CORRESP: A correspondence can be sent as a document with another submission type or can be sent as a separate submission.
Published on June 5, 2008

ADDRESS REPLY TO
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Carol
Crofoot Hayes
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P.O.
Box 1734
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Associate
General Counsel and Secretary
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Atlanta,
GEORIGIA 30301
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404
676-5622
FAX: 404 676-8409
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June 5,
2008
Mr. John
Reynolds
Assistant
Director
Division
of Corporation Finance
Office of
Beverages, Apparel and Health Care Services
United
States Securities and Exchange Commission
100 F
Street, N.E.
Mail Stop
3561
Washington,
D.C. 20549
RE: The
Coca-Cola Company
Form 10-K for Fiscal Year Ended
December 31, 2007
Schedule
14A filed March 3, 2008
File No. 1-02217
Dear Mr.
Reynolds:
Thank you for your letter of May 6,
2008 concerning the Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007 of The
Coca-Cola Company (the “Company”) and the Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule
14A filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
“Commission”) on March 3, 2008 (the “2008 Definitive Proxy
Statement”). This letter sets forth the Company’s response to the
comment of the staff of the Division of Corporation Finance. To
facilitate your review, the staff’s comment is set forth below in bold-faced
type and the Company’s response immediately follows.
Form DEF
14A
Business Performance Factor,
page 37
1.
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You
have not provided quantitative disclosure of all of the terms of the
necessary targets to be achieved for your named executive officers to earn
their “annual incentive.” In future filings, please disclose
the specific performance targets used to determine incentive
amounts. See Item 402(b)(1)(v) of Regulation
S-K. Alternatively, provide a supplemental analysis as to why
it is appropriate to omit specific targets pursuant to Instruction 4 to
Item 402(b) of Regulation S-K. To the extent that it is
appropriate to omit specific targets, please provide the disclosure
pursuant to Instruction 4 to Item 402(b). General statements
regarding the level of difficulty, or ease, associated with achieving
performance goals either corporately or individually are not
sufficient. In discussing how likely it will be for the company
to achieve the target levels or other factors, provide as much detail as
necessary without providing information that poses a reasonable risk of
competitive harm.
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Securities and Exchange Commission
June 5, 2008
Response:
We did
not disclose the specific performance targets used to determine our named
executive officers’ 2007 annual incentive awards because we believe that
disclosure of the specific performance targets is not material to a shareowner’s
understanding of the plan and would result in competitive harm to the
Company. We previously discussed this issue in detail with the staff
in a series of letters beginning in August 2007 and continuing through February
2008 regarding the Company’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed
with the Commission on March 9, 2007. In a letter dated February 15,
2008, Ms. Ellie Quarles, Special Counsel, informed us that the staff had
concluded that there was no basis to disagree with the Company’s decision to
omit information concerning specific performance targets from our Definitive
Proxy Statement. A copy of our prior correspondence with the staff is
attached.
The
material provisions and operation of the Company’s annual incentive plan did not
change from the 2006 plan year to the 2007 plan year. Thus, we
continue to believe that our decision to omit the specific performance targets
under our annual incentive plan – a decision on which the staff concluded there
was no basis to disagree – is appropriate and in accordance with Item 402(b) of
Regulation S-K. Our reasons for this conclusion are summarized
below.
Volume,
Net Income and Profit Targets are Not Material to Understanding the
Plan
Due to
the design of the annual incentive plan, disclosure of the specific performance
targets is not material to our shareowners’ understanding of the plan or the
amounts that could be paid to the named executive officers pursuant to the
plan. The plan is designed to include a matrix of performance points
at which the target incentive payment for an individual executive could be
earned. A large number of combinations of actual volume and net
income results could result in payment of the target incentive. By
way of illustration, all of the following could result in a payout of 100% of
the executive’s target annual incentive: X volume and $Y net income;
X+1 and $Y-2; X-3 and $Y+4.
Accordingly,
the actual specific target set by the Compensation Committee is only a starting
point and identifying only a single target would not materially enhance our
shareowners’ understanding of the incentive nature of the plan. We
believe the truly material elements of the annual incentive plan, as we have
disclosed in our prior filings, are:
2
Securities and Exchange Commission
June 5, 2008
·
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the
annual incentive target as a percentage of base salary (see page 37 of the
2008 Definitive Proxy Statement);
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·
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the
plan formula (see page 37 of the 2008 Definitive Proxy
Statement);
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·
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the
range of potential payouts for each named executive officer (see the
Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table on page 58 of the 2008 Definitive Proxy
Statement);
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·
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the
shareowner-approved measures employed (see page 37 of the 2008 Definitive
Proxy Statement);
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·
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the
actual payouts for each named executive officer (see the Summary
Compensation Table on page 48 of the 2008 Definitive Proxy Statement);
and
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·
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the
historical analysis of performance results (see page 38 of the 2008
Definitive Proxy Statement).
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Item
402(b)(2)(v) of Regulation S-K, as cited by the staff in its comment, provides
that, if material, the
specific items of corporate performance taken into account in setting
compensation policies and making compensation decisions may need to be discussed in a
company’s Compensation Discussion and Analysis. Further, instruction
1 to Item 402(b) of Regulation S-K provides that the purpose of the Compensation
Discussion and Analysis is to provide investors material information that is
necessary to an
understanding of the registrant’s compensation policies and decisions regarding
the named executive officers. We believe we have discussed, and we
will continue to discuss in our future filings, the material corporate
performance information necessary for our shareowners to understand the annual
incentive plan design, purpose and payouts.
Disclosure
of Specific Performance Targets would Result in Competitive Harm
As set
forth on page 37 of the 2008 Definitive Proxy Statement, the financial measures
underlying the 2007 annual incentive awards were, for the Company as a whole,
volume and net income and, for operating units, volume and profit before
tax. While disclosure of the specific volume, net income and profit
targets under the plan is immaterial to an understanding of the plan and amounts
awarded under the plan, disclosure of the targets would provide material
information regarding the Company’s business strategy and therefore would result
in competitive harm to the Company.
3
Securities and Exchange Commission
June 5, 2008
There are
two primary reasons we believe disclosing the specific performance targets would
result in competitive harm. First, the performance targets are
applied against internal business plan goals that are set
annually. The internal business plan is highly
confidential. While the annual results regarding the Company’s
volume, net income and profit before tax are eventually disclosed to
shareowners, our internal business plan and performance against the plan are
never made public. If we were required to disclose the specific performance
targets and how those targets were applied against the internal business plan
targets, coupled with the publicly-available information about actual volume, net income and
profits results, competitors could easily understand our business
priorities, areas of emphasis, investment strategies, and expectations for
particular geographic regions. Likewise, if we disclosed these
targets after the fact, competitors would have access to baseline information
for future projected growth. It is also important to note with
respect to the 2007 annual incentive compensation that specific volume targets
were required for certain categories of products. Disclosure of
targets for specific categories of products would provide competitors with
information about the Company’s expectations about volume for a particular
category of beverages and the Company’s emphasis in the various
categories. This would allow competitors to adjust their efforts in
response to such information to the detriment of the Company.
