New Coke
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| Type | Cola |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | The Coca-Cola Company |
| Distributor | Coca-Cola Enterprises |
| Country of origin | USA |
| Introduced | April 23, 1985 |
| Discontinued | July 2002 |
| Color | Caramel |
| Variants | Coke II |
New Coke was the unofficial name for the reformulation of Coca-Cola introduced in April 1985 by The Coca-Cola Company to replace the original formula of its flagship soft drink, Coca-Cola (also called Coke). New Coke originally had no separate name of its own, but was simply known as "the new taste of Coca-Cola" until 1992 when it was officially renamed Coke II.
Coca-Cola's market share had been steadily losing ground to diet soft drinks and non-cola beverages for many years; meanwhile the consumers who were purchasing regular colas seemed to prefer the sweeter taste of rival Pepsi-Cola, as Coca-Cola soon learned in conducting blind taste tests. However, the American public's reaction to the change was negative, even hostile, and the new cola was a major marketing failure. The subsequent, rapid reintroduction of Coke's original formula (the original formula was re-branded as "Coca-Cola Classic" and was put into market within three months of New Coke's debut) resulted in a significant gain in sales. This led to speculation that the introduction of the New Coke formula was just a marketing ploy; however, the company has always maintained it was a genuine attempt to replace the original product.
New Coke was on the market in the United States for only a short period, but it remains influential as a cautionary tale against tampering too extensively with a well-established and successful brand. It was discontinued internationally in July 2002.
Just after World War II, the market share for The Coca-Cola Company's flagship beverage was 60%. By 1983, it had declined to under 24%, largely because of competition from Pepsi-Cola. Pepsi had begun to outsell Coke in supermarkets; Coke maintained its edge only through soda vending machines and fountain sales through fast food restaurants, concessions and sports venues where Coca-Cola had purchased captive "pouring rights". Market analysts believed baby boomers were more likely to purchase diet drinks as they aged and remained health- and weight-conscious. Therefore, any future growth in the full-calorie segment had to come from younger drinkers, who at that time favored Pepsi and its sweetness by even more overwhelming margins than the market as a whole. Meanwhile, the overall market for colas steadily declined in the early 1980s, as consumers increasingly purchased diet and non-cola soft drinks, many of which were sold by Coca-Cola themselves. This trend further eroded Coca-Cola's market share. When Roberto Goizueta took over as CEO in 1980, he pointedly told employees there would be no "" in how the company did its business, including how it formulated its drinks.
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