Coke Shareholder Resolution
Ripple worked with As You Sow to publicize a shareholder resolution and vote encouraging Coca Cola to respond to investor concerns about the toxic chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) in can linings. Ripple developed and implemented the media strategy for this release, which resulted in a groundbreaking, fantastic story in the Atlanta Journal Constitution (Coke’s hometown paper) before the vote, followed by an op-ed by Georgia State Representative Scott Holcomb supporting the resolution. CNN ran a favorable story the morning of the vote, which was picked up by NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox , totaling over 100 TV hits – with over half in the top 30 media markets. As You Sow’s lead spokesperson, Michael Passoff, was interviewed by CBS Radio, and clips were aired nationally the day of the vote.
There was also strong trade press coverage from Plastics News, Packaging Digest, Food Quality News; and mainstream environmental coverage from Reuters, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Fast Company, GreenBiz, TreeHugger, TriplePundit, Grist and many more. In the end, over 26% of Coke shareholders voted in favor of the resolution. This was a such a successful shareholder vote and media campaign that the CEO of Coca Cola publicly responded to it! Hopefully Coke will do the right thing and eliminate BPA from can linings.