Second,
because volume and financial results work in tandem, competitors could infer
future pricing strategies by observing the relationship between the two
financial targets. As part of our business strategy, the Company
might (and has in the past) set a relatively lower price, which would adversely
affect income and profit in the short term, to increase the presence of our
products and thus increase volume. Conversely, price increases may
improve profit and income, but reduce volume. Even though disclosure
of the performance targets would occur after the Company’s publication of
volume, income and profit results for the year, this relationship between
pricing and volume is not discernable from the published
information. If we were to disclose the performance targets in our
future filings, a competitor easily could infer future price initiatives and
strategies. For example, by observing how the financial targets are
set over time, a competitor could determine whether the Company is reducing
prices or increasing marketing expenditures to increase volume within particular
geographic markets or with respect to particular products. Based on
this information, a competitor could set its own strategy to counteract the
Company’s carefully constructed strategy, all to the detriment of our overall
operating results and thus shareowner return. The completion of the
compensation year in no way diminishes this potential for competitive
harm.
Because
we omitted disclosure of the specific performance targets underlying the annual
incentive plan, we discussed in detail, on page 38 of the 2008 Definitive Proxy
Statement and as required by Instruction 4 to Item 402(b) of Regulation S-K, the
likelihood of the Company’s achievement of the targets. We
stated:
“Based on
historical analysis, we believe the target award is somewhat likely, but not
easily achieved. There is only a remote probability (less than 5%) that the
maximum award could be attained. Past performance is not an indication of future
performance, but provides valuable data to the Compensation Committee as it sets
targets for the plan year. Over the last eight years, the business performance
targets were exceeded slightly more than half of the time, but the maximum
payout was never awarded. As disclosed in the 2007 Grants of Plan-Based Awards
Table on page 58, the target award for 2007 was exceeded, but the maximum was
not attained for any Named Executive Officer.”
Cognizant of the staff’s concerns in
this area, we provided more than general statements regarding the level of
difficulty, or ease, associated with achieving the undisclosed performance
targets. To the contrary, we attempted to provide a probability and
historical analysis for our shareowners in order to provide them with context
for assessing the difficulty of achieving the targets. We believe
that the information we provided satisfies the requirements of the
rule.
4
Securities and Exchange Commission
June 5, 2008
Conclusion
We have
taken a principled approach to the determination whether to disclose the
specific performance targets under our annual incentive plan – an approach we
re-evaluated in preparing our 2008 Definitive Proxy Statement given our prior
correspondence with the staff. Where we believe that the specific
targets are material to understanding the plan, and disclosure of the targets
will not result in competitive harm, we have disclosed the specific
targets. For example, we disclosed the specific performance targets
for the performance share unit plan (see page 40 of the 2008 Definitive Proxy
Statement), even though the Company’s economic profit growth is not typically
publicly disclosed.
We
believe that most of our shareowners understand the sensitivity of the specific
performance targets under the annual incentive plan. While disclosure
of the targets would not materially add to an understanding of the plan in a
particular year, the risk of competitors knowing these targets and analyzing how
they work together over time is both probable and very serious. We believe that
our shareowners’ interests are well-served by continuing to keep these targets
confidential, and would be significantly harmed by disclosure of the targets to
competitors.
In
connection with responding to your comment, we acknowledge that:
·
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the
Company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in
the filing;
|
·
|
staff
comments or changes to disclosure in response to comments do not foreclose
the Commission from taking any action with respect to the filing;
and
|
·
|
the
Company may not assert staff comments as a defense in any proceeding
initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities
laws of the United
States.
|
5
Securities and Exchange Commission
June 5, 2008
Please
direct any questions or comments concerning this letter to me at
404-676-5622.
Sincerely,
/s/ Carol
Crofoot Hayes
Carol
Crofoot Hayes
Associate
General Counsel and Secretary
cc: E.
Neville Isdell, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Attachments
6
Attachment
1
Mail Stop
3561
August
21, 2007
By
U.S. Mail and facsimile to (404) 515-7099
E.
Neville Isdell
Chief
Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board
The
Coca-Cola Company
One
Coca-Cola Plaza
Atlanta,
GA 30313
R The Coca-Cola
Company
Definitive
14A
Filed March
9, 2007
File No.
1-02217
Dear Mr.
Isdell:
We have
limited our review of your definitive proxy statement to your executive
compensation and other related disclosure and have the following comments. Our
review of your filing is part of the Division’s focused review of executive
compensation disclosure.
Please
understand that the purpose of our review process is to assist you in your
compliance with the applicable disclosure requirements and to enhance the
overall disclosure in your filings. We look forward to working with you in these
respects. We welcome any questions you may have about our comments or any other
aspect of our review. Feel free to call me at the telephone number listed at the
end of this letter.
In some
comments we have asked you to provide us with additional information so we may
better understand your disclosure. Please do so within the time frame set forth
below. You should comply with the remaining comments in all future filings, as
applicable. Please confirm in writing that you will do so and also explain to us
how you intend to comply. Please understand that after our review of all of your
responses, we may raise additional comments.
If you
disagree with any of these comments, we will consider your explanation as to why
our comment is inapplicable or a revision is unnecessary. Please be as detailed
as necessary in your explanation.
E.
Neville Isdell
The
Coca-Cola Company
August
21, 2007
Page
2
The
Compensation Committee, page 19
1. We
note that Towers Perrin assists the compensation committee with its
responsibilities and that it gathers and analyzes data. Please clarify the
role of the compensation consultant in determining or recommending the
amount and form of executive or director compensation and discuss fully
the material elements of the instructions or directions to the consultant
with respect to the performance of its duties under the engagement. See
Item 407(e)(3)(iii) of Regulation
S-K.
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Approval
of Related Person Transactions, page 24
2. Please
expand the definition of “related person” to include your executive
officers and their immediate family members. See Instruction 1.a.i. and
iii. to Item 404(a) of Regulation
S-K.
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3. Please
disclose whether your policies and procedures for approving related person
transactions are in writing and, if not, how such policies and procedures
are evidenced. See Item 404(b)(1)(iv) of Regulation
S-K.
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Director
Compensation, page 26
4. You
specify a performance goal for the compensation plan for non-employee
directors and indicate that you assess earnings per share growth “after
considering items impacting comparability.” Please discuss whether you
have established in advance the types of items that will be considered to
determine whether earnings per share have increased or otherwise indicate
how these adjustments will be made.
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5. Please
clarify the effect, if any, on the vesting of awards to a director if the
director does not continue as a board
member.
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Compensation
Discussion and Analysis, page 29
6. Please
expand your reasons for paying a certain level of base salary to explain
how “internal equity” is taken into account to adjust for annual increases
and discuss the extent to which it is considered in setting the initial
level of base salary for named executive officers. Clarify whether it is
your goal to set base salary at a certain multiple of the salary of a
specified type of employee. You also state that the compensation committee
considers market data and affordability for the company when determining
base salary. Please discuss whether you consider total salary to be paid
to the named executive officers when determining whether the base salary
levels are affordable for the company. If so, discuss what total base
salary level has been determined to be affordable for the
year.
