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New Coke: The Most Memorable Marketing Blunder Ever?

The history of new coke.

To hear some tell it, April 23, 1985, was a day that will live in marketing infamy.

On that day, The Coca‑Cola Company took arguably the biggest risk in consumer goods history, announcing that it was changing the formula for the world's most popular soft drink, and spawning consumer angst the likes of which no business has ever seen.

The Coca‑Cola Company took arguably the biggest risk in consumer goods history, announcing that it was changing the formula for the world's most popular soft drink, and spawning consumer angst the likes of which no business has ever seen.

Swinging for the fences.

The Coca‑Cola Company introduced reformulated Coca‑Cola, often referred to as "new Coke," marking the first formula change in 99 years. The company didn't set out to create the firestorm of consumer protest that ensued; instead, The Coca‑Cola Company intended to re-energize its Coca‑Cola brand and the cola category in its largest market, the United States.

That firestorm ended with the return of the original formula, now called Coca‑Cola classic, a few months later. The return of original formula Coca‑Cola on July 11, 1985, put the cap on 79 days that revolutionized the soft-drink industry, transformed The Coca‑Cola Company and stands today as testimony to the power of taking intelligent risks, even when they don't quite work as intended.

"We set out to change the dynamics of sugar colas in the United States, and we did exactly that -- albeit not in the way we had planned," then chairman and chief executive officer Roberto Goizueta said in 1995 at a special employee event honoring the 10-year anniversary of "new Coke."

"But the most significant result of 'new Coke' by far," Mr. Goizueta said, "was that it sent an incredibly powerful signal ... a signal that we really were ready to do whatever was necessary to build value for the owners of our business."

Factors That Shaped the Launch Decision

The story of "new Coke" is widely recalled, but the context is often forgotten. In 1985, The Coca‑Cola Company's share lead over its chief competitor, in its flagship market, with its flagship product, had been slowly slipping for 15 consecutive years. The cola category in general was lethargic. Consumer preference for Coca‑Cola was dipping, as was consumer awareness. That changed, of course, in the summer of 1985 as the consumer outcry over "new Coke" was replaced by consumer affection for Coca‑Cola classic.

The fabled secret formula for Coca‑Cola was changed, adopting a formula preferred in taste tests of nearly 200,000 consumers. What these tests didn't show, of course, was the bond consumers felt with their Coca‑Cola — something they didn't want anyone, including The Coca‑Cola Company, tampering with.

The events of the spring and summer of '85 — pundits blasting the "marketing blunder of the century," consumers hoarding the "old" Coke, calls of protests by the thousands — changed forever The Coca‑Cola Company's thinking.

At the 10-year anniversary celebration, Mr. Goizueta characterized the "new Coke" decision as a prime example of "taking intelligent risks." He urged all employees to take intelligent risks in their jobs, saying it was critical to the company's success. Many of the employees there that day had worked for the company in 1985 and remembered the thousands of calls and consumer complaints.

Calls flooded in not just to the 800-GET-COKE phone line, but to Coca‑Cola offices across the United States. By June 1985, The Coca‑Cola Company was getting 1,500 calls a day on its consumer hotline, compared with 400 a day before the taste change. People seemed to hold any Coca‑Cola employee — from security officers at our headquarters building to their neighbors who worked for Coke — personally responsible for the change.

Mr. Goizueta received a letter addressed to "Chief Dodo, The Coca‑Cola Company." (He often said he was more upset that it was actually delivered to him!) Another person wrote to him asking for his autograph — because, in years to come, the signature of "one of the dumbest executives in American business history" would be worth a fortune.

When the taste change was announced, some consumers panicked, filling their basements with cases of Coke®. A man in San Antonio, Texas, drove to a local bottler and bought $1,000 worth of Coca‑Cola. Some people got depressed over the loss of their favorite soft drink. Suddenly everyone was talking about Coca‑Cola, realizing what an important role it played in his or her life.

Protest groups — such as the Society for the Preservation of the Real Thing and Old Cola Drinkers of America (which claimed to have recruited 100,000 in a drive to bring back "old" Coke) — popped up around the country. Songs were written to honor the old taste. Protesters at a Coca‑Cola event in downtown Atlanta in May carried signs with "We want the real thing" and "Our children will never know refreshment."

The Return of a Classic

When the announcement of the return of "old" Coca‑Cola was made in July 1985, those hoarding as many as 900 bottles in their basements could stop their self-imposed rationing and begin to drink the product as they always had — as often as they'd like.

That July day, the story that the "old" Coca‑Cola was returning to store shelves as Coca‑Cola classic led two network newscasts and made the front page of virtually every major newspaper. Consumers applauded the decision. In just two days after the announcement of Coca‑Cola classic, The Coca‑Cola Company received 31,600 telephone calls on the hotline. Coca‑Cola was obviously more than just a soft drink.

Coca‑Cola classic was sold alongside Coca‑Cola ("new Coke"), and the two brands had distinct advertising campaigns, with the youthful, leading-edge "Catch the Wave" campaign for the new taste of Coke and the emotional "Red, White and You" for Coca‑Cola classic. Later, the name of the new taste of Coca‑Cola was changed to Coke II; the product is no longer available in the United States.

The events of 1985 changed forever the dynamics of the soft-drink industry and the success of The Coca‑Cola Company, as the Coca‑Cola brand soared to new heights and consumers continued to remember the love they have for Coca‑Cola.

Why Coca-Cola’s ‘New Coke’ Flopped

By: Christopher Klein

Updated: September 14, 2023 | Original: April 23, 2015

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

The time-tested adage appears to be the lesson from Coca-Cola’s disastrous introduction of “New Coke." Except in 1985, Coca-Cola indeed thought its signature brand was broken.

Although Coca-Cola remained the world’s best-selling soft drink, rival Pepsi-Cola continued to gain market share in the 1970s and early 1980s, thanks in part to its aggressive “Pepsi Challenge” campaign in which consumers taking blind taste tests were surprised to learn they preferred the flavor of Pepsi. To the shock of Coca-Cola, internal taste tests yielded the same results. Company executives grew convinced that its soda’s taste—not its rival’s advertisements targeting the “Pepsi Generation”—was the reason for its declining market share.

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Since its introduction in 1886, Coca-Cola’s secret recipe had been tweaked several times—such as when changing sweeteners from cane sugar to beet sugar to corn syrup—but its taste had remained constant. While the company was developing the unique formula for Diet Coke, which was introduced in 1982, it found in top-secret taste tests that a sweeter version of the concoction beat not only Pepsi but the classic version of Coke. Executives decided to make a risky change.

Coca-Cola bets everything on New Coke

On April 23, 1985, Coca-Cola Company chairman and CEO Roberto Goizueta stepped before the press gathered at New York City’s Lincoln Center to introduce the new formula, which he declared to be “smoother, rounder, yet bolder—a more harmonious flavor.” The press, however, said what Goizueta couldn’t admit: New Coke tasted sweeter and more like Pepsi.

Had it been an opera, the Lincoln Center performance would have been a tragedy to devoted fans of Coke’s original formula. Rather than divide its market share between two sugar sodas, Coca-Cola discontinued its 99-year classic recipe and locked Formula 7x away in an Atlanta bank vault with the intention that it never again see the light of day.

“Some may choose to call this the boldest single marketing move in the history of the packaged-goods business,” Goizueta said. “We simply call it the surest move ever made.” Coca-Cola president Donald Keough echoed the certainty: “I’ve never been as confident about a decision as I am about the one we’re announcing today.”

