ATLANTA and PARIS, April 25, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Coca-Cola Company and Groupe DANONE (NYSE:DA), the owner of the Evian brand and the world leader in the bottled water category, today announced a master agreement under which Coca-Cola will manage marketing execution, sales and distribution for the Evian brand in North America (U.S. and Canada). Evian distribution will continue through the Coca-Cola System, including Coca-Cola Enterprises, Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Swire Pacific Holdings, The Philadelphia Coca-Cola Bottling Company, and The Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Northern New England, as well as other existing distributors of Evian. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Franck Riboud, Groupe DANONE's chairman and chief executive officer, said, "The agreement provides Evian with access to the marketing expertise of Coca-Cola in North America. Aligning Evian's interests in North America with The Coca-Cola Company and system will advance our goals for the brand by taking advantage of the experience and strength of Coca-Cola in brand-building and distribution of beverages."
Doug Daft, chairman and chief executive officer of The Coca-Cola Company stated, "We look forward to creating long-term value for our Company and bottling partners by profitably growing Evian, the world's leading premium water brand, even as we continue the rapid expansion of Dasani. This agreement, over the long term, enhances our system's ability to realize more fully the great growth opportunity in the water category."
Coca-Cola Enterprises and the other independent bottlers of The Coca-Cola Company currently distribute more than half of all Evian bottled water in North America. Coca-Cola will honor all existing contracts with bottlers not affiliated with Coca-Cola that currently distribute Evian. Under the agreement, Groupe DANONE will continue to undertake all global product development and brand strategy efforts for Evian. Coca-Cola will lead marketing efforts to include the development of marketing plans, media planning, and consumer and customer promotion development. Danone Waters of North America, Inc., the holding company for Groupe DANONE's North American water assets, will provide sales and customer service support.
About Groupe DANONE
Groupe DANONE, one of the leading food companies focuses on three product categories: fresh dairy products, bottled water, and cereal snacks and biscuits. Groupe DANONE's portfolio of brands and products includes national and international market leaders such as Danone (Dannon in the United States), the world's number one dairy brand, Evian, Volvic, LU.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company and is the leading producer and marketer of soft drinks. The Company markets four of the world's top five soft drink brands, including Coca-Cola, diet Coke, Fanta and Sprite. Through the world's largest distribution system, consumers in nearly 200 countries enjoy The Coca-Cola Company's products at a rate of more than 1 billion servings each day.
Forward-Looking Statements
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