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E.
Neville Isdell
The
Coca-Cola Company
August
21, 2007
Page
3
Annual
Compensation, page 30
7. You
have not provided a quantitative or qualitative discussion of the 2006
financial or other performance targets to be achieved for your named
executive officers to earn the annual incentive. You also have not
included the 2007 targets. See Instruction 2 to Item 402(b) of Regulation
S-K. Please disclose or, to the extent you believe disclosure of these
targets is not required because it would result in competitive harm,
provide us on a supplemental basis a detailed explanation under
Instruction 4 to Item 402(b) of Regulation S-K for this conclusion. You
indicate that you have exceeded the financial performance target in each
of the last three years for the annual incentive, but you have not stated
clearly how difficult it is to achieve the target level of performance. If
disclosure of the performance-related factors would cause competitive
harm, please discuss how difficult it will be for the executive or how
likely it will be for the registrant to achieve the target levels. Please
see Instruction 4 to Item 402(b) of Regulation
S-K.
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8. We
refer you to Securities Act Release 8732A, Section II.B.1. As noted in
that section, the compensation discussion and analysis should be
sufficiently precise to identify material differences in compensation
policies for individual named executive officers. Mr. Isdell received the
highest salary of $1.5 million, almost two times the next highest salary,
and a bonus of $5.5 million, which was more than three times the next
highest bonus paid to any of the named executive officers. Mr. Isdell was
the only named executive officer to receive stock and performance share
units in 2006, which accounts for a significant amount of the compensation
differences between him and the other named executive officers. However,
you should supplement the disclosure to explain further the reasons for
the differences in the amounts of compensation awarded to the named
executive officers.
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Annual
Incentive, page 31
Determination
Formula, page 33
9.
Your disclosure regarding the annual incentive is lengthy and somewhat
difficult to understand without attaching values to the factors you use.
Please consider including an example of how you determine the actual
incentive award payout using actual dollar amounts, annual incentive
targets, financial performance percentages and personal performance
factors. Please consider including the amounts awarded to the named
executive officers and the various percentages related to each named
executive officer. Another alternative could involve providing tabular
disclosure with representative
amounts.
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E.
Neville Isdell
The
Coca-Cola Company
August
21, 2007
Page
4
2006
Pension Benefits, page 57
10. Please
clarify by footnote why the number of years of credited service differs
for Mr. Isdell between the retirement plan and supplemental plan, on the
one hand, and the overseas plan, on the other. Based on the disclosure you
provided on page 39, the difference between the plans is not attributable
to crediting Mr. Isdell with additional years of service. Please clarify
the reasons for the difference in years of credited
service.
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11. Please
clarify the meaning of the data included in the mortality table column of
the assumptions you have provided.
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2006
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation, page 59
12. Please
include a footnote quantifying the extent to which amounts reported in
column f previously were reported as compensation to the named executive
officer in the summary compensation table for previous years. See the
Instruction to Item 402(i)(2).
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13. Please
disclose the measures for calculating interest or other plan earnings
(including the frequency in which selections may be changed), quantifying
interest rates and other measures applicable during your last fiscal year.
See Item 402(i)(3)(ii) of Regulation
S-K.
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Please
respond to our comments by September 21, 2007, or tell us by that time when you
will provide us with a response.
We urge
all persons who are responsible for the accuracy and adequacy of the disclosure
in the filing to be certain that the filing includes all information required
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and that they have provided all
information investors require for an informed investment decision. Since the
company and its management are in possession of all facts relating to a
company’s disclosure, they are responsible for the accuracy and adequacy of the
disclosures they have made.
When you
respond to our comments, please provide, in writing, a statement from the
company acknowledging that:
•
the company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure
in the filing;
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•
staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to comments do not
foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the
filing; and
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E.
Neville Isdell
The
Coca-Cola Company
August
21, 2007
Page
5
•
the company may not assert staff comments as a defense in any proceeding
initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities
laws of the United States.
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In
addition, please be advised that the Division of Enforcement has access to all
information you provide to the staff of the Division of Corporation Finance in
connection with our review of your filing or in response to
comments.
Please
contact me at (202) 551-3238 with any questions.
Sincerely,
Ellie
Quarles
Special
Counsel
Attachment
2
CORRESP 1
filename1.htm
The
Coca-Cola Company
One
Coca-Cola Plaza
Atlanta,
Georgia
Carol
Crofoot Hayes
Associate
General Counsel & Secretary
ADDRESS
REPLY TO
P.O. Box
1734
Atlanta,
Georgia 30301
404
676-5622
FAX: 404
676-8409
October
26, 2007
Ms. Ellie
Quarles
Special
Counsel
United
States Securities and Exchange Commission
100 F
Street, N.E.
Washington,
D.C. 20549-3561
RE: The
Coca-Cola Company
Definitive
Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A
Filed
March 9, 2007
File No.
1-02217
Thank you
for your letter of August 21, 2007 concerning the Definitive Proxy Statement on
Schedule 14A filed on March 9, 2007 by The Coca-Cola Company (the
“Company”). We have responded to each of your comments
below. To facilitate your review, we have included in this letter the
captions and numbered comments from your letter and have provided our responses
immediately following each numbered comment.
The Compensation Committee,
page 19
1.
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We
note that Towers Perrin assists the compensation committee with its
responsibilities and that it gathers and analyzes data. Please
clarify the role of the compensation consultant in determining or
recommending the amount and form of executive or director compensation and
discuss fully the material elements of the instructions or directions to
the consultant with respect to the performance of its duties under the
engagement. See Item 407(e)(3)(iii) of Regulation
S-K.
|
Response:
As noted
on page 37 of the Definitive Proxy Statement, the primary role of Towers Perrin,
as consultant to the Compensation Committee during 2006, is to gather and
analyze data related to market practice. In particular, as requested
by the Compensation Committee, the compensation consultant provides relevant
comparative market data, provides objective data to assist in the selection of
our peer group of companies, and comments on compensation
proposals. Towers Perrin did not determine or recommend the exact
amount and form of executive compensation. Towers Perrin has not and
did not in 2006 play any role in determining the amount or form of Director
compensation.
1
The
Compensation Committee has a written engagement letter with Towers
Perrin. Under the terms of this engagement letter, the consultant
reports directly to the Chairman of the Committee, the Committee determines the
scope of requested services, and the Committee has the sole authority to hire,
fire, and approve fee arrangements for the consultant’s work.
We will
continue to detail in future filings the compensation consultant’s involvement
with our executive compensation program to the extent it is material to an
investor’s understanding of our executive compensation program.
Approval of Related Person
Transactions, page 24
2.
|
Please
expand the definition of “related person” to include your executive
officers and their immediate family members. See Instruction
1.a.i. and iii. to Item 404(a) of Regulation
S-K.
|
Response:
In future
filings, we will include executive officers and their immediate family members
in the definition of “related person.” Based on our review, there
were no transactions involving our executive officers or their immediate family
members subject to disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K during
2006.
