Communicating Strategy
The Coca-Cola Company
At any company over 130 years old, there are bound to be some “ways things have always been done” attitudes. For the last three years we have been helping The Coca‑Cola Company gather their top leadership to work together in new ways.
These meetings can’t be the same old corporate gatherings. To signal change and make it tangible, every part of the meeting experience needs to be different than what The Coca‑Cola Company has done at meetings in the past.
Our team ensures that the narrative of the meeting flows from session to session and builds from year to year. We use every part of the meeting to reinforce strategic goals and objectives to create a cohesive—and memorable—experience.
Project at a glance
Teams I collaborated with:
Business strategists
Content specialists
Subject matter experts
Executive sponsors (including the CEO, CFO, and COO)
Internal communications team
Internal production team
Internal brand team
Contract production vendors
Key elements of my role:
Participated in interviews with a cross-section of meeting attendees to inform the development of meeting content and experiences
Co-facilitated team working sessions to develop the meeting agenda and content flow
Worked with the internal brand team and directed graphic design partners to develop an on-brand identity, look, and feel for the event
Partnered with the internal production team and contract production vendors to execute the meeting in alignment with the strategic intent
Worked with executive presenters to design key meeting visuals
Compiled post-meeting “toolkits” for attendees to share content with their own teams
Outcomes:
Delivery of a “new type of meeting” and experience at The Coca-Cola Company
Development of a meeting experience that communicated the strategic goals of the executive leadership team
A cohesive narrative told over multiple years showing a clear strategic trajectory
Attendees have increased understanding of company strategic initiatives
Attendees understand their role in the future vision of the company
Attendees are able to own the content and communicate strategic initiatives with their own teams
Mapping the journey
2019
Leading for Growth
The first meeting was the beginning of a journey—a move away from the old ways of working. A vision of what new ways of working could bring. A focus on leadership and culture as the drivers of change.
This meeting was the signal of change and an invitation to begin this journey together.
2020
Leading for Growth:
The Network Effect
Continuing the journey of change. Learning from one another. Bringing new ways of working and leading to life. Making the abstract more tangible and actionable.
This meeting was about how leveraging a global network of colleagues will allow each person, each team, and the company to do more.
2021
Leading for Growth:
Igniting the Network
It was impossible to gather a global audience in person for the 2021 meeting. At the same time, it was more important to gather as a team than ever before.
This year’s meeting had to deliver on experiential expectations set in the first two meetings—virtually.
defining Experience design principles
Doing something new is never easy. In order to keep ourselves, the executive leaders, and the planning teams on track—and accountable to our promise of “the new”—we developed a set of design principles to guide decision making.
Be participatory and experiential
Create experiences that put concepts into practice and make them real. Show, don’t tell.
We created an environment that grew and changed as the participants interacted with it. For example, to demonstrate the theme of the meeting—“The Network Effect”—participants physically visualized the network by connecting points on a world map each time they met a new person.
Model leadership behaviors
This is the time and space to practice new behaviors; to define what they are, what they look like, and how they will make a difference for our company. We are constantly asking and answering what it means to be a leader at The Coca‑Cola Company.
We traded PowerPoint slides for stories. Rather than presenting all of the answers to a problem and waiting for the head nods, we encouraged conversations—even if they were difficult ones. By opening up to these discussions, attendees discovered new opportunities by harnessing the power of their networks of colleagues.
Be non-hierarchical
Ensure participants feel heard, valued and appreciated—the meeting is a safe space to have open conversations.
The invite list of a typical leadership meeting only includes those at the very top of the organization. This time, we invited people from all throughout the organization. You don’t have to have the title to be considered a leader.
Make it personal
Create moments that are personal to touch the human-ness in each of the participants. Try to inspire them to bring that part of themselves to work every day.
Simple gestures make a huge difference. Past company meetings were an almost formal affair. These meetings emphasized casual attire (which took some getting used to). The result was a much more relaxed and open environment. This encouraged more vulnerable conversations and frank dialogue.
Create time and space for connection
Celebrate the time we have together. Enable participants to make the most of meeting in-person so they can foster conversations and develop relationships.
One of the most valuable aspects of bringing people together from around the world is having people together from around the world. We made sure that there was time built into the agenda for both structured and unstructured connection building.
How we work to deliver productive leadership meetings
A single meeting contains many elements including everything from identifying the big strategic arc of content to how people get from the airport to the venue. Planning starts months in advance, as we work closely with the company’s senior executives and internal communications team to define objectives and develop creative options for delivering content. Here are some of the ways we plan and create rich, immersive experiences:
Story and content flow
We design the agenda for the ideal flow of content and interaction. Each component is further structured as a series of modular blocks that we test and reposition to perfect the cadence of the meeting. We have to ensure that topics flow meaningfully across multiple speakers and breakouts to tell a cohesive, meaningful, and memorable story.
Speaker selection and message guidance
We identify external speakers who will bring outside perspectives, customer insights, and/or inspirational messages to the meeting. Once speakers have been approved, we work closely with them so their content compliments and reinforces the narrative arc of the meeting.
Content development and guidelines
We define guidelines to help content owners for each presentation rapidly develop effective messages. They know in advance how to structure and tell their story so it fits into the overall purpose of the meeting.
Activity and interaction design
The best learning happens when people can talk through the implications of new ideas. We create breakouts and working sessions for participants to talk with one other, making content personal, relevant, ownable, and actionable. By prototyping sessions before the meeting we ensure that the topics and work make the most of participants’ time and effort.
Environmental design
How the meeting space looks and feels sends a message to participants, setting them up to engage with each other and the meeting theme. It all comes together when we set a clear vision and coordinate the work of multiple vendors and internal partners.
Experience design
A lot happens outside the main sessions. We create opportunities for networking that lead to deeper relationships across the leadership cohort—and memories that last long after the event itself.