Free «What Makes an Organization Appealing» Essay Sample

The Coca Cola Company is an American multinational beverage company of non-alcoholic beverage drinks. It manufactures markets and distributes its beverage concentrates and syrups. It is best known for its product; Coca-Cola which was invented by John Stith Pemberton in 1886. The unique Coca-cola formula was incorporated in the company in 1892 and it is a deeply kept secret. Other than the common Coca-Cola beverage, the company offers more than four hundred brands in more than two hundred countries and makes about 1.7 billion servings every day. Coca-Cola Company is currently the richest company in the world. The company runs a franchised distribution system where it only produces the syrup concentrate and then sells it to various bottlers all over the worlds.

I consider Coca Cola Company to be the most appealing company because of three factors it has continuously implemented thus making it the most successful and stable company in the world. These are: Employee investment, branding, and public relations. This paper seeks to address the three factors as they make Coca cola Company an organization worth working for.

Employee Investment

If an organization wants to establish a positive working environment based on exceptional customer service, operational excellence, high trust, collaborative teamwork, and creative problem solving, it is necessary that the leadership understands and invests in the employees, who are the company’s most reliable assets. According to Haig (2011), every employee should be seen not just as a body behind a machine but as an asset that can help in achieving the company’s goals. Additionally, the company should recognize the obstacles that the employees might be going through and solve them. Empowerment of employees therefore means that the management provides employees with the authority and tools requirement to improve their performance.

As a way of investing in the employees, Coca cola conducts performance measurement exercises to establish some of its programs, acquisitions and investments that reach desired results. Additionally, it conducts performance appraisal for its employees to encourage them work even harder. It begins by conducting and annual performance review where the results of the company are assessed and a development plan prepared. The company then sets KRAs and recognizes the top performers through the performer lined-pay program. This program motivates the top performers and encourages everyone to work harder. However, there is the performance improvement program which seeks to review the bottom performers’ status and take appropriate actions. This program ensures that any problems that might be hindering employees from being best performers can be addressed. This creates a better environment for employees because they all feel appreciated.

Branding

According to Friedman (2009), branding refers to creation of a successful image that would help an organization to succeed. Coca-Cola Company has been successfully publicized through branding. Currently, it is the most successful brand in the worlds. Most people like to be associated with success because it makes them feel like they are the best. Working for the most successful brand is a privilege that raises the attitude of the employees. The creation of social networks, internet and blogs has enabled Coca-Cola company send direct messages through these mediums which attract target audiences. To make a successful brand, a company has to understand its audience. Coca-Cola Company therefore uses research, surveys or even focus groups to find out what is appealing to their target audiences.

The information gathered is then implemented by the company which has enabled it to attract a larger audience. For instance, for a long time the company did not have the fanta pineapple flavor. However, through interaction with the public, it was able to establish the flavor which is currently doing reasonably well in the market. Modern communication avenues like social media allow Coca-Cola Company to engage in two-way communication and feedback from their various stakeholders and the public is received immediately. Nonetheless, the company also embraces face to face communication with the employees allowing them to share their ideas.

Friedman (2009) argues that there are various other tools that can be used to enhance publicity of a brand. Examples include media kits and press releases that are meant to generate to give organization a positive publicity. Generally, media kits comprise of promotional materials that are meant to provide more information about an organization and include biography, press release, fact sheet, brochure, newsletter, copies of media clips, media alert among others. With advanced technology, the company has a website with a link, “Press room” which has the online versions of these pieces. In addition, it sponsors so many charity and youth events that make the public to relate with the brand. For instance, the company has ‘the water stewardship’ program that helps to provide clean water to communities in various countries that are hit by drought. This has made people in the grassroots to embrace the Coca-cola brand. Employees would love to work with an organization that gives back to the society in whatever way as Coca cola does. It therefore improves the work attitude.

Public Relations

According to Cook (2008) public relations deal with maintaining a public image for an organization, program or commercial business. It involves professionals who work on shaping the image of an organization for the functions of community relations, communication, crisis management, customer relations e.t.c.Public relations provide an organization the exposure to the audiences by using items that are of public interest as well as news items which provide a third-party endorsement. At Coca-Cola Company, this is usually done through activities such as working with the media, speaking at conferences, employee communication, social media engagement and crisis communication.

Public relations have helped Coca-Cola company to build a rapport with its employees, investors, customers and the general public. The PR professionals at Coca-Cola company are focused on building relationships that have helped to establish rapport with the public by thinking analytically and coming up with resolutions encountered by their clients. The company likes to hold meetings to managers and employee representatives to find the best way forward. Considering that the company is very large, it would be hard to make anything happen without meetings. As explained by Cook (2008), there are many subdivisions of public relations such as, financial public relations; crisis public relations; product public relations; consumer public relations; and government relations. This has made the brand to be associated with people from all generations.

 The company also uses financial public relations to provide business reporters with information while responding to negative information or accusations through crisis public relations. For instance, when there were rumors that its formula for the syrup has been leaked out, the company through the crisis team rejected the claims right away. In addition, there were claims that one of the bottling companies in Kenya was a health hazard. The company quickly addressed the issue and it was soon forgotten by the public because of the quick response. The organizational structure is decentralized and the issues affecting the employees at the lower rank can easily addressed by the immediate seniors without necessarily having to reach the top management. Only issues that cannot be dealt with at the lower and immediate level of management are passed over to the immediate senior managers (Cook, 2008). This increases employee satisfaction because of the comfortable environment they work in.