3.
|
Please
disclose whether your policies and procedures for approving related person
transactions are in writing and, if not, how such policies and procedures
are evidenced. See Item 404(b)(1)(iv) of Regulation
S-K.
|
Response:
Our
policies and procedures regarding related person transactions are in writing in
the Committee Charter for the Committee on Directors and Corporate
Governance. In addition, these policies are discussed in our Code of
Business Conduct. These documents can be found on the Company’s
website, www.thecoca-colacompany.com,
under the Investors section. In future filings, we will specifically
state that these policies and procedures are in writing.
Director Compensation, page
26
4.
|
You
specify a performance goal for the compensation plan for non-employee
directors and indicate that you assess earnings per share growth “after
considering items impacting comparability.” Please discuss
whether you have established in advance the types of items that will be
considered to determine whether earnings per share have increased or
otherwise indicate how these adjustments will be
made.
|
2
Response:
Under The
Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors, the types of items that would
impact comparability are established in advance, at the time the performance
target for the three-year period is set by the Board of
Directors. For the 2006 – 2008 performance period, the
calculation of earnings per share growth is adjusted for significant structural
changes, accounting changes, and non-recurring charges and gains. The
Audit Committee must approve and certify any adjustments. These
adjustments are intended to provide a consistent year-to-year
comparison. In future filings, we will identify the types of
potential adjustments that are applicable to each three-year performance
period.
5.
|
Please
clarify the effect, if any, on the vesting of awards to a director if the
director does not continue as a board
member.
|
Response:
If a
Director does not continue to serve as a Director, the share units credited to
his or her account for each performance period in progress are prorated based on
the amount of time in the performance period he or she served as a
Director.
The share
units do not vest upon termination of service as a Director. No payment is made
unless the performance measure is met over the original performance
period. The prorated payment, if any, is made at the same time as any
payment to the other Directors. This provision is
expressly set forth in Section 4.4 of The Compensation Plan for Non-Employee
Directors, which was filed with the Commission on a current report on Form 8-K
on April 5, 2006.
We did
not address this provision in the description of The Compensation Plan for
Non-Employee Directors in our Definitive Proxy Statement since no Director who
participated in this plan terminated service as a Director in
2006. Consequently, we did not believe that a description of the
provision was material to an understanding of the plan. In future
filings, we will describe this provision in the discussion of the
plan.
Compensation Discussion and
Analysis, page 29
6.
|
Please
expand your reasons for paying a certain level of base salary to explain
how “internal equity” is taken into account to adjust for annual increases
and discuss the extent to which it is considered in setting the initial
level of base salary for named executive officers. Clarify
whether it is your goal to set base salary at a certain multiple of the
salary of a specified type of employee. You also state that the
compensation committee considers market data and affordability for the
company when determining base salary. Please discuss whether
you consider total salary to be paid to the named executive officers when
determining whether the base salary levels are affordable for the
company. If so, discuss what total base salary level has been
determined to be affordable for the
year.
|
3
Response:
The
Compensation Committee seeks to balance the use of external data and internal
data in its decision-making process to ensure that we are paying our employees
comparable amounts for comparable work. Internal equity is one factor
that is considered in this process. Our objective is to ensure
that employees with similar responsibilities, experience and historical
performance are rewarded comparably. For each position in the
Company, including the Named Executive Officers’ positions, we assign a job
grade based on job duties and responsibilities. Each job grade has a
salary range. When adjusting base salaries, annual increases are
awarded within a pre-established range based on an assessment of the employee’s
performance for the previous year. We take into consideration
experience and performance versus peers in comparable roles and we seek to
provide the highest performing employees the highest rewards.
We do not
seek to set the base salary of any employee, including any Named Executive
Officer, at a certain multiple of the salary of a specified type of
employee.
Affordability
is one of many factors used in determining base salaries and annual
increases. What we pay our employees, including our Named Executive
Officers, eventually is factored into the price of our products. We
look at base salaries, annual incentive opportunities and long-term incentive
awards to understand whether the entire compensation package for employees,
including Named Executive Officers, is competitive and
affordable. Several other elements of compensation are driven by base
salary, so it is important to set the appropriate level of base
salary.
We
carefully consider external and internal data in setting the appropriate,
affordable level of compensation. The total base salaries disclosed
have been determined to be affordable. We are willing and able to
invest in employees, including Named Executive Officers, in order to deliver
results to shareowners. We consider this compensation an investment
and we manage this investment through our performance management system and with
financial and individual performance objectives.
In future
filings, we will continue to consider how best to disclose information material
to an investor’s understanding of our executive compensation programs, including
the role of internal equity and affordability.
4
Annual Compensation, page
30
7.
|
You
have not provided a quantitative or qualitative discussion of the 2006
financial or other performance targets to be achieved for your named
executive officers to earn the annual incentive. You also have
not included the 2007 targets. See Instruction 2 to Item 402(b)
of Regulation S-K. Please disclose or, to the extent you
believe disclosure of these targets is not required because it would
result in competitive harm, provide us on a supplemental basis a detailed
explanation under Instruction 4 to Item 402(b) of Regulation S-K for this
conclusion. You indicate that you have exceeded the financial
performance target in each of the last three years for the annual
incentive, but you have not stated clearly how difficult it is to achieve
the target level of performance. If disclosure of the
performance-related factors would cause competitive harm, please discuss
how difficult it will be for the executive or how likely it will be for
the registrant to achieve the target levels. Please see
Instruction 4 to Item 402(b) of Regulation
S-K.
|
Response:
We did
not disclose the specific performance targets for the 2006 annual incentive
awards because we believe that to do so would result in competitive harm to the
Company. We have adopted a principled approach to disclosure of
performance targets and carefully evaluate each plan to determine if disclosure
would result in competitive harm. Where we did not believe that
disclosure of targets would result in competitive harm, we disclosed the
specific targets. For example, on page 35 of the Definitive Proxy Statement, we
disclosed the earnings per share performance targets applied to the performance
share units under the Company’s long-term incentive
program. Similarly, on page 26 of the Definitive Proxy Statement, we
disclosed the performance target for Director compensation.
For the
2006 annual incentive awards, on page 32 of the Definitive Proxy Statement, we
disclosed that the financial measures for the Company as a whole were volume and
net income and, for operating units, volume and profit before
tax. These financial criteria are applied against internal business
plan targets that are set annually. These internal business plans are
highly confidential and reflect the internal aspirations for the Company as a
whole and for particular geographic operating units. These business
plans do not constitute forecasts although, if disclosed, there is a risk that
they would be construed as forecasts.
