Donald Keough, who helped steer Coca-Cola through the "cola wars" of the 1980s and played a key role in the introduction of New Coke, died Tuesday in Atlanta, according to the company. He was 88.
Keough served as the company's president and chief operating officer from 1981 to 1993. He is credited with expanding Coca-Cola into a more global presence and remained a widely respected figure within the company even after his retirement.
During his tenure, however, Coca-Cola also introduced "New Coke" as it was fighting off efforts by PepsiCo to take market share. The new formula, which was sweeter and less acidic than the original version, was a disaster and prompted protests by fans and an onslaught of negative publicity.
A song called "Coke Was It," mocking the company's "Coke Is It" slogan, even became popular on radio stations, according to the book "Secret Formula" by Frederick Allen. Coca-Cola dumped New Coke soon after, bringing back the old formula as "Coca-Cola Classic."
During a press conference to announce the return of regular Coke, Roberto Goizueta, Coke's CEO at the time, told the audience that "We have heard you," according to "Secret Formula."
Keough then spoke, and managed to put the company's error in a positive light by noting that the response showed the "passion" people have for Coca-Cola.
"Some critics will say Coca-Cola made a marketing mistake. Some cynics will say that we planned the whole thing. The truth is we are not that dumb and not that smart," Keough said.
In a memo posted online Tuesday, Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent said Keough "brought a steady hand to the wheel in challenging times, unmatched operating skill that strengthened and expanded the Coca-Cola system and an expansive vision that helped make Coca-Cola a truly international brand."
After his retirement in 1993, Keough remained an adviser to the company. He served on the board from 2004 to 2013.
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTE®,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
“SMPTE’s membership has spoken,” said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann D’Amato. “These officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!”
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More