Coca-Cola Uses Stratfor to Spy on PETA

On Monday February 27th, 2012, WikiLeaks began publishing The Global Intelligence Files, over five million e-mails from the Texas headquartered "global intelligence" company Stratfor. The e-mails date between July 2004 and late December 2011. They reveal the inner workings of a company that fronts as an intelligence publisher, but provides confidential intelligence services to large corporations, such as Bhopal's Dow Chemical Co., Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and government agencies, including the US Department of Homeland Security, the US Marines and the US Defence Intelligence Agency. The emails show Stratfor's web of informers, pay-off structure, payment laundering techniques and psychological methods.

Coca Cola requested information about PETA in the following e-mail.

Using it to gather information and data.

In the e-mail Coca Cola also thanks them for the help withe Korean Peninsula situation, whatever that may be.

It's sickening corporations only have to ask for this kind of information and they'll recieve it.

E-mail that was sent

Hi Anya,

Thanks again for your help with respect to the Korean Peninsula situation. We are now looking at PETA and the potential for protests at the Vancouver Olympics and related events. (Please see the following questions below.) We'd like to schedule a time for a conference call with you and/or your analyst(s) on this topic.

How many PETA supporters are there in Canada? -- How many of these are inclined toward activism? -- To what extent will US-based PETA supporters travel to Canada to support activism? -- What is PETA's methodology for planning and executing activism? (Understanding this better would certainly help us to recognize indicators should they appear.) --

To what extent is PETA in Canada linked to PETA in the US or elsewhere? -- To what extent are the actions of PETA in one country controlled by an oversight board/governing body? -- To what extent could non-PETA hangers-on (such as anarchists or ALF supporters) get involved in any protest activity? Please let us know what works in terms of timing of the conference call.

Thanks again, Van

E-mail recieved

Hi Van,
I'm checking with our analysts to find out what information we already have on the subject. I'll get back to you soon with more information.
Best regards, Anya

e-mail on wikileaks

source for article

This brings so many questions to mind that i dont even know where to begin...

We are now looking at PETA and the potential for protests at the Vancouver Olympics and related events.

This for starters; what business is it of Coca Cola's to act as a police/security liaison for the olympics? Isn't this better suited for the actual police/security/government. They are a soft drink company...who sell refreshments...and, now, apparently, double as event security? What other pies do these big players have their fingers in I wonder? That is such a telling statement that is frightening..

-- How many PETA supporters are there in Canada?
-- How many of these are inclined toward activism?
-- To what extent will US-based PETA supporters travel to Canada to support activism?
-- What is PETA's methodology for planning and executing activism? (Understanding this better would certainly help us to recognize indicators should they appear.)
-- To what extent is PETA in Canada linked to PETA in the US or elsewhere?
-- To what extent are the actions of PETA in one country controlled by an oversight board/governing body?
-- To what extent could non-PETA hangers-on (such as anarchists or ALF supporters) get involved in any protest activity?

Then this!? They can get that information? Where? How? That is some serious CIA stuff there. Why does this company have these records, how did they get them, and again....what the snip business is it of Coca Cola's ...they sell soda. I smell a rat or at the very least some pretty illegal data mining here...

We'd like to schedule a time for a conference call with you and/or your analyst(s) on this topic.

What i wouldn't give to have been a fly on the wall during that conference call.

Jeeze, i think it is safe to say that the plot has just thickened...

reply to post by clowdstalker


I would hardly call that some serious CIA stuff. Seems like it would be rather easy to research with some google machines. What business is it of yours what business that business gets into? It seems a little weird but Im sure the reasons behind the research are actually fairly bland.

reply to post by kn0wh0w


Perhaps "Coca Cola" is a code name for an agent?

Perhaps that agent is, or was, using a job at Coca Cola as a cover for his spying activities?

Originally posted by clowdstalker
This brings so many questions to mind that i dont even know where to begin...

We are now looking at PETA and the potential for protests at the Vancouver Olympics and related events.

This for starters; what business is it of Coca Cola's to act as a police/security liaison for the olympics?

Isn't this better suited for the actual police/security/government. They are a soft drink company...who sell refreshments...and, now, apparently, double as event security? What other pies do these big players have their fingers in I wonder? That is such a telling statement that is frightening..

-- How many PETA supporters are there in Canada?
-- How many of these are inclined toward activism?
-- To what extent will US-based PETA supporters travel to Canada to support activism?
-- What is PETA's methodology for planning and executing activism? (Understanding this better would certainly help us to recognize indicators should they appear.)
-- To what extent is PETA in Canada linked to PETA in the US or elsewhere?
-- To what extent are the actions of PETA in one country controlled by an oversight board/governing body?
-- To what extent could non-PETA hangers-on (such as anarchists or ALF supporters) get involved in any protest activity?

Then this!? They can get that information? Where? How? That is some serious CIA stuff there. Why does this company have these records, how did they get them, and again....what the snip business is it of Coca Cola's ...they sell soda. I smell a rat or at the very least some pretty illegal data mining here...

We'd like to schedule a time for a conference call with you and/or your analyst(s) on this topic.

What i wouldn't give to have been a fly on the wall during that conference call.

Jeeze, i think it is safe to say that the plot has just thickened...

No its not serious CIA stuff. What it is, is a company like Coke no doubt looking at spending millions in Olympic sponsorships looking for potential problems that may tarnish the brand image. The questions they ask are all things that can be found with some basic research and somebody who has knowledge about protest organizations. This is the kind of stuff companies pay STRATFOR for so they do not need to have the expence of a staff to do it themselves. STRATFOR is simply an information clearing house that is cheaper than having every company thier own staff to do the same thing.

reply to post by Domo1

reply to post by MrSpad

OK OK guys I will concede my chicken-little-sky-is-falling assumptions and agree with you both, a little grounding from cohorts is a good thing once in awhile. It's probably not what it appears to be. And you are right, it is not my business what business their business is in doing business with this business about PETA's business...perhaps that is why info like this is best kept in the private sphere, to keep people like me from flipping out and looking for the bug under the lid of my coke bottle

These releases should come with a translator and a courtesy Valium to keep my blood pressure down. All the facts are clearly not there.

It just sounds fishy and I am inherently uncomfortable with corporations asking for wide sweep demographic information about this group or that when it occurs to me to be none of their business.

Originally posted by clowdstalker
reply to post by Domo1

 

reply to post by MrSpad

 

OK OK guys I will concede my chicken-little-sky-is-falling assumptions and agree with you both, a little grounding from cohorts is a good thing once in awhile. It's probably not what it appears to be. And you are right, it is not my business what business their business is in doing business with this business about PETA's business...perhaps that is why info like this is best kept in the private sphere, to keep people like me from flipping out and looking for the bug under the lid of my coke bottle

These releases should come with a translator and a courtesy Valium to keep my blood pressure down. All the facts are clearly not there.

It just sounds fishy and I am inherently uncomfortable with corporations asking for wide sweep demographic information about this group or that when it occurs to me to be none of their business.

edit on 28-2-2012 by clowdstalker because: (no reason given)

If they have a bunch of PETA protestors tossing fake blood or doing some other attention getting stunt and big old Coke-a-Cola banner is in the background they see that as something that would hurt the brand. And a brand like Coke is worth billions. In this day and age of videos going viral (like the fed ex guy) companies want to try and be in front of any potential issue. In this case if some sort PETA protest looked to cause a PR headache for Coke they could be expected to cut a deal with PETA and make a donation to keep them away or pull ou thier sponsorship. Whatever they have to do to protect the brand. Of course companies still get caught off guard all the time despite thier best efforts.