New Coke falls flat

While Goizueta and Keough toasted each other with cans of New Coke, the news was already beginning to fall flat. On the New York Stock Exchange, shares of Coca-Cola dropped, while those of its rival rose. Pepsi gave its employees the day off and declared victory in full-page newspaper advertisements that boasted, ‘‘After 87 years of going at it eyeball to eyeball, the other guy just blinked.’’

New Coke left a bitter taste in the mouths of the company’s loyal customers. Within weeks of the announcement, the company was fielding 5,000 angry phone calls a day. By June, that number grew to 8,000 calls a day, a volume that forced the company to hire extra operators. “I don’t think I’d be more upset if you were to burn the flag in our front yard,” one disgruntled drinker wrote to company headquarters. At protests staged by grassroots groups such as “Old Cola Drinkers of America,” consumers poured the contents of New Coke bottles into sewer drains. One Seattle consumer even filed suit against the company to force it to provide the old drink.

The outrage caught Coca-Cola executives by surprise. They had hardly made a rash decision unsupported by data. After all, they had performed 190,000 blind taste tests on U.S. and Canadian consumers. The problem, though, is that the company had underestimated loyal drinkers’ emotional attachments to the brand. Never did its market research testers ask subjects how they would feel if the new formula replaced the old one.

Coca-Cola Classic returns

Seventy-nine days after their initial announcement, Coca-Cola executives once again held a press conference on July 11, 1985—this time to announce a mea culpa and the return of the original formula, which hardly had time to gather dust in its Atlanta bank vault, under the label “Coca-Cola Classic.” “Our boss is the consumer,” Keough said. “We want them to know we’re really sorry.” The news was so momentous that television networks broke into normal programming with special reports.

Coca-Cola Classic quickly outsold New Coke and within a few months had returned to its position as the top-selling sugar cola, ahead of Pepsi. The company rebranded the new formula “Coke II” in 1990 before it was eventually abandoned in 2002. In spite of the blowback, Coca-Cola emerged from the fiasco with its market position actually strengthened as consumers rediscovered their attachment to the iconic brand. (Moreover, in 2019, Coca-Cola actually re-released a very limited run of New Coke.)

“The simple fact is that all the time and money and skill poured into consumer research on the new Coca-Cola could not measure or reveal the deep and abiding emotional attachment to original Coca-Cola felt by so many people,” Keough admitted. The blunder was so colossal that some thought it must have been an intentional marketing gimmick. “Some cynics say that we planned the whole thing,” Keough said. “The truth is we’re not that dumb and we’re not that smart.”

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New Coke, 35 years on: Inside the recipe tweak that sparked nationwide backlash and almost ruined Coca-Cola

It's been 35 years since coca-cola committed 'one of the most memorable marketing blunders ever' with launch of 'new coke', article bookmarked.

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It's been 35 years since Coca-Cola released New Coke (Getty)

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They say you cannot progress without change, but that lesson doesn't necessarily apply to products - especially if you’re in the beverage industry.

On 23 April 1985, Coca-Cola learned this the hard way when it committed what it admits was one of “the most memorable marketing blunders ever” when it launched a product that was met with near-instantaneous backlash.

The infamous error, which is still remembered 35 years later as a spectacular failure, was the release of “New Coke ” - which saw the formula of what was and is still the most popular soda in the world changed for the first time in 99 years.

According to Coca-Cola, the launch of the product, which was pushed aside for the return of the original recipe just 79 days later, “spawned consumer angst the likes of which no business has ever seen”.

However, to fully understand the scope of the mistake, the soda company insists that one must first take into context the factors that “shaped the launch decision” - mainly its ongoing competition with Pepsi.

“In 1985, The Coca-Cola Company's share lead over its chief competitor, in its flagship market, with its flagship product, had been slowly slipping for 15 consecutive years,” the company explains in a section on its website dedicated to the New Coke mishap. “The cola category in general was lethargic. Consumer preference for Coca-Cola was dipping, as was consumer awareness.”

Two years before the release of New Coke, Pepsi had struck a deal with Michael Jackson for a $5m partnership. In 1984, likely due to the success of Jackson’s commercials, Pepsi reported $7.7bn in sales and an increase in market share, while Coca-Cola’s dropped.

In an effort to revive its position in the cola market, Coca-Cola decided to make a sweeter version of its beloved soda, which, according to 200,000 consumers who conducted taste tests at the time, was actually preferable.

But, what Coke failed to realise was “the bond consumers felt with their Coca-Cola,” according to the soft drink company. The overwhelming sweetness of the drink when consumed in large quantities has also been blamed for its failure.

Whether it was the sheer fact that they wanted the old flavour or that the new flavour was too sweet, the release of New Coke was met with widespread outrage across the United States.

“Calls flooded in not just to the 800-GET-COKE phone line, but to Coca-Cola offices across the United States,” the company recalls. “By June 1985, The Coca-Cola Company was getting 1,500 calls a day on its consumer hotline, compared with 400 a day before the taste change.

“People seemed to hold any Coca-Cola employee - from security officers at our headquarters building to their neighbours who worked for Coke - personally responsible for the change.”

When calling the company to complain proved futile, customers took their disapproval even further. One man, Gay Mullins, reportedly went as far as spending $30,000 of his own money and three weeks of his time attempting to force Coca-Cola to bring back its original recipe.

According to Mullins, the issue was not just the new taste, but that the company had done something “un-American” - taken away his “freedom of choice”.

“How can they do this? They were guarding a sacred trust!” he told a reporter for People at the time. “Coca-Cola has tied this drink to the very fabric of America - apple pie, baseball, the Statue of Liberty. And now they replace it with a new formula, and they tell us just to forget it.

“They have taken away my freedom of choice. It’s un-American!”

Others, according to Coca-Cola, hoarded bottles of the original, with one consumer from San Antonio, Texas, purchasing $1,000 worth of Coke from a local bottler.

On 11 July 1985, once the extent of the soda brand’s mistake had become evident, Coca-Cola relaunched the original recipe, rebranded as Coca-Cola Classic.

According to the beverage corporation, the news of the drink’s long-awaited return “made the front page of virtually every major newspaper”.

Despite the undeniable failure that was New Coke, the Coca-Cola Company prefers to view the 79-day blunder as “testimony to the power of taking intelligent risks, even when they don't quite work as intended”.

“We set out to change the dynamics of sugar colas in the United States, and we did exactly that - albeit not in the way we had planned," then-chairman and chief executive officer Roberto Goizueta said in 1995 at an event honouring the 10-year anniversary of New Coke.

New Coke was eventually removed from shelves altogether in the US. However, for those curious to taste the drink that made the brand risk it all, it is possible to purchase a Stranger Things collectors pack that includes two cans of New Coke on Amazon for $39.99.

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How Coca-Cola, Netflix, and Amazon Learn from Failure

Bill Taylor

Encourage your team to embrace mistakes.

Too many leaders live in fear of mistakes, missteps, and disappointments. But if you’re not prepared to fail, you’re not prepared to learn.

In May, right after he became CEO of Coca-Cola Co., James Quincey called upon rank-and-file managers to get beyond the fear of failure that had dogged the company since the “New Coke” fiasco of so many years ago. “If we’re not making mistakes,” he insisted, “we’re not trying hard enough.”