While
information on volume, net income, and profit before tax is eventually
disclosed, our internal business plans and performance against those plans are
never made public. Disclosure of the Company’s internal projections and our
performance against the business plans would allow competitors to understand our
business priorities, areas of emphasis, investment strategies, and expectations
for particular geographic regions. Competitors and industry experts
may be able to deduce the investment required to deliver certain volume or
profit targets. Likewise, if we disclosed these targets
after-the-fact, competitors would have access to baseline information for future
projected growth. As an example, if competitors discovered that we
are aiming for a significant percentage increase in volume or profit in a
particular geographic area, this would provide competitors with highly valuable
information that would allow them to focus their competitive efforts against the
Company in that area.
5
Importantly,
specific targets were also required for certain categories of products.
Disclosure of internal targets for a particular category of products would
provide our competitors with proprietary information on the Company’s
expectations about volume in that category of beverages and also information on
where the Company is focusing its efforts. For example, if we
disclosed that we expect the volume of sparkling beverages to grow at a certain
percentage and still beverages to grow at a different percentage, competitors
would obtain information about the Company’s strategy related to those
products. In addition, this would provide competitors with
information on the Company’s prioritization of certain categories of
beverages.
Since we
firmly believe that competitive harm would result if we disclose the specific
performance targets for our annual incentive awards, we disclosed the difficulty
of achieving the targets. We disclosed on page 32 of the Definitive Proxy
Statement that financial performance has exceeded the target in each of the last
three years and also that the maximum has never been achieved. It is
important to note that, because this is an annual incentive plan, both the range
of potential payouts based on the targets and the actual payouts are disclosed
in the same Definitive Proxy Statement. We disclosed in the 2006 Grants of
Plan-Based Awards table on page 51 of the Definitive Proxy Statement the
threshold, target and maximum payout of the annual incentive. The
actual payment amount disclosed on page 44 in column (g) of the 2006 Summary
Compensation Table for each Named Executive Officer can be compared against this
range. In 2006, for the Named Executive Officers, the performance
targets for 2006 were exceeded, but the payouts were substantially below the
maximum amount. This demonstrates that the target level of performance is
achievable, as long as expected performance is attained, but the maximum payout
is very difficult to achieve. In the event additional disclosure is
material to an investor’s understanding of the executive compensation program,
we will include additional information in future filings on the difficulty of
achieving the target and maximum amounts.
We did
not provide information on the financial performance targets for the 2007 annual
incentive awards because, as set forth in Instruction 2 to Item 402(b) of
Regulation S-K, information for 2007 would have to be disclosed only if it could
affect a fair understanding of the Named Executive Officer’s compensation for
the last fiscal year. Annual incentive award targets are set each
year. We do not believe that the targets for 2007 awards are relevant to a fair
understanding of the annual incentive plan and the award payouts for
2006. Rather, as stated above, we believe historical results
provide an investor with more pertinent information regarding the difficulty of
achieving the performance targets under the plan.
In
summary, we believe the information and explanation provided in the Definitive
Proxy Statement about the annual incentive plan was sufficient to provide an
investor with an understanding of the plan. Disclosure of the
specific targets would not materially increase an investor’s understanding of
the annual incentive program and would result in competitive harm.
6
8.
|
We
refer you to Securities Act Release 8732A, Section II.B.1. As
noted in that section, the compensation discussion and analysis should be
sufficiently precise to identify material differences in compensation
policies for individual named executive officers. Mr. Isdell
received the highest salary of $1.5 million, almost two times the next
highest salary, and a bonus of $5.5 million, which was more than three
times the next highest bonus paid to any of the named executive
officers. Mr. Isdell was the only named executive officer to
receive stock and performance share units in 2006, which accounts for a
significant amount of the compensation differences between him and the
other named executive officers. However, you should supplement
the disclosure to explain further the reasons for the differences in the
amounts of compensation awarded to the named executive
officers.
|
Response:
As you
note, Mr. Isdell was the only Named Executive Officer to receive stock options
and performance share units in 2006, which accounts for a significant amount of
the difference between Mr. Isdell’s total compensation and the total
compensation of other Named Executive Officers. The reason for this
was explained in detail beginning in the last paragraph on page 33 and
continuing on page 34 of the Definitive Proxy Statement.
Regarding
base salary, as we discussed on page 30 of the Definitive Proxy Statement, the
process for determining base salary is the same for all employees, including
Named Executive Officers. The differences in base salary are a result
of external benchmarking and differences in the relative responsibilities of
each executive position. Mr. Kent, who has the second-highest base
salary, was promoted to his current position of President and Chief Operating
Officer on December 7, 2006. The increase to his base salary as a
result of this promotion was effective January 1, 2007 (see page 31 of our
Definitive Proxy Statement) and thus was not reflected in the 2006 Summary
Compensation Table. Prior to Mr. Kent’s promotion, the Company did
not have an executive in the position of President and Chief Operating
Officer. While Mr. Isdell’s salary was approximately twice that of
Mr. Kent in 2006, this difference is partly attributable to the fact that Mr.
Kent’s base salary did not reflect his new position until 2007.
Regarding
annual incentive, Mr. Isdell, given his role and responsibilities, is eligible
for a higher target incentive percentage than the other Named Executive
Officers. This target percentage is applied against his base salary,
resulting in a higher annual incentive amount. Mr. Isdell’s
leadership and strong personal performance in 2006 were also taken into account,
as described in detail on page 33 of the Definitive Proxy
Statement.
7
Finally,
Mr. Isdell’s total compensation is higher than other Named Executive Officers
because of the increase in the value of his future pension benefits, as
disclosed in column (h) of the 2006 Summary Compensation
Table. The reasons that his change in pension value is higher
than the other Named Executive Officers are explained in detail on pages 47, 57
and 58 of the Definitive Proxy Statement. Specifically, it was
disclosed on page 47 that “Mr. Isdell’s change in pension value is significant
because he was rehired after retirement at a substantially higher rate of
pay. As of December 31, 2006 he had 32.5 years of
service. As a result, each year Mr. Isdell works as Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer replaces an earlier year of lower eligible
compensation. This treatment applies to all plan
participants.”
While we
believe that that the reasons for the material differences between the
compensation paid to our Named Executive Officers for 2006 were adequately
explained in our Definitive Proxy Statement, in future filings, we will continue
to ensure that any material differences in our compensation policies or pay
decisions are appropriately addressed to the extent that such information is
material to an investor's understanding of our executive compensation
program.
