Alegre, the first 300 spots for the program were filled in one day.

In partnership with Sebrae and Coca-Cola FEMSA, “Empreenda como uma mulher” carries out a mentoring program to develop businesses led by women across the country. “My business is my country” is another stage of the launch and takes place in Salvador (BA), in partnership with SOLAR Coca-Cola and the Kuat brand, in order to strengthen entrepreneurship through a platform focused on regional foods.

“We believe that women will play a transformative role in shaping the global economy over the next decade. They are fundamental pillars for both communities and their businesses, and are key pieces to stimulate economic growth and sustainable development”, says Avellar.

In addition, according to the executive, the novelty may impact other ESG (environmental, social and governance) fronts of the company. “We have commitments to waste reduction, economic empowerment and more. As these ventures advance they also better manage the circular economy, natural resources and other factors to help us and society as a whole.”

ambassadors

Carmem Virgínia is the great ambassador of the program “Coca-Cola gives your business a boost”, and will represent the project to the general public. A researcher and digital influencer, the chef from Pernambuco is also a judge on the reality shows “Cozinheiros em Ação” and “FFF Brasil”, as well as the owner of the award-winning Altar Cozinha Ancestral (Recife) and Yayá (Rio de Janeiro). Two other important names in Brazilian gastronomy will support the project: João Batista, a cook for 38 years and host of the reality show Mestre do Sabor; and Katia Barbosa, sworn chef of the same program.

Key actors so that all the company’s initiatives and messages are widely disseminated to the general public, without losing sight of identifying and approaching the target audience, ambassadors also have the role of inspiring and passing on lessons as they share their experiences. and experiences as entrepreneurs in the bar and restaurant sector.

“Coca-Cola has learned about creating and telling stories. Joining the ambassadors reinforces this role by bringing in people who inspire and encourage new entrepreneurs,” says Avellar.

Results

In this first year of the program, entrepreneurs will be closely monitored and some metrics will help to understand the effectiveness of the action. “We have our own indicators to develop entrepreneurs so that they increase sales, offer different products for each consumption occasion and, consequently, access new benefit packages as Coca-Cola customers. In addition, we have the perspective of how he sees us from the Net Promoter Score”, says Avellar.

Coca-Cola also aims to fulfill its purpose in each market – to refresh the world and make a difference, based on portfolio innovation, social impact and sustainable commitment. To this end, the company aims to engage all its audiences to, through joint actions, contribute to the construction of a sustainable future, with improvements for communities, society and the planet as a whole. In Brazil, just during the pandemic, BRL 45 million was invested in initiatives that focused on helping the most vulnerable sectors, generating an impact on more than 8.5 million people.

Source: Exam