In food and beverage, the human touch can be neglected. Coca-Cola Europacific Partners’ MD, Orlando Rodriguez, talks to Food & Beverage Industry News about how the industry needs to go beyond the product.
For many, the start of spring is a reminder of cool swims, sunscreen and sausage sizzles. For someone like Orlando Rodriguez, managing director Australia at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP), the warmer weather excites him in a different way.
“When you’re in a category like Coca-Cola, the sun coming out, people socialising and going out for dinner is good for business,” he said.
Joining Food & Beverage Industry News, Rodriguez said that his career was shaped by retail and beverages. As an economics student at Monash University, his career began in Woolworths as a part-timer. By the time he graduated with a Bachelor of Economics, Commerce, Woolworths was going through changes under the leadership of former chief executive officer Roger Corbett.
The supermarket’s transition period opened a door for Rodriguez to take on several roles, including in that of leadership. After 16 years, he made the move to Woolworths’ main rival Coles, and worked across pricing, strategy, supply chain, online, and store operations for six years. Being involved in operations across the two retailers, he said Coca-Cola had lingered in his periphery during his career journey.
“The brilliant brands in Coca-Cola’s portfolio drew me in,” said Rodriguez. “Selling Coke for 20 odd years on the other side of the fence developed my fascination of the brand that had a magical formula that people have loved for over 100 years.”
Now in his sixth year at CCEP, three of those years leading the Australian business, he highlighted that it was definitely the best job in his overall career. With his detailed understanding of both supplier and retailer perspectives, Rodriguez has found that CCEP possesses a unique mix of heritage and innovation. The organisation, as he described, is “unbelievably energising” with a commitment to timeless innovation that keeps it refreshing for future generations.
While the brand has brought much excitement to Rodriguez, the dynamic pipeline of new products and tailoring its offers to local communities at a large scale has made the role both challenging and rewarding.
Global but local
According to Rodriguez, a common misconception is that Coke sells itself. He highlighted that Coke is sold differently depending on the country. He also mentioned that this misconception is part of the organisation’s operations to mark its presence globally in a seamless manner. CCEP operates in more than 30 countries, and The Coca-Cola Company in more than 200, giving it the advantage of scale and access to international insights. For the Australian business, this means drawing from global markets and adapting those ideas to suit local preferences.
“The beauty of the global tapestry is that we get ideas and knowledge from all around the world,” he said. “As Australia becomes more multicultural, we receive inspiration from other countries.”
Australia’s multiculturalism plays an advantageous role in the market. He provided an example of the introduction of a range of Fanta flavours into the local market, which are popular in Asia. Trends from Latin America have influenced innovation in Australia, while developments in energy and sports drinks often come from the US.
The multicultural population has also created opportunities to introduce new product formats and flavours that resonate with diverse communities. Operating locally in Australia for nearly 90 years, Rodriguez said the finding of gems from the rest of the world has brought success to CCEP’s portfolio.
While meshing the blend of international experiences with local heritage drives creative juices in innovations, the beverage market is ultimately moved by consumer behaviour, demographics, and urban lifestyles. Rodriguez named three clear trends shaping the industry.
The gift of choice
There is a common macro-trend that Rodriguez has observed going across many industries: choice and personalisation. According to him, consumers increasingly want options that reflect their personal preferences. For CCEP, this has meant ensuring every category offers both sugar and zero-sugar alternatives.
As consumers become more health-conscious and wary of sugar consumption, providing the options that cater to specific wants and needs is key for any business. CCEP’s zero-sugar formulations now play a central role across the portfolio, from sports, Coke, Fantas and Sprite, with more consumers selecting them as part of their regular consumption.
Buying more, but in smaller packs
Smaller pack sizes are another trend. As Australian household sizes reduce and density in urban apartments increase, Rodriguez said that purchasing a 30-pack of Coke for apartment dwellers doesn’t always make sense. With shoppers buying more frequently, favouring small packs or single-serve bottles over bulk formats, smaller pack formats are gaining popularity in the beverage market.
CCEP’s smaller ten-pack is an example of responding to the consumer trends. Alongside pack sizes, it also has smaller cans and PET bottles, widening the variety and options for consumers. Additionally, with more local convenience stores, the company can leverage this trend and expand its footprint to increase points of sale.