Annual Incentive, page
31
Determination Formula, page
33
9.
|
Your
disclosure regarding the annual incentive is lengthy and somewhat
difficult to understand without attaching values to the factors you
use. Please consider including an example of how you determine
the actual incentive award payout using actual dollar amounts, annual
incentive targets, financial performance percentages and personal
performance factors. Please consider including the amounts
awarded to the named executive officers and the various percentages
related to each named executive officer. Another
alternative could involve providing tabular disclosure with representative
amounts.
|
Response:
While we
acknowledge that the discussion of our annual incentive award plan is fairly
complex, we do not believe that it is difficult to understand how the plan
operates without attaching specific values to each factor that is
used. On page 33 of the Definitive Proxy Statement, we set out the
formula in simple form. As described, the four primary factors
are:
·
|
Base
salary
|
·
|
Annual
incentive target percentage
|
·
|
Financial
performance percentage
|
·
|
Personal
performance percentage
|
In
addition, the annual incentive is increased or decreased based on performance
against pre-established inclusion and diversity goals. Of the
factors, we disclosed base salary, annual incentive target percentage and the
diversity multiplier. For the reasons discussed in our response
to Comment 7 above, we did not disclose the specific financial performance
percentage that was applied for the 2006 awards because we believe that to do so
would result in competitive harm to the Company. In addition, we do
not believe it is required or appropriate to disclose the actual personal
performance percentage for each Named Executive Officer. We believe
that the disclosure of the amount of annual incentive paid in the 2006 Summary
Compensation Table, column (g) (see page 44 of the Definitive Proxy Statement),
along with disclosure of the range of possible awards in the 2006 Grants of
Plan-Based Awards, columns (c) – (e) (see page 51 of the Definitive Proxy
Statement) provides sufficient information to enable an investor to understand
the material terms of the annual incentive program.
8
However,
to provide further clarity in future filings, we will consider providing a
hypothetical example of how the annual incentive is calculated. We will also
consider using a table to present the factors that we disclose and look for
other ways to simplify the disclosure.
2006 Pension Benefits, page
57
10.
|
Please
clarify by footnote why the number of years of credited service differs
for Mr. Isdell between the retirement plan and supplemental plan, on the
one hand, and the overseas plan, on the other. Based on the
disclosure you provided on page 39, the difference between the plans is
not attributable to crediting Mr. Isdell with additional years of
service. Please clarify the reasons for the difference in years
of credited service.
|
Response:
As of
December 31, 2006, Mr. Isdell had a total of 32.5 total years of service with
the Company and its affiliates that are eligible to be credited for pension
purposes. The Retirement Plan and the Supplemental Plan, on the one hand, and
the Overseas Plan, on the other hand, are separate plans that credit service for
different periods. In Mr. Isdell’s case, 12.1 of his total 32.5 years
are credited under the Retirement Plan and the Supplemental Plan and the
remaining 20.4 years are credited under the Overseas Plan. There is not
overlap in the years and no additional years of service are
credited. Together, the two plans credit his 32.5 years of
total service. In future filings, we will clarify the allocation of
his years of service between the various pension plans.
11.
|
Please
clarify the meaning of the data included in the mortality table column of
the assumptions you have provided.
|
Response:
The
probability of mortality (death) is one factor used to calculate the present
value of accumulated pension benefits. The mortality tables
referenced on page 58 of the Definitive Proxy Statement are standard published
tables. These references use the abbreviated name of the mortality
table that was used to determine the actuarial value of the accumulated benefits
shown in column (d) of the 2006 Pension Benefits Table on page 57 of the
Definitive Proxy Statement. The full name for "GAM 94" is 1994 Group
Annuity Mortality Table. The full name for "GAM 83" is 1983 Group
Annuity Mortality Table. The phrase “males and females” means that
gender-specific tables were used.
9
We
elected to disclose the assumptions for each plan in detail instead of providing
a cross-reference to the Company's audited financial statements because Mr.
Reyes, one of the Named Executive Officers, is located in Mexico and
participates in a local pension plan. The actuarial assumptions for
the local Mexico pension plan are different from the assumptions used for the
Company’s other defined benefit pension plans. We believe that
listing the specific actuarial assumptions provides an investor with more
accurate disclosure in this case. In future filings, we will clarify
the meaning of the data in the mortality table column.
2006 Nonqualified Deferred
Compensation, page 59
12.
|
Please
include a footnote quantifying the extent to which amounts reported in
column f previously were reported as compensation to the named executive
officer in the summary compensation table for previous
years. See the Instruction to Item
402(i)(2).
|
Response:
As stated
on page 59 of the Definitive Proxy Statement, “All contributions by the Named
Executive Officers are voluntary elections to defer receipt of compensation that
they were entitled to be paid in the current year.” In addition, we
disclosed on page 59 of the Definitive Proxy Statement that no Named Executive
Officer has ever received a Company contribution to the Deferred Compensation
Plan. Therefore, the entire amount in column (f) consists of base
salary or annual incentive payments, plus earnings, that would have been paid to
the Named Executive Officer had he or she not elected to defer the
compensation. For 2006 contributions, this is disclosed in the
2006 Summary Compensation Table. For prior years’ contributions, this
would have been reported in the Summary Compensation Table for that year, if the
individual was a Named Executive Officer.
In future
filings, consistent with Question 10.01 of the staff’s Compliance and Disclosure
Interpretations, we will provide the necessary quantification in the footnotes
to this table.
13.
|
Please
disclose the measure for calculating interest or other plan earnings
(including the frequency in which selections may be changed), quantifying
interest rates and other measures applicable during your last fiscal
year. See Item 402(i)(3)(ii) of Regulation
S-K.
|
10
Response:
The
Deferred Compensation Plan does not provide or guarantee any specified rate of
interest. As disclosed on page 59 of the Definitive Proxy Statement:
“The employee earns a deferred return based on deemed investments in mutual
funds selected by the employee from a list provided by the
Company. The investment risk is borne entirely by the employee. . .
.. Gains and losses are credited based on the participant’s election
of a variety of deemed investment choices. Participants’ accounts may
or may not appreciate and may even depreciate depending on the performance of
their deemed investment choices. None of the deemed investment
choices provide interest at above-market rates.” We believe
this is adequate disclosure of the method for crediting plan earnings and we do
not believe disclosure of the actual funds and their individual returns provides
information that is material to an investor’s understanding of the Deferred
Compensation Plan. Such disclosure could be quite lengthy and would be more
relevant to the Named Executive Officer’s investment strategy than to an
understanding of the Deferred Compensation Plan. Aggregate earnings
for each Named Executive Officer are disclosed in the 2006 Nonqualified Deferred
Compensation table on page 59 of the Definitive Proxy
Statement. Participants may change their deemed investment elections
on a daily basis. In future filings, we will disclose that plan
participants may change investment elections on a daily basis.
In
connection with responding to your comments, we acknowledge that:
·
|
the
Company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in
the filing;
|
·
|
staff
comments or changes to disclosure in response to comments do not foreclose
the Commission from taking any action with respect to the filing;
and
|
·
|
the
Company may not assert staff comments as a defense in any proceeding
initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities
laws of the United States.
|
Please
direct any questions or comments concerning this letter to me at
404-676-5622.
Sincerely,
/s/ Carol
Crofoot Hayes
Carol
Crofoot Hayes
Associate
General Counsel and Secretary
cc: E.
Neville Isdell, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
11
Attachment
3
December
6, 2007
Mail Stop
3561
By
U.S. Mail and facsimile to (404) 515-7099
E.
Neville Isdell
Chief
Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board
The
Coca-Cola Company
One
Coca-Cola Plaza
Atlanta,
GA 30313
Re: The
Coca-Cola Company
Definitive
14A
Filed
March 9, 2007
File
No. 1-02217
Dear Mr.
