That's usually not "a customer", it's either THE customer, or at least a strategic partner with which the company roadmap is discussed. I'm think bounds like Intel and Microsoft, or Apple and Foxconn.
In many Indian outsourcing firms, they permanently place a 'program manager' at big client's offices. Like for eg- Bank of America.
These managers also get a unlimited American express card, to spend on lunches, outings etc. You are expected to build 'relationships' so that when a project is needed to be won, you are just a call away from making it happen.
This is because a good percentage of the sales, projects, staffing, profits come from these big clients.
so maybe this one isnt so inflated lol
They're in it together. McDonald's probably also wants Coke to tweak it's formula every now and then to induce hunger. They're trying to create the opposite of a GLP-1.
Coke is a probably 90% margin product for macdonalds. Not sure i believe the 1B number. It's probably higher if you consider all the various coke products including and the juice that they sell.
Pepsi actually owns taco bell, burger king, etc which are direct competition. So the partnership with McDonalds is strategic.
It's easily worth having a top level exec.
https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/coca-cola
Great podcast BTW, lots of good stuff in the archives.
EDIT: Someone beat me to the comment, but leaving my comment here for the link.
https://youtu.be/GA_OYUHYYMA?si=B-EXCoGyr9JGq87n
Coke tastes different at McDonald’s because they keep the syrup cold from the factory to the restaurant.
Why? Because it prevents the syrup from fermenting.
My belief is that they just consume so much of it so fast that there's no time for the syrup to alter.
... but yes, I'm shocked more businesses don't try to put addictive substances into their food. Software learned from the food industry bliss point to try to use KPIs for 'engagement' aka addictiveness. Not trying to be holier than thou etc. but its some interesting stuff to consider; at the end of the day a lot of folks are trying to scramble to the top of their respective pile, and addiction is great driver of sales (gambling, food, video games, etc).
I hadn't really considered addiction as the ultimate form of marketing, but maybe it is?
