Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola Expands Manufacturing Investment Across China's Guangdong Province
Coca-Cola and its bottling partners are deepening investment in Guangdong province, more than four decades after the company's first bottles were produced in Zhuhai in 1985. Zhuhai Coca-Cola opened a new Jinwan factory in April 2026 worth about 835 million yuan, while Swire Coca-Cola opened a Guangzhou production base backed by 1.25 billion yuan. Gilles Leclerc, who leads Coca-Cola's business in Greater China and Mongolia, called the Greater Bay Area a growth market and innovation hub.
Coca-Cola Refreshes Global Visual Identity After 140 Years
Coca-Cola introduced a new visual identity system meant to strengthen consistency across roughly 200 markets worldwide, centering on the brand's ribbon, a design element dating to 1969 that unifies logos, packaging and signage. The refresh also gives Coca-Cola Zero Sugar a bolder look, adding black ribbons and bottle caps to distinguish it within the product lineup. Coca-Cola paired the update with a new Brand Center and a design intelligence tool meant to keep marketing staff and outside agencies aligned on the look globally. Rollout begins in Asia and the Middle East before extending to Europe and Latin America.
Coca-Cola Selects JPMorgan And Citi For India IPO
Coca-Cola named JPMorgan and Citi to lead a planned 2027 stock listing for its majority-owned Indian bottling arm. Coca-Cola said in June that it was preparing for a listing for Hindustan Coca-Cola Holdings and weighing a partial stake sale. Coca-Cola owns 60% of Hindustan Coca-Cola Holdings, formed in 1997, which runs 14 bottling plants spread across 10 Indian states and posted about $1.32 billion in 2023 revenue. The scope of the sale has not been determined, according to sources.
Fanta Launches Global Imagination-Driven Flavor Platform In Thailand
Coca-Cola's Fanta brand introduced a new global flavor platform called FANTA FANTASIES, debuting in Thailand. There are two flavors, Floral Bloom Berry and Lavender Berry Bliss, which blend fruit with floral notes such as hibiscus and lavender rather than following familiar taste profiles. Santiago Iturralde, president of global category for sparkling flavors at Coca-Cola, said the launch reflects Thailand's dynamic energy and its role as a growth driver for the flavors business. Products will be sold in cans and PET bottles, supported by a digital marketing campaign, called ‘Drink It and Drift Away” and an upcoming partnership to be announced later.
Danone
UK Watchdog Opens Merger Inquiry Into Danone-Huel Deal
UK’s Competition and Markets Authority opened a phase 1 merger review of Danone's plan to acquire meal-replacement company Huel, after formally notifying both firms. The regulator must decide by September 11 whether the deal needs a deeper phase 2 examination. Danone announced the deal in March, tying it to its "Renew Danone" strategic push into nutrition-focused categories. Huel has developed a loyal following in the UK, continental Europe and America selling protein shakes, powders and snack bars in RTD and portable formats. Antoine de Saint-Affrique, Danone's chief executive, said the purchase would bolster the group's standing in complete nutrition; James McMaster, Huel's CEO, said Danone would add scale, distribution and research support to fuel Huel's expansion abroad.
Other Companies
Skip Launches New Line Of Sparkling Magnesium Drinks
Skip, a functional soft drinks brand in the UK, rolled out a new lightly sparkling magnesium drink line, extending a portfolio that already includes cold-pressed CBD beverages and a Lion's Mane mushroom range added in January. This expansion addresses growing interest in what the company terms "hydration-plus" benefits, along with a shift among younger drinkers away from alcohol toward wellness-oriented options. Each 250ml can costs £1.99 and provides 188mg of magnesium plus vitamin B6 and vitamin D, with a vegan, zero-added-sugar formula. They were developed alongside University of Oxford researchers and come in Berry & Cherry and Kiwi & Lime varieties.
Aqua Pura Grows Fastest In UK Mineral Water Category
UK-based Roxane's Aqua Pura brand is the country’s quickest-growing natural mineral water, with volume climbing 96% year-on-year against roughly 5% growth for the water category, according to Nielsen figures. Growth outpaced rivals such as Evian, Buxton, White Rock and Ice Valley. The water comes from a source in Cumbria's Eden Valley, filtered naturally through northern rock, a provenance the brand promotes through its mascot, Denny the Duck. Both the 500ml and 1.5L formats use 100% recycled plastic.
Yendrink And Nose Tea Debut New Protein Drink
Thai functional beverage brand Yendrink joined forces with Nose Tea to release a bottled drink called "High Protein Taro Milk Tea Cream Cheese," combining Yendrink's plant-and-dairy protein blend with Nose Tea's cream-cheese-topped flavor profile. Each bottle delivers 27g of protein, joining Yendrink's Protein Blend Chocolate variety, which offers 32g and no added sugar; both are sold in 7-Eleven outlets nationwide. The launch fits a wider pattern of dressing up functional protein drinks with familiar cafe tastes to widen their appeal. A similar pairing happened in Malaysia, where Tealive and Dutch Lady rolled out a Signature Flavoured Milk line in Milk Tea and Matcha varieties.
Eight Independent Cola Brands Still Challenge Coca-Cola Globally
CNN Travel profiled eight independent cola brands created around the world as alternatives to Coca-Cola, several with origins tracing to the Cold War era. Czechia's Kofola and Slovenia's Cockta emerged from state efforts to build local rivals to Western cola using secret blends of herbs, fruit and spices. Other brands featured include Nigeria's Ojaja Cola, made with indigenous kola nuts, Argentina's Cunnington Cola, Japan's Toba Toba Cola, Canada's Brio Chinotto, Australia's low-sugar Bobby Cola and the UK and Turkey-based Salaam Cola, which donates 10% of profits to a charity called Muslims in Need. Founders described varying motivations, from health positioning to political and religious identity, with several brands now selling across dozens of countries.
ITC Foods Launches New Coconut-Infused Cola In India
In India, ITC Foods introduced B Natural Coconut Cola, pairing cola flavor with coconut water under its B Natural line. There’s no caffeine or added sugar and it carries 9 kilocalories per serving. B Natural Coconut Cola is aimed at consumers seeking a lighter option. Vivek Kookkal, who heads dairy and beverages for ITC's foods division, said the product pairs cola taste with coconut hydration in a straightforward way, giving consumers something enjoyable without added complexity. ITC's Product Development and Life Sciences and Technology Centre helped develop the formulation. It’s sold in a 250ml can for 60 rupees and will expand across retail and e-commerce channels in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
ThaiBev
ThaiBev Considers Selling Its Largest Thai KFC Franchise
Thai Beverage might sell its Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise operations in Thailand, with Bank of America brought in to gauge interest from prospective buyers. Talks are described as preliminary and might not produce a deal. The business under review, QSR of Asia, runs over 500 KFC outlets nationwide, expanded from the 240 locations ThaiBev bought in 2017 for about $340 million. Two other operators also hold Thai KFC rights: a unit tied to Central Group and another backed by Devyani International. Neither ThaiBev nor Bank of America commented on the report.
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