Experiences beyond the product
With a plethora of brands in the saturated market, the product itself is not enough for businesses to stay afloat.
“People are looking for experience,” said Rodriguez.
These experiences refer to interactive connections with consumers. An example includes the Share a Coke campaign that originated in 2011 and was relaunched again this year, which had its origins in Australia before being launched worldwide due to its success. By creating personalised labels on Coke bottles, it positioned the company’s beverages as part of a wider lifestyle and cultural moment, and setting a trend in the market.
This extends to collaborations with entertainment franchises through digital domains such as Coca-Cola’s recent partnership with Star Wars, where buyers can scan a QR code on cans to unlock an immersive augmented reality experience. These trends require beverage companies to innovate not only in product development, but also in finding more connection points with consumers.
“While we’ve got these wonderful heritage brands, being able to make it contemporary and digitising something that is fundamentally physical has been a lovely journey,” he said.
However, with the speed and expectations of customisation increasing, there are abrupt challenges the beverage industry faces across the supply chain. Rodriguez mentioned that CCEP has committed to processes and infrastructure to avoid and counteract these challenges.
Supply chain resilience
Developed over nearly 90 years of operations in Australia, he described that the strength of CCEP is its pledge to extensive infrastructure.
“In the last 10 years, we’ve spent nearly a billion dollars in infrastructure and systems and have continuously reinvested back in Australia to improve our footprints,” he said.
The upgrade in infrastructure of its operations has led to a larger national coverage, enabling the ability to reach 98 per cent of postcodes across Australia. With around 1,000 trucks on the road, he said that CCEP has built comprehensive supply networks in the sector. This is complemented by scenario planning and contingency strategies that allow the business to respond to disruptions such as shipping delays. Its scale also supports rapid responsiveness to ensure customers receive a high level of service, even during challenging periods.
Rodriguez provided an example of the benefit of having robust infrastructure. With a close relationship with over 87,000 customers across retail and foodservice, CCEP receives insights into consumer behaviour. By tracking seasonal changes and travel patterns, especially during periods when airports get busy, the company can utilise the information to then work with Qantas and Virgin, allowing supply to align with demand in real time.
“We have a real pulse of the country, and we really try and follow our consumers to give them what they want within an arm’s reach,” he said.
The key is to acknowledge and understand that sometimes things don’t go to plan. Instead, being able to adapt to challenges that ebb and flow is the factor to staying ahead and resilient.
The human connection
As mentioned, summertime is a time of excitement for Rodriguez. While the hot weather boosts sales, his joy of being in the business is none other than being connected through every human connection and interaction, even as something as basic as a meal with the family. The business has embedded itself in Australian life, present in daily rituals from family meals to celebrations. He highlighted the importance of being part of these moments, positioning beverages as accessible luxuries that connect with people’s lifestyles.
To continue and ensure staying connected with its customers, CCEP invests in its employees and brands in its portfolio. This approach has been recognised, allowing the company to be awarded as number one supplier in the 2025 Advantage Core Supplier Report. Marking the second consecutive year for the business to take home the top spot, he credited the team and their efforts to be in sync with customers as part of a broader picture to satisfy Australians.
The next steps for CCEP include expanding its portfolio and it has been investing heavily in categories such as energy and alcohol. The energy drinks category is growing in volume by 19.6 per cent year on year with Monster Energy Company holding 39.6 per cent volume share. CCEP is investing in local manufacturing for Monster Energy to meet this surging demand and fuel growth.
In alcohol, the company has announced a new distribution agreement with Bacardi Martini Australia. To renew its position in the space after the conclusion of a 19-year partnership with Suntory, the collaboration is underpinned by its ambition to offer Australians a beverage for every occasion.
The technologies adapted to strengthen infrastructure or to respond to consumer trends are all part of a larger picture of staying connected as humanly as possible. Rodriguez said that having a portfolio that engages with Australians from breakfast to dinner in a meaningful and sustainable way keeps him moving forward.
“We’re really proud of the portfolio we have and its success,” he said. “I’m excited about the future of this space because I’m certain the best has yet to come.”