If you can’t beat them, imitate them:
Noticias 24 reports that Bolivian president Evo Morales supports the creation of Coca Colla, a coca-based “energy soft drink”,
since we are interested in industrializing coca.
Not coincidentally, Evo proposes expanding the legal number of hectares dedicated to coca production from 12,000 to 20,000.
That should do for a lot of Gatorade.
Can’t make it up, if I tried.
I know that Evo Morales has a face only a mother could love. His own and Chavez’s and Noriega’s but that photo simply looks unreal. Photoshopped? Though I really suspect that it is as it should be.
I think those laffin now—(Hola Fausta) might be eatin a whole lot of crow in the future.
It is an absolutely brilliant idea with an awesome name that I believe will make the ‘Coca Colla company’ (government-owned or not) a whole lot of money. The near-subliminal anti-imperialist-anti-Coke message will endear it to most of the people of latin america, who will likely at least try it once. After that first bottle, it is up to the product to live or die on its own merits.
I’d pitch it as ‘green’, ‘sustainable’, ‘organic’, Bolivian, with its own distinctive taste, in its own distinctively-perhaps-volcanically-shaped glass bottle, add a number of other organically-grown, collas-grown herbs and spices, perhaps with Bolivian coffee, too, and I think it would sell like crazy all over South, Central America, and the Caribbean. I’d promote it as an alternative to Coke, and stress the different pronunciations and spellings and what they mean. Have some creative bartenders mix up some yummy alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks with it—popularly called Cocolla instead of Coke– as an ingredient or base. Marinades for BBQs. Tonic to soothe tired feet. Altitude sickness. Tummy discomfort. Who knows what else might fly? Just make certain that no unverifiable/unproved claims are made for it.
Like anything else, if it is done poorly, it will fail. If done well, and the price is at least competitive with Coke, it ought to provide Bolivians with good jobs in agriculture, glass-bottle mfg., horticulture, locally grown estevia for sweetening, bottling plants, not to mention an in-nation-value-added use for natural gas. I believe it is a great idea with almost unlimited potential, and like other major industries/businesses Bolivian, that the Bolivian government on behalf of all of the people, should retain >50% ownership. If it took off and was really successful (as I believe it can be) it would also make Bolivian coca more expensive for the cocaine producers, perhaps driving them from Bolivia with economics instead of armed forces. Coca si—cocaine no–fought economically.
The only serious problem that I can envision is the source of high quality water that might be required during a centralized production. To avoid that problem, they might do what Coke does, and ship the concentrate to the widely distributed bottlers that later/locally then properly/rigorously-standardized-by-dilution prepare the solution before bottling. Coca Colla to succeed ‘only’ has to be dominating with its competitors in terms of price and value—not an easy task—but clearly doable.
I think it is potentially a huge winner, and (hint-hint) wish I had the opportunity to help make it so. (Yes, I would relocate.) (Víctor Hugo Vázquez–are you listening?)
Regards,,,locoto
Yes locojohn, a great idea. Bolivian government ownership is the ticket. We all know where the 50% partnerships end up: later with 100% government ownership/confiscation. Have YPFB take it over and it will be an resounding success. YPFB is proof positive of the effect of Bolivian government ownership on an organization’s success 🙂
The best entrepreneurs in Bolivia are in the east, in Camba territory, not in the Colla altiplano. Unfortunately, Camba Cola doesn’t have the same resonance as Coca Colla. I also doubt very much that Evo would want to push a product named Camba Cola, since that name reflects the heartland of his opposition.