Responsible Marketing
The Coca‑Cola system offers people around the world a wide range of refreshing beverages to meet the needs of people of all ages and lifestyles, including diet and regular sparkling beverages, fruit juices, fruit drinks, water, coffees, teas, sports drinks and dairy-based drinks. We are committed to offering people the beverage choices that suit their needs.
The Coca‑Cola system respects and supports the primary role that parents, guardians and other caregivers play in the broad range of decisions affecting the lives of young children, including choices about diet and lifestyle. Consequently, we believe that decisions about the beverages that children drink should belong to those most responsible for their care. Based on that belief, we now reaffirm and update the following guidelines.
In keeping with a policy that has been in place for more than half a century, Coca‑Cola Oceania and its local bottling partners do not aim or direct any media marketing activity from any source to children under the age of 12. The intent of this policy is to impose limitations and conditions on marketing to children under 12 and to prevent interference with parental guidance with regard to diet. This policy is not intended to prevent the Company or its local bottlers from engaging in advertising or promotional efforts directed to activities of a family nature.
There is no objection to offering school children under 12 years of age tours or visits to a local production facility, or to depicting children under 12 years of age participating in such tours or visits. This is a news item as distinguished from a direct advertisement.
The Coca‑Cola Company will adhere to the following guidelines:
This policy applies to all media and all beverages.
In 2010, we evolved our global Responsible Marketing Policy and redefined the appropriate audience threshold for children's programming from audiences that are more than 50% children younger than 12 years of age to audiences that are more than 35% children younger than 12. This means we will not buy advertising directly targeted at audiences that are more than 35% children younger than 12. Our policy applies to all of our beverages and the media outlets we use, including television, radio and print and, where data is available, Internet and mobile phones
Do not show children under 12 in advertising or promotional materials consuming the Company's beverages. It is acceptable to market brands that appeal to children, as long as marketing efforts for those brands are directed to their parents or those responsible for their care.
Company-sponsored sampling events will be directed to people over the age of 12. While sampling of our beverages to young children in the presence and with the support of a parent or other responsible adult is acceptable, sampling personnel will not provide samples to unsupervised children under 12.
We will not promote our brands to children under 12 in schools and will respect their classroom as a commercial-free zone. This is not intended to prevent the Company or its local bottlers from offering appropriate added-value programs to schools that encourage physical activity, academic achievement and positive youth development. In keeping with this policy, any Company or bottler added-value programs in primary schools will not carry product branding. When we support programs in the schools, it is our policy to focus on activities that promote physical activity and provide education about balanced nutrition and healthy habits. This policy supports the system's conviction that it has a role to play in supporting health and nutrition awareness programs.
This policy applies only to beverages sold under brands owned by The Coca‑Cola Company. Other companies are independently responsible for the advertising and promotional standards they practice. The Company will encourage other companies not to involve its brands and trademarks in advertising and promotion programs that are contrary to our policy.
Marketing or advertising for products bearing trademarks owned by The Coca‑Cola Company, such as clothing, toys, novelties and collectibles, are subject to these same guidelines.