Coke Zero Sugar will be changing its flavor – KIRO 7 News Seattle

Coca-Cola knows tweaking the taste of its Coke Zero Sugar product may pause its fans, but the soft drink giant hopes the new taste will be refreshing.

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Coca-Cola said Tuesday that it is changing the taste of Coke Zero to make it taste more like regular cola, the New York Times reported. The jar of the product is also being facelifted and is now red instead of red and black.

Changes didn’t always go down well with Coca-Cola fans. In 1985, the company introduced “New Coke,” which, according to The Washington Post, sparked a violent storm of protests. The sweeter version of the original soft drink was rejected by many consumers, forcing Coke to rename its original drink “Coca-Cola Classic” in July 1985, the Times reported.

At the time, a Detroit waitress told the Times earlier that year that the lemonade was “flat and too sweet”. A Florida writer called it “a taste tragedy.” A Pepsi-Cola spokesman described it as “a tremendous opportunity for us,” the newspaper reported.

Coke officials hope the changes will strengthen the Coke Zero brand.

“Despite its tremendous success, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar still makes up a relatively small percentage,” CEO James Quincey said during an analyst meeting in April. “The improved recipe brings its taste even closer to the iconic Coca-Cola.”

“This was influenced by consumer insights and our focus on continuous improvement.”

The new version of Coke Zero will be rolled out later this month and will be rolled out in Canada in September, CNN reported.

It’s the second fresh start in the 16-year history of Coke Zero, a calorie-free drink. In 2017, Coca-Cola Zero was renamed Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and its formula and packaging were revamped, the Post reported.

Coca-Cola is planning a marketing flash with taste tests in which drinkers will be asked whether the new Coke Zero is really the “Best Coke Ever”. reported the newspaper.

Natalia Suarez, Senior Brand Manager at Coca-Cola, said in a statement that the company changed the soda recipe because, in order to continue to grow, “we must continue to challenge ourselves to innovate and differentiate ourselves, just as we do other iconic brands have done it. “

“The consumer landscape is constantly changing,” said Suarez, “which means we have to evolve to stay on top.”

Doug Bowman, a professor of marketing at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, said the new Coke Zero product was unlikely to create the backlash caused by New Coke.

“This is a strategy in which Coke is trying to stay ahead of the market,” Bowman told the Times. “It’s hard to see anyone but the most die-hard Coke Zero Sugar people notice the difference.”

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