Isdell:
We have
reviewed your response letter dated October 26, 2007 and have the following
comment. Please respond to our comment by December 20, 2007 or tell us by that
time when you will provide us with a response. If the comment requests revised
disclosure in future filings, please confirm in writing that you will comply
with the comment in your future filings and also explain to us how you intend to
comply. We welcome any questions you may have about our comment or any other
aspect of our review.
Annual Compensation, page
30
1. We
note your response to comment 7 in our letter dated August 21, 2007 and we
reissue that comment. Please provide us on a supplemental basis a detailed
analysis regarding how disclosure of each of the volume and net income
targets for the company and operating units and volume and profit before
tax targets would cause you competitive harm. Also, you state that
disclosure of the 2007 targets is not “relevant” to a fair understanding
of compensation for 2006. Please confirm that disclosure of such
information is not material.
|
E.
Neville Isdell
The
Coca-Cola Company
December
6, 2007
Page
2
Please
contact me at (202) 551-3238 with any questions.
Sincerely,
Ellie
Quarles
Special
Counsel
cc: Carol
Crofoot Hayes (via facsimile to (404) 676-8409)
Associate
General Counsel & Secretary
Attachment
4
CORRESP 1
filename1.htm

One
Coca-Cola Plaza
Atlanta,
Georgia
CAROL CROFOOT HAYES
|
ADDRESS
REPLY TO
|
ASSOCIATE
GENERAL COUNSEL
|
P.O. BOX
1734
|
AND SECRETARY
|
ATLANTA,
GA 30301
|
---------------------------
|
|
404-676-5622
FAX:
404-676-8409
|
December
19, 2007
Ms. Ellie
Quarles
Special
Counsel
United
States Securities and Exchange Commission
100 F
Street, N.E.
Washington,
D.C. 20549-3561
RE:
The Coca-Cola Company
Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A
Filed March 9, 2007
File No. 1-02217
Dear Ms.
Quarles:
Thank you
for your letter of December 6, 2007, following up on our response letter dated
October 26, 2007, concerning the Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A
filed on March 9, 2007 by The Coca-Cola Company (the
“Company”). We have responded to your additional comment
below.
Annual Compensation, page
30
1.
|
We
note your response to comment 7 in our letter dated August 21, 2007 and we
reissue that comment. Please provide us on a supplemental basis
a detailed analysis regarding how disclosure of each of the volume and net
income targets for the company and operating units and volume and profit
before tax targets would cause you competitive harm. Also, you
state that disclosure of the 2007 targets is not “relevant” to a fair
understanding of compensation for 2006. Please confirm that
disclosure of such information is not
material.
|
Response:
As stated
in our response to comment 7 in our letter dated October 26, 2007, we did not
disclose the specific performance targets for the 2006 annual incentive awards
because we believe that to do so would result in competitive harm to the
Company. As we stated in that letter, the financial criteria
are applied against internal business plan targets that are set
annually. The internal business plan is highly confidential and
competitively-sensitive information. This letter provides additional,
specific detail on how the disclosure of this information would result in
competitive harm.
As stated
in our letter, performance measures for the Company as a whole were volume and
net income and, for operating units, volume and profit before
tax. The following is an example further elaborating on how
disclosure of our targets, which incorporate our internal business plan, would
cause competitive harm.
Assume
that a Named Executive Officer was the President of ABC operating
group. This Named Executive Officer’s annual incentive would be based
50% on Company performance and 50% on ABC Group performance. The
portion related to ABC Group performance is weighted 50% on ABC Group volume and
50% on ABC Group profit before tax. Before the beginning of the
year, ABC Group establishes an internal business plan, which includes volume and
profit before tax goals. Then, at the beginning of each year, the
Compensation Committee approves targets against this internal business
plan. In this example, if the ABC Group met 100% of the volume
against the business plan and 100% of the profit before tax against the business
plan, then the Named Executive Officer’s financial performance factor for the
ABC Group would be 100%. If the ABC Group met less than the target
against the business plan for either measure, the financial performance factor
for the ABC Group would be less than 100%. If the ABC Group exceeded
target against the business plan for the measures, the financial performance
factor would be greater than 100% for the ABC Group. In addition, the
Named Executive Officer would be required to achieve certain targets for
particular types of products in order to receive greater than 100% for the
volume measure.
As you
can see, the primary driver of the financial performance component of the annual
incentive is how the ABC Group performs against the internal business plan
targets. This business plan is not public information. If
we were required to disclose this information, then coupled with the
publicly-available information about actual volume and profit results,
competitors would obtain the following information:
·
|
Our
expectations for volume growth in the ABC Group and our performance
against that expectation, giving competitors information on how we may be
deploying resources in future years. For example, if we
disclosed that, to receive a target incentive, volume must exceed X% in
ABC Group, if we did not achieve that expected result, competitors would
obtain information on potential necessary future investments in the ABC
Group.
|
·
|
The
potential upside expectations of the ABC Group, which would give
competitors information on areas we believe have potential for strong
growth and areas which may be
weaker.
|
·
|
Our
potential investment in marketing since profit before tax and volume
targets could be used to infer marketing spending.
|
·
|
The
rate at which we expect a specific category of beverages to grow, which
allows competitors to focus their own resources on these
categories.
|
For the
Company as a whole, the same kind of competitive information could be discerned
by competitors if internal business plan targets for volume and net income were
required to be disclosed.
2
We
believe that our letter of October 26, 2007, along with this supplemental
discussion, clearly establishes that disclosure of the annual incentive targets
would cause the Company competitive harm. We have no objection
to disclosing performance targets where competitive harm would not
result. Indeed, as set forth on pages 26 and 35 of the Definitive
Proxy Statement, we disclosed performance targets for our two other
performance-based plans: the Directors’ Compensation Plan and the
performance share units.
If
disclosure of this type of highly confidential information is required, the
Compensation Committee would consider changing the annual incentive plan for
2008 so that only information that would not cause competitive harm if disclosed
would be used. The annual incentive is intended to focus employees, including
Named Executive Officers, on metrics that drive long-term sustainable
growth. The Compensation Committee has, in the past, designed
the annual incentive plan with the sole focus on incenting behaviors that drive
business results. Should disclosure of competitively-sensitive
information be required, the Compensation Committee could be forced to design
the plan to avoid disclosure of competitive information rather than to set
performance measures in the best interests of our business and our
shareowners. Any benefit of disclosure of this information is
outweighed by the detriment of forcing the Compensation Committee to take the
risk of disclosure into account in setting the terms of the annual
incentive.
In
addition, since the measures are disclosed (see page 32 of the Definitive Proxy
Statement), the ranges of possible payouts for each Named Executive Officer are
disclosed (see the 2006 Grants of Plan-Based Awards table on page 51 of the
Definitive Proxy Statement), and the resulting incentive payments are disclosed
(see column (g) of the 2006 Summary Compensation Table on page 44 of the
Definitive Proxy Statement), the Company does not believe that disclosure of the
specific targets is material to investors.