In June, even as his company was enjoying unparalleled success with its subscribers, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings worried that his fabulously valuable streaming service had too many hit shows and was canceling too few new shows. “Our hit ratio is too high right now,” he told a technology conference. “We have to take more risk…to try more crazy things…we should have a higher cancel rate overall.”

Even Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, arguably the most successful entrepreneur in the world, makes the case as directly as he can that his company’s growth and innovation is built on its failures. “If you’re going to take bold bets, they’re going to be experiments,” he explained shortly after Amazon bought Whole Foods. “And if they’re experiments, you don’t know ahead of time if they’re going to work. Experiments are by their very nature prone to failure. But a few big successes compensate for dozens and dozens of things that didn’t work.”

Why, all of a sudden, are so many successful business leaders urging their companies and colleagues to make more mistakes and embrace more failures?

Bill Taylor is the cofounder of Fast Company and the author, most recently, of Simply Brilliant: How Great Organizations Do Ordinary Things in Extraordinary Ways . Learn more at williamctaylor.com.

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Watch CBS News

30 years ago today, Coca-Cola made its worst mistake

By Rachid Haoues

April 23, 2015 / 1:57 PM EDT / CBS News

This feature, The Way It Was , resurfaces and explores past stories from the CBS News archives. If there's a topic you'd like to see, leave a suggestion in the comments section or send us a tweet at @CBSEveningNews .

When an athlete is great, he or she is called the Michael Jordan of his or her sport. When a new product launch is a disaster, it is called the "New Coke" of its industry.

That negative association emerged 30 years ago Thursday, on April 23, 1985, when Coca-Cola Company announced a change to its nearly century-old secret formula . The new Coke would have a smoother, sweeter taste -- similar to Diet Coke, but sweetened with corn syrup. Market researchers and pollsters were sure it'd be a hit.

Watch: Original 1985 "CBS Evening News" report on new Coke

"This has got to be the boldest consumer products move of any kind of any stripe since Eve started to hand out apples," said Jesse Meyers, publisher of Beverage Digest, in 1985.

"I believe it'll do for brand Coca-Cola what Diet Coca-Cola did for the diet market," added Coca-Cola bottler Bobby Pidgeon.

Coca-Cola was number one at the time, but Pepsi was gaining ground and cutting into Coke's precious market share. In the fierce cola wars of the 80s, new Coke was no shot across the bow. It was meant to be a direct hit.

"These two products, Pepsi and Coke, have been going at it eyeball to eyeball, and in my view the other guy just blinked," said former PepsiCo CEO Roger Enrico in 1985.

Blinked Coke did, and in that moment it was blind to what was about to happen.

"I think the new Coke is too sweet, I like the old Coke better," said a woman.

A poll showed that only 13 percent of soda drinkers liked the new Coke. The pop was a bust of epic proportions. Pepsi took full advantage by launching a commercial featuring a girl who asked: "Somebody out there tell me why Coke did it? Why did Coke change?"

Fans weren't upset -- they were angry. So passionate were Coke drinkers that they launched grassroots campaigns across the country to force Coca-Cola to bring back the original Coke.

"It was the people against the corporation -- only in America," reported CBS News' Bob Simon in 1985. "Coke said it was committed, so were the people. In California they collected signatures, in Seattle they set up a hotline."

One protest group in particular gained national attention. The "Old Cola Drinkers of America," headed by Gay Mullins, was relentless in its pursuit to have the original Coke return. They set up petitions, provided pins with new Coke crossed out, and spoke to the media about their mission.

Eventually the pressure from the fans and the press became too much. Coca-Cola showed signs of cracking when it launched a commercial featuring Donald Keough, the longtime president of the Coca-Cola Company in 1985.

"We're bringing it back, the original taste of Coca-Cola returns as Coca-Cola Classic and soon America will have a real choice: the new taste of Coke or the original taste of Coca-Cola Classic," said Donald Keough, Pres. Coca-Cola Company.

"Well I think we've won," said Gay Mullins. "I think the Coca-Cola Company, if in fact they start producing the old Cola, we've won."

The victory was made official on July 11, 1985 when Coca-Cola held a press conference to officially announce the return of the old Coke - and to admit it had made a mistake.

"The simple fact is that all of the time and money and skill poured into consumer research on a new Coca-Cola could not measure or reveal the depth and abiding emotional attachment to original Coca-Cola felt by so many people," said Keough.

For the record, the drink wasn't actually called "New Coke," it was Coke with the word "new" on the can but the product took on the name with the public. Eventually the soft drink fizzled out.

Its legacy is one of mockery, often appearing atop lists of "Epic, Embarrassing Product Failures." But the truth is the 77-day fiasco that followed the launch may very well have been a blessing in disguise, perhaps even a good mistake. It taught Coca-Cola a valuable lesson that the company continues to draw from.

A Coca-Cola spokesperson told CBS News this week:

"Thirty years ago, we introduced New Coke with no shortage of hype and fanfare. And it did succeed in shaking up the market. But not in the way it was intended. When we look back, this was the pivotal moment when we learned that fiercely loyal consumers -- not the Company -- own Coca-Cola and all of our brands. It is a lesson that we take seriously and one that becomes clearer and more obvious with each passing anniversary."

Failure Case Study: Coca-Cola Life – Targeting the “middle ground” fails to resonate with consumers

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Published: May 31, 2017 Report Code: CS1718SF-ST

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"Failure Case Study: Coca-Cola Life" is part of GlobalData's Successes and Failures research. It examines the details of and reasons behind Coca-Cola's first moderate-calorie cola's failure in the UK. It delivers the critical "what?", "why?", and "so what?" analysis to teach you crucial lessons that increase your chances of launching successful products as well as avoiding risks.

In the UK, Coca-Cola Life sold 21.5 million liters in 2015, accounting for just 1.2% of the total UK sales of Coca-Cola's four main colas. The country has a relatively large market for diet colas, so understandably the new lower-sugar and -calorie cola was considered to have potential. However, Coca-Cola Life struggled to resonate with UK consumers, who could not see the advantages over the already popular zero-sugar Coke Zero and Diet Coke options.

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Corporate-guided market case study: the Death of Coke Life

This is a case study of corporate-guided market failure: Coca Cola Inc’s new branded product Coke Life, launched in 2013. ‘Brand failures’ are an accepted part of the business world and regularly feature in the business strategy literature. Here brand failure is reframed as corporate-guided market failure. The study begins by extending the conventional concept of ‘market failure’. Next, it sets-out the context of under-spending on soda drinks which prompted Coca Cola to instigate a new market. Then it analyses of the actions of the Coke Life brand managers within the framework of the seven aspects of a corporate-guided market. Lastly, it evaluates why Coke Life failed to stimulate sufficient sales.

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Failure Case Study: Coca-Cola Life - Targeting the "Middle Ground" Fails to Resonate with Consumers - Research and Markets

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Failure Case Study: Coca-Cola Life - Targeting the "middle ground" fails to resonate with consumers" report to their offering.

"Failure Case Study: Coca-Cola Life" is part of the analyst's Successes and Failures research. It examines the details of and reasons behind Coca-Cola's first moderate-calorie cola's failure in the UK. It delivers the critical "what?", "why?", and "so what?" analysis to teach you crucial lessons that increase your chances of launching successful products as well as avoiding risks.

