Case CWI | Kombo Project for Coca-Cola

Launched at the beginning of 2020, the Kombo project helped thousands of commercial establishments to boost their sales and explore opportunities amid the reality of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Initially introduced in Brazil, the tool built entirely by CWI achieved popularity and is now present in 14 countries.

In addition to the great social impact that this project provided, Coca-Cola’s visibility reached new heights and the brand’s image was boosted by the results achieved.

The free, educational and easy-to-use platform has evolved many businesses around the globe. More than 50,000 Kombos were generated, which made it easier for traders to adapt to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic.

Check out how this initiative developed, which surprised the team.

The Kombo project

Those who are entrepreneurs in the restaurant, bar and snack bar sector know that food and drink combos are great generators of incremental revenue through an increase in the average sales ticket.

Making use of this commercial premise, and using existing software that was out of use at The Coca-Cola Company China branch, the CWI team was presented with a challenge that aimed to innovate, adapt and restructure a platform that would help the entrepreneur at this demanding time for digitalization.

The Kombo BR project aimed to allow any user, even without knowledge of image editing, to create graphic food and drink inserts (combos) in a simple and free way. All illustrations generated by the software were known as Kombos and promoted at least one Coca-Cola product.

A monitor displays an example of a digital menu, from the fictional restaurant Toda Hora.

Embracing solution

The pandemic generated by Covid-19 boosted the proposal and motivated everyone involved to help small businesses that were harmed by the determined restrictions. The idea of Kombo encourages establishments to act digitally, adapting to the demands of modernity. Designs can be published on delivery apps – known as food aggregators – and social networks, as well as used in printed format.

With a minimum realization cost for the client, CWI delivered a functional MVP to validate the hypothesis and return the project that allowed the user freedom to create their own layout. This way, the merchant could display their products using a free and eye-catching design.

The images, texts and colors present in the insert could be edited and adapted according to the user’s needs. The program has models and elements available, and it is also possible to upload photos to display the real product. The only requirement is to display a Coca-Cola item.

Kombo BR was developed in React.JS using a framework developed by the CWI team. As Hosting, it was used S3 bucket for files and a CloudFront as CDN and AWS Lambdas Edges for security processing.

Two smartphones display an example of a digital menu, from the fictional restaurant Toda Hora.

On a table with snacks, we have a glass bottle and a can of Coca-Cola.

From Brazil to the world

Due to its great success, the multinational decided to expand this model to other countries. To achieve this, CWI developed a scalable version, called Kombo Tool, enabling worldwide access to any registrable object.

The intention remains the same, this time, helping businesses in countries located in Latin America and Europe. Kombo Tool allows users everywhere to create their designs by combining local products or their own. To this end, the initial tool, Kombo BR, underwent modifications and restructuring in order to be used simultaneously with all nations.

Kombo Tool used Python language combined with React, with a MySQL server database.

With an initial expectation of reaching 4 countries, CWI stood out and achieved an impression that resonated in 14, some of them being: Chile, Bolivia and Costa Rica. In addition to showing its commitment and growing within the client, it is possible to say that the company helped to facilitate a fragile moment for traders.

The team wants to expand this project more and more, impacting other people who could benefit from this tool. Continuing with its flexibility, the attention to Coca-Cola’s needs remains, valuing the partnership.

Partnership that generates value

Driven by the daily challenge that the partnership with Coca-Cola provides, CWI actively participates in the business vision, contributing with its experience and motivation. Since 2013, the multinational company has relied on the services of a team prepared and willing to carry out innovative projects with its market and technology know-how.
The story began with smaller projects, such as “Ambassadors of Knowledge”, an internal initiative for employee training. Gaining more and more space and trust, CWI was able to have a presence at major events, such as the World Cup and the Olympics, assisting in Coca-Cola product management applications.
The willingness and readiness to help, in addition to the high quality and excellence of the services, consolidated the customer’s security and conviction about the team. After prominent projects such as “Fantrollada” and “Fifa World Cup 2018”, which saw record-breaking access, CWI became the main technical partner for Coca-Cola’s marketing actions.
The great knowledge about the customer allows freedom to suggest solutions beyond software engineering. The projects that were originally developed for Brazil, due to internal restructuring issues at Coca-Cola, will be transferred to the LATAM structure from 2021 onwards. One of CWI’s challenges is restructuring existing projects to serve this new market with its respective local challenges, from different legislation to currencies, including language issues.

Photo of a woman about to drink Coca-Cola from a glass bottle.

Who is Coca-Cola?

With more than 120 years of history, The Coca-Cola Company has a vision of creating brands and beverage options that captivate people around the world. Among its brands are: Sprite, Minute Maid, Fanta, Crystal, Schweppes, etc.

Performing in the most sustainable way possible, the brand invests in innovative processes for communities and the planet. With the purpose of making a difference, The Coca-Cola Company has initiatives based on preserving nature for a better future.

Who is CWI?

Since its foundation, CWI has software development as its main objective, always delivering the best solution to customers. This strategy contributes to today’s CWI being among the largest technology companies in Brazil, with more than a thousand employees and extensive operations in segments such as retail, finance, technology and many others.

The CWI culture encompasses people who see challenges as possibilities for growth, making their greatest desire the incessant search for excellence, adaptability and transparency in all their actions. This philosophy reflects on clients obtaining results that go far beyond the software.

Photo of the CWI building in São Leopoldo (RS).

Our Software Engineering

The difference in CWI development is the strong Software Engineering culture of the teams. The action begins with a deep understanding of the problem to then design a strategy and develop qualified products for all demands.

Furthermore, there is the integration of various software disciplines with teams that use tools, techniques and technologies suited to each need. The result is high standard deliveries that transform businesses.