Coca-Cola has 32 brands that generate at least $1 billion in annual sales, including its enduring sparkling sodas Coke, Sprite and Fanta, and many other beverages.
And incoming CEO Henrique Braun wants to build more.
At a conference Tuesday, Braun outlined principles he said he believes will drive the Atlanta beverage company’s next chapter of growth — from better connecting with consumers to speeding up innovation and ramping up its digital transformation.
“If we do a little bit better every day … the multiplying effect of that, it’s significant,” Braun said at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York annual conference in Orlando.
Credit: sour
Credit: sour
A theme of his presentation was a quote inspired by legendary Coca-Cola leader Robert Woodruff, which said: “The best time to change is when you don’t have to.”
Braun, who is currently Coca-Cola’s chief operating officer, is set to become CEO on March 31. He takes the role as Coca-Cola stock has hit new highs this year.
Consumers, though, are more cautious, and some are spending less. Coca-Cola this month reported revenue gains in 2025, but that was primarily driven by increased prices. The company said its total unit case volume was flat across the globe in 2025.
Braun said he will push Coca-Cola to be more consumer-centric, meaning the company will use local insights to connect with people in more relevant ways.
To illustrate that idea, Braun talked about Coca-Cola’s advertising campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which he said would show “hyper-personalized engagement” and use digital tools in a new way.
“How we used to do this before, it would be a global campaign that would be more or less like a plug-and-play in different countries,” he said. But now, Coca-Cola is trying to better connect with each consumer’s desires and how they experience the sport of soccer.
For example, he said, “In New York, it’s going to be more about the European influence. … And in Houston, more with the Latin American influence.” That includes varied packaging for its beverages and tailored marketing, such as ads in different dialects.
Credit: Special
Credit: Special
Braun also shared how Coca-Cola would approach innovation. He wants to build brands that resonate in local markets and scale the successful ones globally, as he briefly discussed on the company’s last earnings call.
“It’s about getting these insights that we’re getting from different local markets, especially the top markets around the world, and accelerating the pace of innovation accordingly,” Braun said.
He added that “moving forward, it’s leveraging our ability to build the billion-dollar brands at scale, starting locally and then moving toward a global, multibillion-dollar brand faster.”
Coca-Cola said this month it would establish innovation hubs and “commercial centers of excellence” in key markets across all its operating segments.
Lastly, Braun delved into his desire to plug digital into every connection across the company, from customer digital ordering to enterprise systems. In this effort, Coca-Cola recently announced its first chief digital officer.
“Digital is going to become a superpower,” Braun said. “We do have an unrivaled portfolio of billion-dollar brands. We have an unmatched system that is very unique and very aligned. The next iteration of that could be how we leverage digital to amplify and expand the ceiling of that competitive advantage.”
Coca-Cola said in December that Braun would replace current CEO James Quincey, who is transitioning to executive board chair.
Braun, born in California and raised in Brazil, joined Coca-Cola in 1996. He has held leadership roles with the company around the world.
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