Launched in the UK in 2014, Coca-Cola Life contained 36% fewer calories than regular Coca-Cola, due to a formulation that used stevia extract to reduce the sugar content by 37%. Despite a lot of publicity upon launch and a recipe reformulation to reduce sugar and calories further, Cola-Cola Life is now in the process of being pulled from shelves.
The "in-between" formulation failed to appeal to consumers, given the brand already had zero-sugar and -calorie options (Coke Zero and Diet Coke) available as an alternative to standard Coca-Cola.
Adopting a "middle-ground" approach is risky, especially if it fails to address a genuine consumer need.
Soft drinks purchases are driven by brand familiarity, sensory attributes, and health, yet Coca-Cola Life failed to resonate because it did not offer clear advantages over Coke's existing line-up.
Developing breakfast cereal influenced by Western culture to meet local sensory preferences generates opportunities.

Key Topics Covered:

About Successes & Failures Case Studies
Summary: Coca-Cola Life
TrendSights

Companies Mentioned

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/t8gxhn/failure_case

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170623005442/en/

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16 Coca-Cola: ‘Taste the Controversy’: A Case Study on Marketing Challenges

Published: June 2022
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The not so lucky situations and criticism of the Coca-Cola brand come from its first-ever product. As the history from many sources says, Dr John Smith-Pemberton, Coca-Cola creator, fought in the Civil War, and had some injuries. He made a special formula in order to help him deal with the constant pain in his body: the Pemberton’s French Wine Coca which also had a great taste at the time, had alcohol in it. It quickly became very popular until a vote by the state legislature Atlanta and Fulton County in favour of the national temperance movement. The national temperance movement prohibited the use of alcohol and heavily criticized medicinal wine such as French Wine Coca. Pemberton was forced to drop the wine ingredient in his French Wine Coca. After some further experimenting, he decided on the use of sugar syrup as a substitution for the wine and that is when Coca-Cola was born. He invented many drugs, but none of them ever made any money. So, after a move to Atlanta, Pemberton decided to try his hand in the beverage market. In his time, the soda fountain was rising in popularity as a social gathering spot. Temperance was keeping patrons out of bars, so making a soda-fountain drink just made sense. And this was when Coca-Cola was born.

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Food & Drink

What We Can Learn From Coca-Cola’s Biggest Blunder

N etwork executives had been understandably hesitant to interrupt the nation’s most popular daytime soap opera. Yet viewers raised few complaints after ABC’s Peter Jennings broke into General Hospital , on July 10, 1985, to tell them that, bowing to public outrage and stunned by the anemic sales figures of its replacement, Coca-Cola was moving to put its original soft-drink formula back on the market.

This decidedly welcome news came just 79 days after the traditional version had been pulled abruptly to make way for “New Coke.” The almost palpable chagrin enveloping the company’s official press briefing on the about-face was a far cry from the unrestrained bravado that had marked CEO Roberto Goizueta’s announcement back on April 23 that Coca-Cola was scrapping its jealously guarded secret formula, which had gone unchanged for almost a century, in favor of a new mixture that he promised would be a “bolder,” “rounder” and more “harmonious” flavor. He failed to mention that it would also be markedly sweeter—doing so would have meant admitting that the more sugary appeal of Pepsi was steadily encroaching on Coke’s market share. The radical change struck consumer-marketing experts as more than a little risky, though Goizueta insisted at the time that he and his colleagues considered it “the surest move ever made.”

Not for long they didn’t, for company switchboards were soon drowning in a torrent of as many as 8,000 calls a day from irate consumers suddenly deprived of the dependable drink that had always suited them just fine. Like the otherwise matronly lady interviewed by Newsweek at an Atlanta supermarket who needed but a single sip of New Coke to declare, “It sucks,” most who rallied to pop-up protest groups like “Old Coca-Cola Drinkers of America” may have simply been taking their cue from their palates. Yet others appeared to be speaking more from their hearts as they likened Coke’s switcheroo to a blasphemous assault on their most cherished icons and precepts. Some compared it to burning the flag or rewriting the Constitution. “God and Coca Cola,” had been “the only two things in my life,” one complained in a letter , “now you have taken one of those things away from me.”

Stunned by this fierce and unrelenting backlash, not to mention New Coke’s disappointing sales, Coke’s spin-meisters scrambled to put the best possible face on the fiasco. Company president Donald Keough observed that, despite the extensive and expensive taste-testing that seemed to confirm New Coke’s surefire appeal, there had simply been no way to gauge the “deep and abiding emotional attachment to original Coca-Cola felt by so many people.”

While it is tempting to see the outcome of this miscalculation as a rare triumph of simple popular preference over the typically indomitable forces of modern marketing, its genesis actually lay in Coca-Cola’s historically acute sensitivity to shifting market factors, such as the massive socioeconomic and demographic changes that had begun to sweep across America after World War II.

Coke’s original formula was developed in 1886 by entrepreneurial Atlanta pharmacist John S. Pemberton. He briefly marketed it in syrup form to soda fountain operators before selling out to fellow Atlantan Asa G. Candler. The ambitious Candler then hired a small but extremely aggressive cadre of “drummers” who, by 1895, had established footholds for Coca-Cola in every state in the union, not only in major cities, but also in small-town pharmacies whose soda fountains were the principal, if not sole, community gathering places.

See Photos of Vintage Coca-Cola Signs from New York City to Bangkok

The pace of Coca-Cola’s conquest of rural America quickened after members of a fast-growing network of licensed distributors began to add 8 ounces of water to each ounce of syrup, and to bottle and market the mixture directly to local grocers and gas-station owners. Even after Mother Coke claimed her money upfront for the syrup, there were still substantial profits to be made for the bottlers, numbering some 1,200 by the 1920s, whose aggressive, self-interested marketing and crucial local connections proceeded to make Coke the drink not so much “of choice” as of “no other choice” for much of the American hinterland. Not coincidentally, it was here that resistance to New Coke would prove most virulent, especially below the Mason-Dixon line, where the old formula’s Atlanta ties had helped to make it a particular point of regional pride.

In time, however, the runaway rural outmigration that saw the nation’s suburban population roughly double between 1950 and 1970 would fundamentally alter the consumer landscape. Tiny, limited-inventory crossroads or small-town grocery stores sagged into obsolescence amid the explosive proliferation of large supermarkets, whose managers were more than happy to stock a multitude of additional soft-drink brands as part of the broader range of product choices deemed critical to keep their customers coming back. Supermarkets accounted for three-fourths of the nation’s grocery sales in 1982 and the rise of convenience-store conglomerates like 7-11 made the soft-drink sweepstakes even more competitive.

The nation’s single most popular soft-drink product, original Coca-Cola, had claimed roughly 60% of the market share in 1948, but, according to a New York Times report, that figure had dwindled to 21.8% by 1984 in head-to-head competition with standard Pepsi, whose consistently expanding share had grown to 18.8%. The Coke-Pepsi popularity contest had taken on additional significance by the 1980s, thanks to rapid expansion of fast-food restaurant chains, which, unable (either physically or contractually) to offer diners a full selection of beverage choices, were inclined to go with the one that seemed the first choice of the most people. (As historian Bartow Elmore has recently shown , another factor behind the decision to ditch the nonagenarian Coke recipe in 1985 arose from similarly long-lived rumblings about its cocaine content. Even after the drug was removed some 20 years after the formula’s inception, the always iffy continued reliance on “Merchandise # 5,” stealth code for de-cocainized coca leaves, seemed downright risky in the mid-1980s with Ronald Reagan’s “War on Drugs” gathering steam.)

