With most people distracted by the tragic events in France this past week, two Atlanta based businesses, Coca-Cola and the Atlanta Falcons Football Franchise, seemingly buried their bad news in two separate press releases.

Coca- Cola announced that in an effort to trim costs it would cut between 1,600 and 1,800 from their global payroll of about 130,000 employees, with as many as 500 positions being cut from the Atlanta HQ office while continuously looking to streamline their business ( corporate jargon for “ more cuts to follow” ) http://www.ajc.com/ap/ap/business/coca-cola-cutting-up-to-1800-jobs/njjP2/

On the same day, the Atlanta Journal Constitution also reported that The Atlanta Falcons NFL Franchise will seek $45,000 for a 30 year Personal Seat License (PSL) for the best seats in the house between the 45- 50 yard line on top of the $385 cost per game ticket. But fear not, Falcon fans, cheaper PSL’s will be offered above the club level (nose bleeds) in between the 30 yard lines for only $10,000 each with tickets offered at only $325 per game. Both PSL options include access to club lounges for food and drink – assuming you can still afford a beer and a brat once you’ve mortgaged your home to buy your seat. http://www.ajc.com/news/sports/football/falcons-club-seat-psls-10000-to-45000/njhyC/ Unsurprisingly Atlanta fans are not “rising up” to jump on the deal with many electing to invest in a big screen TV instead and  to watch the Dirty Birds in the comfort of their own homes drinking colder beverages and eating better burgers at a fraction of the price. I think the franchise is about to get a reality check. 

Not to be outdone, Coca- Cola stated, somewhat disingenuously, that the job cuts would save about $3 billion a year which is badly needed to fund “stepped up marketing” to drive up beverage sales. Coke are trying to overcome perceptions in the US that sodas make people fat and that artificial sweeteners are a health concern and need to combat public health officials calling for special taxes and warning labels. It seems though that the health officials are winning as the war on Sodas, as the US has now slipped to third in the diabetes table with just 25.8m, behind India with 66.8m and China with 96.3m according to the International Diabetes Federation http://www.idf.org/. But Coke have a plan.

With a total global diabetic population estimated at 387m, more that 75% of diabetics live in low and middle income countries. It seems Coke’s plan is to go after the lower hanging international fruit with a marketing blitz and fewer public health officials to contend with. A plan made easier to execute as more and more people around the world are moving into cities where diabetes incidence is sky rocketing with the biggest increase expected in Africa where it is forecast that there will be a 92% increase to 41.5M diabetics before 2035. Not much in the way of good drinking water in some parts of Africa but you’ll be able to get a coke.

Be interesting to see how many corporate PSL’s Coca- Cola pick up and how many employees will have lost their jobs to fund them.

Result: The Atlanta Falcons just edge out Coca Cola in overtime to win the Doofus Bowl by a field goal.