Gulf Today
Following in the footsteps of Portugal icon Cristiano Ronaldo, France midfielder Paul Pogba takes umbrage with the brand of bottle sitting in front of him at the post-match press conference following France’s 1-0 victory over Germany on Tuesday.
Pogba removes a bottle of non-alcoholic Heineken beer from the lectern at the start of the conference, echoing Ronaldo after he replaced Coca-Cola bottles with a bottle of water on Monday.
Pogba, a practising Muslim, removed the bottle when he sat down to speak to the media after he was named ‘Man of the Match’ in France’s 1-0 Group F win over Germany.
Ronaldo left the top echelons of the Coca-Cola company red-faced with his remarks on the universal drink at the news conference.
According to a report, a video showed that after taking his seat during a press conference, the former Real Madrid superstar picked up two bottles of Coca-Cola which were already laid out before him and said “Water. Coca-Cola…”
He shoved the two bottles aside and grabbed a bottle of water, telling people at home which of the drinks was a healthy choice.
But what Ronaldo may not have realised is the huge financial impact he would have on Coca-Cola with those words.
On the face of it, this gesture would seem harmless, but this small move had a huge impact on the brand’s fortunes. Its shares were worth $56.1, but by the time Ronaldo and his Portugal boss Fernando Santos left their seats at the press conference, the shares had dropped to $55.2 each.
The 1.6% drop in share price meant a loss in $4billion in terms of company worth.
Ronaldo may have been trying to make a point on good health by advocating drinking water, but took the fizz out of the image of the much-loved beverage in the bargain.
This Story First Appeared At The Gulftoday