Regardless of the reasoning behind the abortive New Coke initiative, Pepsi’s gains were quickly offset by resurgent enthusiasm for the familiar Coke flavor. In the end, what business school professors still cite as the ideal case study of a major marketing blunder can also tell us a great deal about how America responds to change. For nearly a century, Coca-Cola had thrived by responding to change. To the executives who pushed New Coke, it may have been a concession to just the latest forces beyond their control. But the outcry against the move came in no small measure from consumers resisting those same forces, which they saw usurping their personal prerogatives over even the mundane elements of daily life. Change may be inevitable, but it doesn’t always have to taste sweet—and neither, it turns out, did Coke.

Read more: Here’s What New Coke Tasted Like

Historians explain how the past informs the present

James C. Cobb is Spalding Distinguished Professor of History at the University of Georgia and a former president of the Southern Historical Association .

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DOI: 10.32535/jcda.v3i2.810
Corpus ID: 219522069

Challenges and Solutions: A Case Study of Coca-Cola Company

J. Chua , D. Kee , +4 authors N. Singh
Published in Journal of the Community… 20 May 2020

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Marketing Case Studies: What You Can Learn From Coke’s Massive Branding Mistake

March 27, 2019 by Karon Thackston

To take a word from President Roosevelt: April 23, 1985, is a date that will live in marketing infamy. For on that date, the minds at Coca-Cola chose to go with what they saw with their eyes rather than what they knew in their hearts.

As marketing case studies go, this is a classic. It was a branding / marketing mistake (read: disaster) equivalent to Captain John Smith ignoring all his years of experience and basing the decision to speed up the Titanic on what an outsider told him.

In 1985, the recipe for Coke was changed to taste more like its number-one competitor. The world was outraged, Coca Cola was stunned by the reaction, and marketing would never be the same.

What Led Up To This World-Class Marketing Mistake?

Whether you read marketing case studies or remember the actual event (as I do), this branding story is one that will be discussed in classrooms and boardrooms until the end of time.

In the years leading up to 1985, Coke had suffered a significant loss in market share. What was a long-held 60% dominance had plummeted to around 24% as of the early ’80s. As the public’s desire for diet soft drinks and non-cola beverages increased, Coca-Cola’s core product was slipping.

Figuring Out And Solving The Problem

Smartly, the company’s marketing team did a series of blind taste tests that revealed consumers preferred the sweeter taste of arch-rival, Pepsi. A new recipe was devised and more blind tests were conducted. The result? The new formula of Coke substantially beat the current Coke flavor as well as Pepsi … hands down.

Focus groups were held and, according to Wikipedia, “Asked if they would buy and drink the product if it were Coca-Cola, most testers said they would, although it would take some getting used to. About 10–12% of testers felt angry and alienated at the thought, and said they might stop drinking Coke altogether.”

The data was there. The tests had been done. And, after following all the marketing rules (well … almost all), Coke began an initial rollout in New York and Washington, DC. As soon as the nationwide launch took place, what would be deemed “New Coke” was also available in select McDonald’s restaurants.

It worked! Sales over the next few weeks showed a rise of 8% over the same period as the previous year. Regular Coke drinkers said they liked the new taste and would buy the product again.

I’m sure Coca-Cola corporate breathed a sigh of relief. Their scientific approach to this massive change was delivering everything they had hoped for.

And then the other shoe dropped.

The Power Of Branding: The Good, The Bad, & The Outraged

Statistics, reports, surveys, and other data clearly showed New Coke was the savior that would return leading share to Coca-Cola. However, two elements had been overlooked: emotion and branding.

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That’s where this marketing case study morphs into a colossal marketing mistake.

Remember that 10%–12% of testers in the focus groups who felt angry? They were about to unleash the power of opinion and the voice of dissent on Coke corporate with both rage and depression that one psychologist said resembled the mourning a lost loved one. Their global reach would force change in an unexpected way.

Corporate headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, received about 1,500 phone calls a day (normal volume was 400 calls per day) with comments about New Coke. Chicago Tribune reporters, late-night comedians, and even dictator Fidel Castro bashed New Coke, pouring gasoline on an already blazing inferno.

Taste aside, the emotional connection to the Coke brand was the cause of anger and even depression over the change. The bond with the original was so strong and so ingrained into American (and other) society in every class that the thought of changing the closely guarded recipe was — in many people’s options — equivalent to painting the Statue of Liberty pink.

Since 1892, Coca-Cola had steadily positioned itself as not only what America drinks, but what it wears and collects and loyally promotes. With advertising segmented to reach every audience avatar specifically, the company had relished in nearly 100 years of relationship building with its logo on everything from coolers and sweatshirts to sports stadium walls. People loved Coke. And for hardcore fans, changing it was an act of treason.

How Coke Survived Its Unforgettable Marketing Mistake

Just two and a half months after the launch of New Coke, public opinion won out. On July 11, Coca-Cola announced the return of the original Coke formula, to be renamed Coke Classic.

According to then company President Donald Keough, “There is a twist to this story which will please every humanist and will probably keep Harvard professors puzzled for years. The simple fact is that all the time and money and skill poured into consumer research on the new Coca-Cola could not measure or reveal the deep and abiding emotional attachment to original Coca-Cola felt by so many people.”

While New Coke was sold for a while it was eventually retired. Coke Classic (aka Old Coke) came back with a vengeance and began overtaking Pepsi immediately with an 18.9% market share (1987), 20% market share (1989), 43% (2005), and 48% (2015), according to Statista.com.

Don’t Become A Marketing Case Study Fail

What lessons can you learn from Coke’s marketing mistakes?

Before you undertake a complete rebranding effort, understand what people know about your brand, but also how they feel about your brand.
Listen to objections. Don’t blow off the 10% who have a contrary opinion and immediately side with the 90% who agree with you. New Coke showed a slightly different application of the 80/20 rule, where (in this case) 10% drove the thoughts and actions of the 90%.
As you continue to grow your brand, consider the impact your plan might have on future changes. You don’t want to get so boxed in to one brand that you have no room to move later on.
Be creative! Where Coke excelled overall in branding was with embedding that iconic red-and-white logo into every corner of our lives. In this case, merchandising helped grow their global recognition 1,000X. How can you surprise your loyal fans and attract new ones with inventive marketing?

Above all … LEARN! No brand has a perfect track record when it comes to marketing. According to Coke President Roberto C. Goizueta in a 1995 New York Times interview, “If we had it to do all over again, knowing what the results would be, we would do precisely the same thing.” Marketing mistakes are only failures if you don’t learn anything from them.

Have questions about marketing case studies or marketing mistakes? Talk to me below!

One simple thing I think they should have done is ADD the new product to their product line, not replace it – 24% market share, that’s still significant. Add it as a new product. Some current customers might switch, but they’d still be customers. And the new product might draw in former Pepsi drinkers.

Plus – shelf space (I think that’s what they call it.) in the grocery store, each brand gets a certain number of inches of shelf space. Add a new variety, and you get more shelf space (at least initially.) That’s why some brands have so many variations – they get to take up entire sections of an aisle.

Applied to us as solo/small business owners – if a product is still selling, consider keeping it and adding a new product. Might not end up being your choice, but you should surely consider it.

