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How Coca-Cola Drove Change and Strengthened Alignment with Lattice

A conversation with:

TLDR: Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages used Lattice to drive behavioural change and align a diverse, largely offline workforce by meeting employees where they are. Through thoughtful rollout, cultural alignment, and a people-first approach, they harnessed Lattice into a catalyst for growth and engagement.

Based in Cape Town, South Africa, Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages (CCPB) is the local bottler of one of the world’s most iconic brands. What sets CCPB apart is its vibrant organisational culture and deeply diverse workforce — mirroring the communities it proudly serves. This diversity is a strength, but it also presents a unique challenge: aligning close to 1,300 employees around shared behaviours, goals, and ways of working.

The CCPB people team is committed to cultivating a culture that reflects the individuality of its workforce. With the majority of employees working in production or distribution roles, with limited access to digital tools, CCPB knew that implementing a new HR platform would require thoughtful planning and real investment. 

We had to be realistic about our environment. Most of our employees aren’t desk-based — computers aren’t the tools of their trade. So we couldn’t just roll out a system like Lattice and expect adoption. We had to invest in infrastructure, build new processes, and think creatively about how to reach our people. For example, implement reverse billing so employees could use their mobile phones to access the Lattice app.

Sharneigh Jansen, Commercial Learning and Development Manager, Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages  

Building a Communication Strategy That Resonates

Lizette Braaf heads up CCPB’s Leadership University, which was established in 2018 to enhance employees’ skills development. It’s open to all employees across the board with the belief that “everyone is a leader.” Together with Sharneigh, the pair led the charge in designing internal communications to launch Lattice that felt personal, inclusive, and grounded in the day-to-day realities of their teams. 

From the outset, their approach wasn’t just about technology; it was about ensuring that every team member, regardless of their role, felt seen and supported in their development. “It was never about just imposing a new system — it was about enabling our people, who we call “hearts,” because people are the heart of our organisation, to grow in a way that aligns with our culture and values,” said Lizette. 

Why Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages Shifted to Growth Conversations

Before adopting Lattice, CCPB already had a clear idea of the mindset and actions they wanted to encourage — but putting those into practice was challenging. The shift to Grow conversations (structured performance and development conversations within Lattice) provided a practical, scalable way to bring those values to life. “We had the theory and knew what we wanted, but Lattice helped us bring it all together and actually implement the behaviours we’d envisioned,” said Lizette.

Initially, there were concerns: Would a platform like this work across such a broad and diverse workforce? The partnership with Lattice provided not only the platform but also the encouragement and insights to keep going. “We honestly weren’t sure it would work — our people are so varied. We were a bit concerned that as we’re not a typical customer profile it wouldn’t suit our business, but working closely with Jaz Lau, Senior Activation Manager, at Lattice meant we received strategic consulting, and our fears were assuaged. Every call with Lattice gave us energy and new ideas. It never felt like ‘CPPB vs 1,300 people’ — it felt like we were in it together.”

Starting Small: A Strategic Focus on Feedback

CCPB’s rollout strategy was intentionally phased. Rather than introducing everything at once, they began with a targeted focus on feedback — rolling out a “Month of Love” in February to encourage employees to give each other praise using Lattice’s Feedback tool. “At first, it felt like nothing was changing,” shared Sharneigh. “But working with Lattice helped us see the value of starting small. Feedback was the right place to begin — it was simple, relatable, and helped us build trust.”

This focused approach allowed teams to build comfort and confidence with the system. By the time larger initiatives rolled — out including a revamp of performance management, gradually introducing Goals (KPIs), and refresher training in person with the Lattice team for all levels of leadership — there was already a sense of familiarity and engagement. It worked. During the April–May 2025 campaign, 82% of employees participated in feedback — a significant win that reinforced the value of starting where people are.

In addition, since kicking off the Lattice-CCPB partnership, 76% of employees at CCPB have set up a 1:1 in Lattice, with 3,816 1:1s held over the same time period. This is an incredible transformation, given the majority of the organisation are non-office based workers and previously lacked structured, trackable 1:1s for accountability. 

Lessons Learned on the Journey

The road to change isn’t linear. It requires persistence, creativity, and a willingness to adapt.

Here’s what CCPB has learned so far:

  • Start with what matters. Feedback was a simple but powerful entry point, layering on top of behaviour that was already informally embedded in the organisation.

  • Big-bang launches need follow-up and appropriate timing. Broad rollouts must be paired with department-level engagement to reinforce learning. The “Month of Love” campaign created a timely and meaningful context to drive adoption.

  • Cultural alignment is everything. Lattice’s framework matched CCPB’s approach to development — but tools alone aren’t enough. Culture drives change. Sustained change doesn’t happen overnight — but momentum builds through consistent effort.

Importantly, the team recognises that success hasn’t just come from the platform or the campaigns — but from the organisation’s people-first ethos.

“This was a big investment — for a business whose focus is to make and sell Coca-Cola. But we’ve seen the return in how our people are showing up, taking ownership of their development, and aligning with the business in a deeper way.” - Lizette Braaf, Functional Lead-CCPB Leadership University 

CCPB’s journey with Lattice is still ongoing, but it’s already driving a meaningful impact across the organisation — towards a deeper sense of engagement among employees.

The lesson? When you invest in your people — and meet them where they are — you create a culture where growth isn’t just possible, it’s inevitable.

Your people are your business

Ensure both are successful with Lattice.

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