Walmart Black Friday 2 Liter Success

"I wanted to take a few minutes to tell you about the success the Buffalo Walmart Team had in selling in 106 Pallets for a last minute 3 Day Sale at $.75, on Coke Two Liters, in our 11 Western New York Walmart’s. This was a team approach where I went into every Store Manager at Walmart and coordinated an average order of 10 Pallets from each store, of Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite, and Sunkist. This was the First time that Walmart had asked Coke to participate over Black Friday. The problem was that the Stores put up TV,s, and Big Ticket Items for Black Friday, and our Reps and Merchandisers have to put up the display on Wednesday. Then the stores take the displays down on Thursday, and our people have to rebuild the displays on Friday morning. I want to recognize Kristy Setzer, Matt Stahlman, Tom Masterman, Detrich Jacobs, Bill Brian, Phil Marasciulo, Melissa Holmes, Keith Chudoba, and Eric Geisendorfer and their Merchandisers for going beyond the call of duty. I coordinated with all these reps what to order and they followed up on each order, and went into each store at 5AM on Black Friday. To put back up their pallets of 2 Liters, move numerous pallets blocking their pallets in the back room, and achieving prime #1 position in most stores over Pepsi, and + CH Wright who had the same promotion.  Joe Litwin forecasted 79 Pallets in Prism and we shipped 106 Pallets or 4,274 Cases of Two Liters. After the 3 day sale we sold 3,040 Cases(24,320 Bottles) of 2 Liters, with only 30 Pallets left in Inventory. During the same 5 days last year we shipped only 742 Cases. I am proud to work with my Walmart team, because all the reps showed me how dedicated they really are. By working extra hours, to make this difficult last minute request from Walmart, during a crazy retail event, a tremendous success! The other great news is that we have maintained our Number 1 Position on Displaying Two Liters at $1.00 this week, and we will maintain this presence throughout the Christmas Retail season." 

- John Ruffino, Home Market Sales Trainer

"We would also like to acknowledge John Ruffino, as he has passed the credit down he as much as all made this a success for us as well" 

- Matt Spillane, Director of Sales & Marketing

Nice Initiative by Greg Baker Jr. at TOPS Derby!

 "Greg Baker Jr., an AOM Hybrid Account Manager held a sampling at Tops # 268 in Derby NY. Greg dressed as Santa and sampled Sprite Cranberry and Sprite Cranberry Zero to the customers. Great initiative taken by Greg who also had a 2 Liter display built around a 4 x 4 ATV provided by Weaver Motor Sports. Pictures of this activity have also been posted to Buffalo Coca-Cola's Facebook and Twitter accounts."

-Tony Caruana, Field Sales Supervisor 

Green Bottle Success!

This holiday season, we set our Green Bottle objectives high by building 44 Canada Dry Centerpiece Displays and ordering 96 Canada Dry Full Product Trees totaling 140 Display Opportunities in our market.

I am very pleased to report that we were able to sell in 139 Green Bottle Displays an increase of 209% over 2012. This is an incredible success story.

In addition to our successful launch of the 2013 Green Bottle Display Program, the Mid-Management Team set a goal to track each location of our Green Bottle Tree Displays to measure cases sold to provide insight for future planning.  For those of you who coordinated with me during our launch, I want to personally thank you for working with us and the additional bureaucracy we added to the process.  For the 7 displays that are in our market without making it on my tracking sheet, congratulations on selling in your displays as well.

Having said that, I wanted to take some additional time and further acknowledge 4 Account Managers who sold in the most recorded displays.  (These results are final)

Hybrid - Greg Baker Jr. sold in 17 Displays

Hybrid - Luke Nuttle Sold in 16 Displays

AOM - Joe Henderson sold in 8 Displays

Chain - Tom Masterman sold in 8 Displays

Thank you to the above and to all our Account Managers for believing in and promoting the Green Bottle Display Program.

-Brad Bureau, Space Development/Category Manager

Buffalo Coca-Cola Gains New Business!

All six Coffee Culture locations have signed on with Coca-Cola. They will be carrying 20 oz. Bottles, Water, and some juice. Enjoy!

Coca-Cola Buffalo Gains New Business with Tempo!

"We have just converted Tempo over to Coke Aluminum Bottles. They have been a long time competitive customer and finally have joined the Coke Family!

So, if you're looking for a high-end restaurant for dinner, add this one to the list."