Agreed on all counts. Seemed a bit dramatic to me to chuck the whole thing

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Coca-Cola Marketing Case Study

From the star ‘Coca-Cola’ drink to Inca Kola in North and South America, Vita in Africa, and Thumbs up in India, The Coca-Cola Company owns a product portfolio of more than 3500 products . With the presence in more than 200 countries and the daily average servings to 1.9 billion people, Coca-Cola Company has been listed as the world’s most valuable brand with 94% of the world’s population recognizing the red and white Coca-Cola brand Logo . Moreover, 3.1% of all beverages consumed around the world are Coca-Cola products. All this because of its great marketing strategy which we’ll discuss in this article on Coca-Cola Marketing Strategy .

Coca-Cola –

has a Market capitalization of $192.8 Billion (as of May 2016).
had 53 years of consecutive annual dividend increases.
with the revenue of over $44.29 billion, is not just a company but an ECONOMY.

The world knows and has tasted the coca cola products. In fact, out of the 55 billion servings of all kinds of beverages drunk each day (other than water), 1.7 billion are Coca-Cola trademarked/licensed drinks.

Marketing history

Market research in the beginning.

It all started 130 years ago, in 1886, when a Confederate colonel in the Civil War, John Pemberton, wanted to create his own version of coca wine (cola with alcohol and cocaine) and sent his nephew Lewis Newman to conduct a market research with the samples to a local pharmacy (Jacobs pharmacy). This wasn’t a new idea back then. The original idea of Coca wines was discovered by a Parisian chemist named Angelo Mariani.

Pemberton’s sample was sold for 5 cents a glass and the feedback of the customers was relayed to him by his nephew. Hence, by the end of the year, Pemberton was ready with a unique recipe that was tailored to the customers taste.

Marketing Strategy In The Beginning

Pemberton soon had to make it non-alcoholic because of the laws prevailing in Atlanta. Once the product was launched, it was marketed by Pemberton as a “Brain Tonic” and “temperance drink” (anti-alcohol), claiming that it cured headaches, anxiety, depression, indigestion, and addiction. Cocaine was removed from Coke in 1903.

The name and the original (current) Trademark logo was the idea of Pemberton’s accountant Frank Robinson, who designed the logo in his own writing. Not changing the logo till date is the best strategy adopted by Coca-cola.

Soon after the formula was sold to Asa G Candler (in 1889), who converted it into a soda drink, the real marketing began.

Candler was a marketer. He distributed thousands of complimentary coca-cola glass coupons, along with souvenir calendars, clocks, etc. all depicting the trademark and made sure that the coca cola trademark was visible everywhere .

He also painted the syrup barrels red to differentiate Coca-Cola from others.

Various syrup manufacturing plants outside Atlanta were opened and in 1895, Candler announced about Coca-Cola being drunk in every state & territory in the US.

The Idea Of The Bottle

During Candler’s era, Coca-Cola was sold only through soda fountains. But two innovative minds, Benjamin F. Thomas and Joseph B. Whitehead, secured from Candler exclusive rights (at just $1) for bottled coca cola sales.

But Coca-Cola was so famous in the US that it was subjected to imitations. Early advertising campaigns like “Demand the genuine” and “Accept no substitutes” helped the brand somewhat but there was a dire need to differentiate. Hence, in 1916, the unique bottle of Coca-Cola was designed by the Root Glass Company of Terre Haute, Indiana. The trademark bottle design hasn’t been changed until now.

Coca-Cola Worldwide

In 1919, Candler sold the company to Robert Woodruff whose aim was to make Coca-Cola available to anyone, anytime and anyplace. Bottling plants were set up all over the world & coca cola became first truly global brand.

Robert Woodruff had some other strategies too. He was focused on maintaining a standard of excellence as the company scaled. He wanted to position Coca-Cola as a premium product that was worthy of more attention than any of its competitors. And he succeeded in it. Coca-Cola grew rapidly throughout the world.

Coca-Cola Marketing Strategies

The worldwide popularity of Coca-Cola was a result of simple yet groundbreaking marketing strategies like –

Consistency

Consistency can be seen from the logo to the bottle design & the price of the drink (the price was 5 cents from 1886 to 1959). Coca-Cola has kept it simple with every slogan revolving around the two terms ‘Enjoy’ and ‘happiness’.

From the star bottle to the calendars, watches and other unrelated products, Candler started the trend to make Coca-Cola visible everywhere. The company has followed the same branding strategy till now. Coca-Cola is everywhere and hence has the world’s most renowned logo.

Positioning

Coca-Cola didn’t position itself as a product. It was and it is an ‘Experience’ of happiness and joy.

Franchise model

The bottling rights were sold to different local entrepreneurs , which is continued till now. Hence, Coca-cola isn’t one giant company, it’s a system of many small companies reporting to one giant company.

Personalization & Socialization

Unlike other big companies, Coca-Cola has maintained its positioning as a social brand. It talks to the users. Coca-Cola isn’t a company anymore. It’s a part of us now. With its iconic advertising ideas which include “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” & “Share a Coke”, it has maintained a special spot in the heart of its users.

Diversification

Coca-Cola, after marking its presence all over the world, took its first step towards diversifying its portfolio in 1960 by buying Minute Maid. It now operates in all but 2 countries worldwide with a portfolio of more than 3500 brands.

Coca-Cola Marketing Facts

Logo & bottle design hasn’t changed since the start.
During its first year, Coca-Cola sold an average of 9 drinks a day.
Norman Rockwell created art for Coke ads.
Coke has had a huge role in shaping our image of Santa Clause.
In the 1980s, the company attempted a “Coke in the Morning” campaign to try to win over coffee drinkers.
In 1923, the company began selling bottles in packages of six, which became common practice in the beverage industry.
Recently, it was in the news that Verizon acquired Yahoo for around $5 billion which is more or less the same amount the Coca-Cola Company spends on its advertisements.
The number of employees working with the Coca-Cola Company (123,200 to be exact) is more than the population of many countries.

Go On, Tell Us What You Think!

Did we miss something? Come on! Tell us what you think about Coca Cola Marketing Case Study in the comment section.

A startup consultant, digital marketer, traveller, and philomath. Aashish has worked with over 20 startups and successfully helped them ideate, raise money, and succeed. When not working, he can be found hiking, camping, and stargazing.

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Coca-Cola Plastic Pollution involves using recyclable materials in packaging, investing in recycling infrastructure, reducing single-use plastic, and exploring innovative packaging solutions.

The Coca-Cola plastic pollution commitment

6 minutes to read

In recent years, environmental concerns have shifted the spotlight to the role of large corporations in addressing plastic pollution. One such corporation at the center of this discussion is Coca-Cola plastic pollution . This article explores the significant efforts to combat plastic pollution and its journey beyond the bottle.

Plastic Bank community members exchange plastic waste for additional income and life-improving benefits. Every exchange is recorded through the PlasticBank ® app, its proprietary blockchain-secured platform that enables traceable collection, secures income and verifies reporting.

A glimpse into Coca-Cola’s plastic pollution reduction strategy

In this global fight against plastic pollution, the Coke company has emerged as a leading committed to making a positive change. There is a significant emphasis on sustainability and environmental responsibility. Coca-Cola’s plastic pollution is managed innovatively and thought-provoking.This globally recognized brand understands the responsibility that comes with its reach. Recognizing the environmental challenges posed by plastic pollution, the company embarked on a journey to minimize its impact. Here’s a glimpse into Coca-Cola’s plastic pollution reduction strategy:

A vision for sustainability

Coca-Cola’s journey towards managing plastic pollution began with a bold vision: to create a world without waste. This vision was articulated in their “World Without Waste” initiative, which sets ambitious goals for reducing plastic waste and increasing recycling and reuse rates. By putting sustainability at the forefront of its business strategy, Coca-Cola has taken a significant step towards addressing the plastic pollution crisis.

