15.7 Conclusion

Have you ever seen the personalized Coca-Cola can? Coke introduced it as part of its 2014 "Share a Coke" campaign. The Goal: Create hype for the Coke brand by creating a must-have product. Amazingly, the campaign boosted Coke's US sales for the first time in a decade 1 (by more than 2% 2). The 20-ounce bottle experienced its biggest-ever year-over-year growth (more than 19%). 3 Coke now repeats the campaign every year. In 2016, Coke bottles and cans featured more than 70 song lyrics to help fans "taste the feeling." 4 Moreover, you can now go online and customize your own Coke bottles to say just about anything including Best Mom, #1 Dad, Your BFF, or even Marry Me? Who made this possible? Gregory Bentley, packaging innovator at Coca-Cola Europe, answers, "The unsung heroes of this campaign are our dedicated supply base who have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to deliver this magnificent project." 5 Rexam, a UK can manufacturer (recently acquired by Ball Corporation), provided the patent-pending Edition technology that allows 8 to 24 designs of the same label to be produced simultaneously on a single pallet! 6

Let's conclude with a final question: "How do you motivate suppliers to want to join your team?" Answer: Remember that integration is a two-way street—that is, you need to treat your suppliers like valued members of your team! Showing appreciation and investing in your suppliers is critical. John Deere, for example, rewards suppliers with coveted innovation awards to recognize creativity and collaboration.7 BMW hosts an invitation-only supplier conference where it not only "wines and dines" key suppliers but it also shares future product plans and recognizes the "best of the best" in supply performance. BMW's 2016 Tier 1 Supplier Day even included a diversity expo.8 Walmart's supplier summit includes educational sessions (see Table 15.12 for a few examples). General Mills gives out "Champion Awards" to top-performing suppliers.9 All of these events share a common purpose: To persuade suppliers to want to row on your team. That is, to get suppliers to view you as a valued coxswain. If you succeed in creating this feeling, when you call for a "Power 10," suppliers will give you all they've got to help get you across the finish line first!