-Rich Noetzel, Business Development Representative 

Located at 581 Delaware Ave  Buffalo, NY 14202

Buffalo Coca-Cola & TOPS Welcome Back UB Students

Tony Caruana, AOM Field Sales Supervisor and Kristi Setzer, AOM Account Manager welcomed back UB students with a sampling at TOPS #41 at Maple/N. Bailey in Amherst. 

United Way Day of Caring - Wednesday, 8/21/13

Volunteers from Buffalo Coca-Cola participated in the United Way’s annual Day of Caring at the Naval Park in downtown Buffalo. They spent the day prepping a portion of the USS Little Rock’s upper deck for painting.

To quote the Director of the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park, "The work done today will not only help to maintain the ships but also serves to honor the men who served aboard these vessels."

Thank you to everyone who participated!

Ken Spoth, John Rera, Mark Manganaro, Tony Cantera, Rob Walter, Lisa Janca, Kevin Barton, Shawna Power, Renee Gleason, Pat Greco and members of the Naval Park Staff on the upper deck of the USS Little Rock.

Buffalo Product Age Survey Results

“It is with much PRIDE that I am happy to inform everyone that Coca-Cola Buffalo, for the 7th consecutive year, has attained a Product Age Survey score of < 1%.  This year's score of 0.4% crushes last year's score of 0.737%.  This says a lot for what Buffalo has done.

WELL DONE AND CONGRATULATIONS!!!”

– Pat Greco, Director of Operations

Coca-Cola Buffalo Gains New Business With ALDI

Beginning the week of August 5th, Coca Cola Buffalo will begin distributing 12 packs of Coca Cola, Diet Coke and Sprite, as well as 2 Liters of Coca Cola and Diet Coke to ALDI in 19 WNY stores! This is a tremendous win for Coca Cola, as ALDI was formerly exclusively Private Label. Early forecasts for volume, based on roll outs from other parts of the country are indicating over 7,000 cases for the initial order and roughly 4000-5000 cases per week for reorders.

Open for Summer Billboards

Your eyes can now look skyward across WNY and get a little shade!  Look for our Summer billboards that will be up from now until the Fall! 

Dash's Market FUZE Sampling

A FUZE Tea sampling was held last Thursday evening at the newly remodeled Dash's Market at Hopkins and Klein Roads in Williamsville.

Kevin Sylvester-radio talk show host for the Buffalo Sabres, made an appearance and signed copies of his book "the Married Man's Guide To Golf".

Partners Team Up to Make Rainwater a Resource

Barrel Painting Contest Sponsored by Coca-Cola Bottling of Buffalo Creates Colorful Competition

Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz was joined by Maria Whyte, Commissioner of the Department of Environment & Planning, representatives of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Buffalo, Inc., members of the Western New York Stormwater Coalition and the Erie County Water Quality Committee, concerned citizens, and the winning entrants in a rain barrel painting contest, sponsored by Buffalo Coca-Cola, to highlight the importance of conserving rainwater that would otherwise flow off of a property. The contest served both as an observation of Earth Day and as a demonstration of a practical way for individuals to make an environmental difference in their own lives.

Working on the theme “Rainwater is a Resource, Not Just Runoff”, competing teams from 25 area middle- and high schools designed and painted their own rain barrels using converted syrup concentrate barrels donated and retrofitted by Buffalo Coca-Cola as part of their “Live Positively” initiative. A panel of judges consisting of representatives from Buffalo Coca-Cola, local government, the arts community, and academia voted on all entries, with the top three vote getters and their barrels on hand for the winning announcement. Barrels were judged on creativity, neatness and execution of the idea, and how well they fit into the theme of the contest.

“Rain barrels are an effective and efficient way to save and redistribute stormwater runoff, and as we see today, they can be attractive, colorful additions to anyone’s backyard,” said Poloncarz. “I want to thank the Department of Environment & Planning, Coca-Cola Bottling of Buffalo, and their partners for their work in raising awareness on this issue and taking these steps to better pollution control.”

“This exercise in creative thinking and design, teamwork, and planning has allowed us to educate the next generation on the importance of conserving resources and preventing stormwater pollution,” said Commissioner Whyte.

“We congratulate the students for their fine winning artwork, and for lending their talent to this Live Positively Rain Barrel Art Contest,” said Pat Greco, Director of Operations for the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Buffalo. “These rain barrels represent Coca-Cola’s commitment to water stewardship and will allow Coca-Cola to reach our goal to ‘give back’ an amount of water equivalent to what we use in all of our products and their production by 2020.”

Mr. Greco presented three checks, totaling $1000.00, to the top 3 winning schools.