Investment in Sustainable Packaging

One of the key pillars of Coca-Cola’s strategy to combat plastic pollution is a substantial investment in sustainable packaging solutions. The company is actively working to make all of its packaging 100% recyclable by 2025. This commitment extends not only to their iconic PET bottles but also to other packaging formats like glass and aluminum. By promoting the use of materials that are easier to recycle, the company is actively reducing its contribution to plastic pollution.

Collect and Recycle Initiatives

Coca-Cola’s plastic pollution management requires more than just reducing plastic use; it also involves addressing existing plastic waste. To this end, the company has launched various collection and recycling initiatives worldwide. These programs encourage consumers to return empty bottles, which are recycled or repurposed into new products. By actively engaging consumers in recycling, Coca-Cola fosters a culture of mindful consumption and effective waste management.

Coca-Cola promotes responsible consumption and waste management by encouraging consumers worldwide to return empty bottles for recycling or repurposing.

Coca-Cola’s plastic pollution management and commitmentgo beyond its immediate operations. The company is actively investing in building a circular economy for plastics. This involves collaborating with stakeholders across the value chain to ensure that plastic materials are recovered, recycled, and reused efficiently. By promoting a circular approach to plastics, Coca-Cola is working towards minimizing the impact of plastic pollution on the environment.

Community engagement and education

Managing plastic pollution requires corporate responsibility and community engagement. Coca-Cola is actively involved in educating communities about responsible waste disposal and recycling. The company partners with local organizations to raise awareness and facilitate recycling programs. This holistic approach empowers communities to take part in the fight against plastic pollution. Plastic Bank is revealing the value of plastic waste to help end poverty 1 . Our collection communities collect and exchange ocean-bound plastic waste as currency for income and life-improving benefits. The collected plastic is then recycled and reused in products by some of our incredible partners. Together, we are empowering a circular economy .

Real results and impact on Coca-Cola plastic pollution

Coca-Cola’s plastic pollution -fighting has yielded tangible results:

– In 2020, the company announced that it had achieved 100% recyclability of its PET plastic bottles in several markets.

– Coca-Cola has committed to collecting and recycling one bottle or can for every one it sells by 2030 2 .

– The company’s partnership with environmental organizations has led to cleanup initiatives in numerous communities.

Coca-Cola’s initiatives extend beyond its operations. The company strives to drive systemic change in plastic use and disposal through collaboration with industry peers and stakeholders.

Partnership with Plastic Bank is a collaboration aimed at addressing plastic pollution and promoting environmental responsibility.

A positive path forward

Coca-Cola acknowledges that there is much work to be done but remains committed to reducing its plastic footprint. The company is dedicated to positively mitigating plastic pollution and promoting a more sustainable future. Another example of commitment is a trial conducted by Sprite in the UK, where they temporarily removed labels from their bottles to simplify the recycling process. This initiative aims to reduce packaging waste by eliminating the need to separate labels during recycling. By using clear, 100% recycled plastic bottles with attached caps and embossed logos, Sprite seeks to make its packaging more environmentally friendly.

This initiative aligns with the broader context of Coca-Cola’s plastic pollution discussed earlier. Reducing packaging waste is one of the key strategies to address it. Sprite’s trial of label-less bottles demonstrates its commitment to finding innovative solutions to minimize their environmental impact. Additionally, Sprite’s sustainability efforts include using recycled plastic for their bottles, removing green colour from plastic bottles, and investing in new designs to reduce packaging.

Sprite aims to contribute to a world without waste through initiatives like these by focusing on innovations, lightweight, and collecting and recycling bottles. Consumers can participate in this groundbreaking trial by visiting select Tesco Express Stores in Brighton, Bristol, London, or Manchester from January to March 2024. Look for Sprite and Sprite Zero bottles with coloured caps—green for Sprite and transparent with a black tint for Sprite Zero—and experience the same great taste with a sustainable twist.

Sprite’s label-less bottle trial represents a significant step towards sustainable packaging practices. By simplifying recycling and reducing packaging waste, Sprite demonstrates its commitment to environmental responsibility and paving the way for a more sustainable future. Join this journey towards a cleaner, greener world—one label-less bottle at a time.

Conclusion: An ongoing commitment

While the beverage industry, like many others, has faced scrutiny regarding plastic pollution, the role of Coca-Cola in plastic pollution is a testament to corporate responsibility. The company’s commitment to reducing plastic waste, promoting recycling, and innovating for a sustainable future is commendable.

As consumers become increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their choices 3 , corporations like Coca-Cola’s play a pivotal role in setting positive examples and driving change. The journey beyond the bottle is not just about Coke products; it’s a journey shared by all who seek a cleaner, more sustainable planet free from the challenges of Coca-Cola’s plastic pollution .

In the global fight against plastic pollution, innovative initiatives like the Odyssey undertaken by a French vessel illustrate the proactive steps being taken worldwide. As The Brussels Times reported, this mission underscores the importance of international cooperation and dedication in addressing the pervasive issue of oceanic plastic pollution 4 .

Bold steps, innovative solutions, and a commitment to collaboration are paving the way for a future where plastic pollution, including Coca-Cola plastic pollution , is but a distant memory.

If you’re a changemaker looking to make a significant impact at scale, explore how Plastic Bank can assist your business in building a world free from ocean plastic and poverty.

Want to learn more about plastic pollution solutions? Check out these articles: Top 5 waste management challenges in the Philippines and how to solve them How EPR Law Contributes to the Economy?

Mauri, Ross, “Breakthrough security for next-generation applications,” IBM Systems. September 12, 2017, https://newsroom.ibm.com/IBM-systems?item=30080
Dogbevi, Emmanuel, “Coca-Cola says it has invested over $5m to tackle plastic pollution across Africa,” Ghana Business News , June 6, 2019, https://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2019/06/06/coca-cola-says-it-has-invested-over-5m-to-tackle-plastic-pollution-across-africa/
Latham, Tom. “As consumers become increasingly aware of the environmental impact,” Tecno Story , https://tecnostory.com/as-consumers-become-increasingly-aware-of-the-environmental-impact/
The Brussels Times, “French vessel embarks on odyssey against plastic pollution of the oceans,” The Brussels Times, Saturday, 11 June 2022, https://www.brusselstimes.com/news/236945/french-vessel-embarks-on-odyssey-against-plastic-pollution-of-the-oceans/

The ocean’s connection to all life on Earth

Photo by NEOM on Unsplash Picture yourself standing bare feet on a shore, where the land meets the vast…

From global agreement to local action: the impact of the Plastic Treaty negotiations

Explore the groundbreaking efforts of Plastic Bank in tandem with the international community's ambitious Plastic Treaty. Discover how innovative solutions like Plastic Bank are making a significant impact on plastic pollution while simultaneously improving lives in regions grappling with plastic pollution and poverty. Dive into the comprehensive strategy of the Plastic Treaty, supported by 175 nations, and learn how it aims to reshape our relationship with plastic to safeguard our planet and marine ecosystems. Join us on a journey towards a cleaner, more regenerative future.

