Coca-Cola International Experience

This summer I was given the experience of a lifetime to be in Haiti, my parents native country. As a Haitian-American citizen, I was able to engross myself in the language,culture, and international experience for the duration of six weeks. The moment I landed I can not express the overwhelming feeling of knowing I would be working for Brasserie de la Couronne - a bottling partner for Coca-Cola. During my first week at La Couronne I was welcomed by the exuberant Marketing staff, along with a tour of the plant.

I later found out I would be responsible for setting up the proper procedures, materials and guidelines for the plant tour that would be implemented by the BRACOUR team upon the final stage of construction. I had assistance from a member of Customer Service, who arranged meetings and tours with the Administrative department on my behalf. Towards the end of each week, I was responsible for setting up a presentation of my findings to the Marketing Director for Coca-Cola, where I would gain feedback on the progress of my project and areas that needed improvements.

I gained an insight of what each department was responsible for and how they could aid in providing supplies for the plant tour. Most of my time was spent in meetings with each department, where I would use the information I gained to structure a portfolio that included step-by-step instructions on how to successfully operate a plant tour. I had one of my proudest moments when I was asked to create a storyboard and script for the production of a five minute video to be shown to welcome guest prior to the plant tour. I met up with the producer and presented my vision for the film and how we could entrust the company to perform at a level that would exceed our expectations.

The producer was not only impressed at all the information I was able to gather on his company, but he also complimented me on my ability to put together something without having a background in media studies. My experience at La Couronne was definitely a cultural shift in familiarizing myself with salutations, greetings, and polychronic methods. I was able to view the international business side of Coca - Cola and some of the challenges or setbacks they face such as: power outages, learning curves, and loss of internet access. I had to be creative as well as think of contingency plans for each area of the project. I was able to think outside of the box and present the material in a manner that would transverse well in French and English. Overall, I had an amazing experience working with Brasserie de la Couronne S.A and being in the beautiful country of Haiti. I will never forget the staff at La Couronne, Executive Villas, and gaining the opportunity of meeting my relatives in Haiti for the first time which would not have been possible if it wasn't for this internship. I hope many after me will have the same memorable experience, and Coca-Cola will continue to support this internship in Haiti for years to come.