Are Coca-Cola going to be first or are they just going to follow?
March 5, 2009 by Simon Berry · Leave a Comment
I’ve been thinking (always dangerous). And I predict that, in 10 years time, it will be considered unethical for a commercial operation to indulge in mono-product distribution in developing countries. I think this will be indefensible both from a social and environmental point of view.
I reckon that if anyone says “We distribute xyz (=commercial product) in Africa or Asia or South America” the completely natural retort will be “and what else do you distribute?”.
What do you think?
So. The question is: Is Coca-Cola going to lead the way or just follow?
Creative juices start to flow . . .
March 2, 2009 by Simon Berry · 9 Comments
There is nothing like the prospect of a ColaLife face to face meeting to get the creative juices flowing! These badge designs just popped into my mailbox from Bertie Bosrédon. Thanks Bertie.
Which one would you wear?
More thoughts on the ColaLife AidPod design
January 24, 2009 by Simon Berry · 9 Comments
01: ColaLife AidPod with end cap(s) - click on the image to enlarge.
02: ColaLife AidPod (single piece) - click on the image to enlarge.
03: ColaLife AidPod with end lid - click on the image to enlarge.
Your comments please . . . .
Introducing the AIDPOD concept
January 4, 2009 by Simon Berry · 5 Comments
Click on the images to see them full-size on Flickr.
While in Tanzania I mocked up two types of ‘ColaLife’ pods and went out to get people’s reaction to them. The ‘wedge’ pod was much more popular than the ‘tube’, because the tube would displace a bottle.
There are other very significant benefits from moving from focussing on distributing a particular product (ORS with hygiene and sanitation educational materials). Among these are:
- It allows the essential local determination of what is distributed and when. Needs will vary from location to location and from season to season and what is distributed MUST be determined locally by those with the long term responsibility for public health care;
- It potentially allows the idea to be replicated across the World after successful local trials;
- It also dis-associates the Coca-Cola product/brand with a particular ’social product’ which is likely to enable a wider range of products to be distributed.
Following this, at the first ColaLife face to face event, there was some discussion about what the pod should be called. Given that the pod idea has a broader application than Coca-Cola crates is ‘ColaLife Pod’ the right name?
Then on 27/12/08 in the BBC Radio 4 iPM feature, Eddie Mair rounded off the 10 minute interview saying “Simon Berry and his AidPod”. So we got the name we were struggling for after the face to face meeting. The following domain names have been registered just in case we need them in the future:
http://www.aidpod.org
http://www.aidpod.org.uk
http://www.aidpod.co.uk
Onwards and upwards.
Update - related links
What the frontline thinks of the ColaLife AidPod idea, Tanzania, November 2008 (video)
More thoughts on the ColaLife AidPod design (note the comments on this post also)
Simon talking about the AidPod concept on BBC Radio 4 (audio)
Simon talking about the AidPod concept at the Face-to-Face meeting on 16/12/08 (video)
Introducing Mark III of the aidpod (video)
Pictures of the Mark III aidpod
Any questions?
November 19, 2008 by Simon Berry · 1 Comment
[image of visa - removed]
I’m off! And here’s my visa to prove it. But before I go, please help me out with ideas of what information I should try and gather while I’m there. I got a load of questions from Julian this morning that were really helpful in giving me ideas on who I should try and talk to, what video I should try and get and so on. Here are a selection the Julian’s questions. Please comment with others or email them to s[dot]berry[at]ruralnet[dot]org[dot]uk. Thanks.
How many cokes do Coca-Cola distribute a year in Africa?
What is the volume of a coke bottle?
What is the volume of each ‘pack’ you want to distribute?
How many trucks and employees do coke have out there?
The average age of those who can be helped?
How much does a coke costs?
How many coke bottles fit in the average truck?
If you had a truck full of cokes, how many cokes would the ‘packs’ displace?
How young do people start drinking coke in Africa?
At the age of 5, how many ‘brands’ do children know?
At what age do young Africans learn to say ‘coke’?
Any more questions anyone?
DRAFT submission to Google’s Project 10^100
October 11, 2008 by Simon Berry · 8 Comments
Here is a first go at answers to the questions asked by Google’s Project 10^100. We’ve posted them here so others can comment and make the submission better. The answers are in bold. Please comment or send suggestions to sxberry[at]gmail[dot]com. Thanks.
All this information will appear on the public site as part of your submission.
Your idea’s name (maximum 50 characters):
ColaLife
Please select a category that best describes your idea.
Community: How can we help connect people, build communities and protect unique cultures?
Opportunity: How can we help people better provide for themselves and their families?
Energy: How can we help move the world toward safe, clean, inexpensive energy?
Environment: How can we help promote a cleaner and more sustainable global ecosystem?
Health: How can we help individuals lead longer, healthier lives?
Education: How can we help more people get more access to better education?
Shelter: How can we help ensure that everyone has a safe place to live?
Everything else: Sometimes the best ideas don’t fit into any category at all.
Calling all innovative designers
September 6, 2008 by Simon Berry · 5 Comments
Let’s project ourselves 12 weeks into the future and imagine that by then Coca-Cola will have committed to undertake trials of our idea in east Africa.
And let’s imagine all the answers we will have to come up with. Like “How are we going to incorporate non-Coke items in Coca-Cola crates?”
Questions like this spark other questions like “What are the dimensions of the Coca-Cola crates and bottles used in east Africa?” and so on.
Can anyone with thoughts, answers or more questions please post them here by commenting? Click here and scroll down.
There are now nearly 5,500 members of the Facebook Group from all over the World; there are employees of Coca-Cola looking at this website along with people from the frontline in Africa, Asia and South America and some of the best design brains in the business . . . . The genius is in the network! Let’s see what we can come up with. Your contributions please!
What others are saying about ColaLife- ColaLife on Flickr
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