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IMAGES

Coca Cola Marketing Strategy blunder
Case study report on how coca cola's failed..docx
Marketing failure # 1
The failure of new coke 1985
New Coke: A Classic Brand Failure
Presentation Product Failure.New Coke

VIDEO

RealFlow Case Study: Coca-Cola Share
How Coca-Cola Marketed "Share a Coke" in Australia
A case study of the Coca Cola scare in Europe
Case study: How Coca-Cola Europacific Partners used robotics to improve productivity and H&S
COCA COLA Success Story!🤕🔥
Why Coca Cola was still the market leader?

COMMENTS

New Coke: The Most Memorable Marketing Blunder Ever?
The events of the spring and summer of '85 — pundits blasting the "marketing blunder of the century," consumers hoarding the "old" Coke, calls of protests by the thousands — changed forever The Coca‑Cola Company's thinking. At the 10-year anniversary celebration, Mr. Goizueta characterized the "new Coke" decision as a prime example of ...
Failure Case Study: Coca-Cola Life
"Failure Case Study: Coca-Cola Life" is part of the analyst's Successes and Failures research. It examines the details of and reasons behind Coca-Cola's first moderate-calorie cola's failure in ...
Why Coca-Cola's 'New Coke' Flopped
On April 23, 1985, Coca-Cola Company chairman and CEO Roberto Goizueta stepped before the press gathered at New York City's Lincoln Center to introduce the new formula, which he declared to be ...
PDF The Coca-Cola Company Struggles with Ethical Crises
By 2004 Neville Isdell, former chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola Beverages Plc in Great Britain, was called out of retirement to improve Coca-Cola's reputation; however, the com- pany continued to face ethical crises. These problems aside, Coca-Cola's overall perfor- mance seemed to improve under Isdell's tenure.
35 years on: How 'New Coke' almost ruined Coca-Cola
Despite the undeniable failure that was New Coke, the Coca-Cola Company prefers to view the 79-day blunder as "testimony to the power of taking intelligent risks, even when they don't quite work ...
How Coca-Cola, Netflix, and Amazon Learn from Failure
Summary. Too many leaders live in fear of mistakes, missteps, and disappointments. But if you're not prepared to fail, you're not prepared to learn. In May, right after he became CEO of Coca ...
Coca-Cola's PR disaster, 30 years later
When a new product launch is a disaster, it is called the "New Coke" of its industry. That negative association emerged 30 years ago Thursday, on April 23, 1985, when Coca-Cola Company announced a ...
Failure Case Study: Coca-Cola Life
Access a live Failure Case Study: Coca-Cola Life - Targeting the "middle ground" fails to resonate with consumers dashboard for 12 months, with up-to-the-minute insights. Fuel your decision making with real-time deal coverage and media activity. Turn insights on financials, deals, products and pipelines into powerful agents of commercial ...
Introducing New Coke
Abstract. On April 23, 1985, the Coca-Cola Co. announced a decision that would rock the world. The old Coke formula would be taken off the market and replaced with a smoother, sweeter taste. The reaction of the American people was immediate and violent, causing three months of unrelenting protest against the loss of Coke.
Corporate-guided market case study: the Death of Coke Life
Brendan Sheehan. This is a case study of corporate-guided market failure: Coca Cola Inc's new branded product Coke Life, launched in 2013. 'Brand failures' are an accepted part of the business world and regularly feature in the business strategy literature. Here brand failure is reframed as corporate-guided market failure.
Coca Cola Marketing Strategy blunder
Why Coca-Cola's "New Coke" was one of the biggest marketing mistakes in historyIn the 1980s, the "Cola Wars" was at its peak. Coca-Cola held its dominance as...
Failure Case Study: Coca-Cola Life
Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Failure Case Study: Coca-Cola Life - Targeting the "middle ground" fails to resonate with consumers" report to their offering. "Failure Case Study: Coca-Cola Life" is part of the analyst's Successes and Failures research. It examines the details of and reasons behind Coca-Cola's first moderate-calorie cola's failure in the UK.
Coca-Cola: 'Taste the Controversy': A Case Study on Marketing
Abstract. The not so lucky situations and criticism of the Coca-Cola brand come from its first-ever product. As the history from many sources says, Dr John Smith-Pemberton, Coca-Cola creator, fought in the Civil War, and had some injuries.
New Coke and Coca-Cola Classic: What the Story Says About America
Coca-Cola signs at a roadside store marked "For Colored," 1938. ... what business school professors still cite as the ideal case study of a major marketing blunder can also tell us a great deal ...
Challenges and Solutions: A Case Study of Coca-Cola Company
Innovation and transformation are the key points to business success. Coca- Cola is the world's largest distributor and producer of soft drink concentrates and syrups. Starting as a beverage manufacturer and retailer in 1886 with its flagship product, Coca-Cola. The marketing strategies, innovation and transformation are embedded in different culture that led to the sustainable growth of ...
Marketing Case Studies: What You Can Learn From ...
To take a word from President Roosevelt: April 23, 1985, is a date that will live in marketing infamy. For on that date, the minds at Coca-Cola chose to go with what they saw with their eyes rather than what they knew in their hearts. As marketing case studies go, this is a classic. It was a branding / marketing mistake (read: disaster) equivalent to Captain John Smith ignoring all his years ...
Coca Cola Brand Failure
Coca Cola Brand Failure- Case Study - Free download as Word Doc (.doc / .docx), PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. Coca-Cola launched New Coke in 1985 to replace the original formula after taste tests showed consumers preferred the new version over Coke and Pepsi. However, New Coke failed due to the emotional attachment and nostalgia consumers had for the original Coke ...
PDF COCA-COLA GOES GREEN: THE LAUNCH OF COKE LIFE
In June 2013, The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) began a two-year initiative to launch Coke Life, a naturally sweetened carbonated soft drink with reduced sugar. Coke Life complemented TCCC's established product line consisting of Coca-Cola (also known as Coca-Cola Classic), Diet Coke, and Coke Zero. Coke Life substituted a portion of the sugar ...
The Spectacular Failure of New Coke
New Coke came out in 1985 and was a response to dwindling Coca-Cola sales. It was used to replace the classic formula but was met with such consumer backlash that within three months, the original formula was returned and rebranded as "Coca-Cola Classic." This caused a spike in sales, making many wonder if this was the plan all along.
Coca-Cola Marketing Case Study
From the star 'Coca-Cola' drink to Inca Kola in North and South America, Vita in Africa, and Thumbs up in India, The Coca-Cola Company owns a product portfolio of more than 3500 products.With the presence in more than 200 countries and the daily average servings to 1.9 billion people, Coca-Cola Company has been listed as the world's most valuable brand with 94% of the world's ...
Coca-Cola plastic pollution
Real results and impact on Coca-Cola plastic pollution. Coca-Cola's plastic pollution-fighting has yielded tangible results: - In 2020, the company announced that it had achieved 100% recyclability of its PET plastic bottles in several markets. - Coca-Cola has committed to collecting and recycling one bottle or can for every one it sells ...
Expatriate Failure Case Study
Expatriate Failure Case Study. (1) Expatriate Failure in International Assignments: In spite of the fact that the Coca cola Company is the largest soft drink manufacturer in the world and they are entitled with well-planned staffing approaches, the company still suffers from the risk of expatriate failure. (slideshare.net) Coca cola use ...
Alternative sodas vs. regular soft drinks: Are any actually healthy
In addition to obesity, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, tooth decay, gout, arthritis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and kidney diseases have been linked to frequent consumption of sugar ...