Finally,
we confirm that disclosure of the 2007 targets is not material to an
understanding of the compensation for 2006.
Please
direct any questions or comments concerning this letter to me at
404-676-5622.
Sincerely,
/s/ Carol
Crofoot Hayes
Carol
Crofoot Hayes
Associate
General Counsel and Secretary
cc: E.
Neville Isdell, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
3
Attachment
5
CORRESP 1
filename1.htm

Carol
Crofoot Hayes
|
P.O.
Box 1734
|
||
Associate
General Counsel and Secretary
|
Atlanta,
GA 30301
|
||
(404)
676-5622
|
February
5, 2008
Ms. Ellie
Quarles
Special
Counsel
United
States Securities and Exchange Commission
100 F
Street, N.E.
Washington,
D.C. 20549-3561
Re: The
Coca-Cola Company
Definitive
14A
Filed
March 9, 2007
File
No. 1-02217
Dear Ms.
Quarles:
This is
in further response to your letter of December 6, 2007 and our response of
December 19, 2007. The pending comment concerns our contention that the
disclosure of our targets under our annual incentive plan would cause The
Coca-Cola Company (the “Company”) competitive harm.
We have
outlined the competitive harm concerns in our letter of December 19. In our
letter of December 19, 2007, we also contended that the information is
immaterial. We believe a more detailed description of the Company’s internal
strategy in devising our confidential internal business plan may be helpful to
the staff in reviewing our concerns and making its decision. We also believe
that a more specific explanation of the annual incentive plan’s design will
illustrate for the staff that disclosure of one particular set of performance
targets established under the plan is not material to our shareowners’
understanding of the annual targeted bonus payout under the plan.
Our
Internal Strategic View of Volume and Profit/Income Targets
It is
imperative to understand that, in setting our confidential internal business
plans, volume and financial results work in tandem. For example, in a particular
period or in a particular geography, the Company may employ a relatively lower
price (adversely affecting income and profit in the short term) to increase the
presence of our products and share of sales. Conversely, price increases
generally improve profit and income while adversely affecting volume. A
sophisticated industry observer could easily infer future price initiatives and
strategy from disclosure of the targets for volume of beverages sold, on one
hand, and pre-tax profits or income, on the other, by observing the relationship
between the two targets. This inference would allow a competitor to determine
whether the Company is, for example, reducing prices and/or increasing marketing
support and expenses to increase volume and share of sales. Based on that
information, a competitor could decide to increase or decrease its own prices or
to focus its efforts on increasing its own share of sales to blunt the impact of
the Company’s carefully conceived strategy, to the detriment of our overall
operating results.
Even
though disclosure of the annual incentive targets in the Company’s proxy
statement would occur after publication of volume and income results in the
Company’s earnings release and financial statements, the relationship between
pricing and volume is not discernible from the Company’s published financial
information, and therefore disclosure of the targets would provide new
information to competitors regarding our strategy. In addition, because the
targets reflect the Company’s pricing and market strategies for periods that
extend beyond the end of the fiscal year, the completion of a compensation year
does not in any way diminish the confidentiality of the targets, or the possible
harm to the effectiveness of these strategies.
We
believe the majority of our shareowners understand the sensitive nature of these
targets, and the Company’s internal strategy between volume and pricing
decisions. We further believe that these shareowners would agree that the
Company’s interests are far better served by keeping the targets under the
annual incentive plan confidential.
Volume and Profit/Net Income Targets
are Not Material to Plan Design
Given the
structure of our annual incentive plan, disclosure of the annual performance
targets is not material to a shareholder’s understanding of the plan. The
specific targets represent merely a “starting point” under the plan. The plan is
designed to include a matrix of performance points at which the targeted payout
for any particular named executive officer could be paid. Identifying a range of
values that could lead to a particular payout provides little information about
the difficulty of achieving that payout when a large number of sets of values
would achieve the same payout level.
For
example, as disclosed in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, Mr. Isdell’s
2006 annual target bonus was 200% of base salary. Assume that the Compensation
Committee set a volume target of X and a net income target of $Y. If these
targets were achieved, Mr. Isdell would have received a bonus equal to 200% of
his base salary. However, there are a number of combinations of actual volume
and net income results, in accordance with possible ranges under the
confidential strategic plan, that would have resulted in Mr. Isdell receiving
his target bonus payout of 200% of base salary. For example, as an illustration,
volume and net income results of X+3 and $Y-2, respectively, also could have
resulted in Mr. Isdell receiving a bonus equal to 200% of his base salary.
Accordingly, identifying one set of these targets would do little to aid our
shareowners.
For these
reasons, we believe that knowing the many actual combinations of performance
targets is not necessary to, and would not materially enhance, a shareholder’s
understanding of the incentive nature of the plan. We believe that what is
material to our shareowners is (i) each named executive officer’s target bonus
payout, (ii) the plan formula, (iii) the actual bonus payout for the year and
(iv) the historical analysis of performance trends and results. The Company has,
and will continue to, disclose this information in the proxy statement.
Identifying a single payout point along the plan’s formulaic payout matrix is
not material information and, more importantly, could be misleading to the
shareowners if disclosed.
Conclusion
As
indicated in our prior correspondence, the Company is making a diligent effort
to produce a Compensation Discussion and Analysis that is as thorough and
understandable as possible. As suggested by the staff, we will include an
example of the formula and factors that contribute to the annual incentive
calculation and payout. We will disclose the range of possible awards at the
beginning of the year, the measures used, and the results under the plan. The
Company’s financial results will be public at the time the proxy statement is
filed. It is our view that the risk of competitive harm significantly outweighs
the relative immateriality of disclosure of the actual performance targets to
shareowners.
Sincerely,
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/s/ Carol Crofoot Hayes
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Carol
Crofoot Hayes
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Associate
General Counsel and Secretary
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cc:
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E.
Neville Isdell, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
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Attachment
6
Mail Stop
3561
February
15, 2008
By
U.S. Mail and facsimile to (404) 515-7099
E.
Neville Isdell
Chief
Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board
The
Coca-Cola Company
One
Coca-Cola Plaza
Atlanta,
GA 30313
Re: The
Coca-Cola Company
Definitive
14A
Filed
March 9, 2007
File
No. 1-02217
Dear Mr.
Isdell:
We have
reviewed your December 19, 2007 and February 5, 2008 responses to our comments
of December 6, 2007. Without more detail, we cannot agree or disagree with your
conclusion that you have an appropriate basis to omit the identified performance
targets for the completed fiscal year. Since you are in possession of all of the
facts related to your disclosure, we have decided that we have no basis to
disagree with your decision to omit this information from your filing. As in all
cases, we remind you that you are responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of
the disclosure in your filings. We do not have any further comments on your
filing.
If you
have any further questions regarding our review of your filing, please call me
at (202) 551-3238.
Sincerely,
Ellie
Quarles
Special
Counsel
cc: Carol
Crofoot Hayes (via facsimile to (404) 676-8409)
Associate
General Counsel & Secretary