One of the most challenging problems that governments and NGOs face in providing medicines and vaccines to poorer parts of the world is distribution. Getting products to rural villages in areas with limited infrastructure can be incredibly daunting. Commenting on this in a TED talk in 2010, Melinda Gates said:
When I travel to the developing world, Coke feels ubiquitous. Coke's success … makes you wonder, 'How is it that they can get Coke to these far-flung places?' If they can do that, why can't governments and NGOs do the same thing?
Gates' sentiment was shared by an aid worker named Simon Berry who spearheaded a campaign called ColaLife to distribute life-saving medicines through the Coca-Cola system in places that are hard to reach.
This single anecdote says much about The Coca-Cola Company (KO) and its distribution system of bottlers around the world. Coca-Cola's popularity may vary somewhat from country to country, but there is still virtually no place on earth you can go where people do not recognize the Coca-Cola brand or the soda is not available to purchase.
