This week, The Coca-Cola Co.'s Web site has once again proven to be a good source of information about soda industry changes. Browsing through the most recent press releases, I found one from March 22 that sparked my interest. Apparently Coke is coming out with a new drink: Diet Coke Plus.
According to the Web site, Diet Coke Plus will contain vitamins and minerals to make the product healthier. In fact, "Each eight-ounce serving of Diet Coke Plus provides a good source of Niacin (vitamin B3), vitamins B6 and B12, zinc and magnesium (15% Daily Value [DV] for Niacin, B6 and B12, 10% DV for zinc and magnesium)." The beverage will be launched in "12-ounce 'sleek cans'" in Los Angeles and New York City, but it will be available nationwide in April.
I'm not so sure about the benefits of adding vitamins and minerals to soda. While I suppose it is better to drink soda with vitamins as opposed to drinking the same amount without them, I am hesitant to believe they will be that beneficial to consumers or that consumers will even be that interested in the product in the first place. Additionally, people may be led to believe the product is actually healthy for them in terms of health food items, which could lead to an increase in soda drinking (and perhaps obesity to boot). This false sense of what is healthy might not be so good for the American consumer.
What does everyone else think about this? Would you buy Diet Coke Plus? Is it a good idea to put vitamins and minerals in soda? Will it be a hit?
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Coke and the Kids
My project for this class involves Coca-Cola's introduction of a healthy carbonated juice for kids. In support of this idea, I recently realized that Coca-Cola has actually taken actions to ensure kids are more healthy. According to a company press release on Feb. 27, Coca-Cola joined Kraft Foods and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America in an initiative that supports children's health.
The "Triple Play Parents Game Plan," according to the release, is "a parents guide to encourage young people to better understand nutrition, get them active and teach them to get along better in social and recreational situations." In the written "plan," a sort of pamphlet, the organizations seek to teach the importance of keeping one's mind, body and soul healthy. The president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Roxanne Spillett, said she hopes the initiative will inspire families to visit a nearby club.
Partnering with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America to promote this health-focused program seems like a good choice for Coca-Cola because it indicates the company cares about establishing a strong relationship with local communities. The move also would be beneficial in supporting the release of the new product in that it shows Coca-Cola supports healthy children, which is also a key message of the new campaign. However, I am interested to see if anyone thinks this new program seems superficial. Is Coke just doing this for publicity, or is the company really concerned about kids?
The "Triple Play Parents Game Plan," according to the release, is "a parents guide to encourage young people to better understand nutrition, get them active and teach them to get along better in social and recreational situations." In the written "plan," a sort of pamphlet, the organizations seek to teach the importance of keeping one's mind, body and soul healthy. The president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Roxanne Spillett, said she hopes the initiative will inspire families to visit a nearby club.
Partnering with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America to promote this health-focused program seems like a good choice for Coca-Cola because it indicates the company cares about establishing a strong relationship with local communities. The move also would be beneficial in supporting the release of the new product in that it shows Coca-Cola supports healthy children, which is also a key message of the new campaign. However, I am interested to see if anyone thinks this new program seems superficial. Is Coke just doing this for publicity, or is the company really concerned about kids?
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Cherry Coke's New Design
While carrying my full shopping basket to the register at Publix recently, I spotted some trial-size bottles of Cherry Coke and Cherry Coke Zero. The bottles, which were about half the size of a regular 20-ounce drink, sported a new label: a cityscape in front of a pink, fading background. My curiosity sparked, I searched online at home about this new design. I know redesigning the packaging is a big move for a company like Coca-Cola, so I knew there would be talk about it on the Internet. After a quick Google search, I found out the new packaging is designed by rapper Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter's urban clothing company, Rocawear.
According to a press release from Coca-Cola North America found on HipHopPress.com, "The vibrant, urban design for Cherry Coke features a stylized silver cityscape scattered with dark pink cherries on a graduated pink background. The motif for Cherry Coke Zero, which offers great Cherry Coke taste with zero calories, includes the same silver cityscape and cherries with pierced centers dotted across a predominately black background."
Another major change that stood out in my mind from the release was the shift from Diet Cherry Coke to Cherry Coke Zero. Coke seems to frown upon using the term "diet" in naming its drinks, so it has begun the shift to the term "zero." I don't have a problem with "diet," but I wanted to ask you to see what you think. Does "diet" in a drink's name have a negative connotation in your mind? Does changing from "diet" to "zero" in Coca-Cola brands make you feel any differently toward the drinks?
According to a press release from Coca-Cola North America found on HipHopPress.com, "The vibrant, urban design for Cherry Coke features a stylized silver cityscape scattered with dark pink cherries on a graduated pink background. The motif for Cherry Coke Zero, which offers great Cherry Coke taste with zero calories, includes the same silver cityscape and cherries with pierced centers dotted across a predominately black background."
Another major change that stood out in my mind from the release was the shift from Diet Cherry Coke to Cherry Coke Zero. Coke seems to frown upon using the term "diet" in naming its drinks, so it has begun the shift to the term "zero." I don't have a problem with "diet," but I wanted to ask you to see what you think. Does "diet" in a drink's name have a negative connotation in your mind? Does changing from "diet" to "zero" in Coca-Cola brands make you feel any differently toward the drinks?
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Caffeine Content Labeling
According to a press release, Coca-Cola North America announced Wednesday it will be printing beverages' caffeine content on their labels. The company has already begun to print this information on its Full Throttle and Enviga drinks, and its Coca-Cola Classic will boast the label in May. Other drinks will receive the label throughout the rest of the year.
This caffeine-content labeling sounds like a great idea. With all the diet pills and other caffeine-heavy products on the market today, it's so important that someone is finally clearly labeling the ingredient instead of hiding it. People should know how much caffeine is in the drinks they are consuming, so they can compare these to the amounts safe to consume on a daily basis as well as the amounts in other drinks.
The move is part of an "industry initiative," the release said. If the entire soft-drink industry follows through with this and puts the label on all drinks, it would be easier for people to make good choices about caffeine consumption. However, some people might disagree with the new labeling. How does everyone feel about this?
This caffeine-content labeling sounds like a great idea. With all the diet pills and other caffeine-heavy products on the market today, it's so important that someone is finally clearly labeling the ingredient instead of hiding it. People should know how much caffeine is in the drinks they are consuming, so they can compare these to the amounts safe to consume on a daily basis as well as the amounts in other drinks.
The move is part of an "industry initiative," the release said. If the entire soft-drink industry follows through with this and puts the label on all drinks, it would be easier for people to make good choices about caffeine consumption. However, some people might disagree with the new labeling. How does everyone feel about this?
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Enviga: The Calorie-Burning Green Tea
During the week of Feb. 5, a joint venture between the Coca-Cola Company and Nestle, Beverage Partners Worldwide, launched a new product, Enviga. This sparkling green tea beverage is a canned, caffeinated drink that has been proven to burn calories. It comes in green tea, berry and peach flavors and is sold individually as well as in packs of six and 12. According to a company press release, people are looking to fit more health and wellness into their routines, so a healthier drink option is likely to be successful among consumers.
The ingredients in the new drink combine to create a caloring-burning effect, the release said. The drink contains caffeine and green tea extract, which is high in EGCG. These ingredients kickstart the body's metabolism, which means the body burns more energy in the form of calories. According to the release, a lean- to average-bodied person can burn 60 to 100 more calories after drinking three cans of Enviga.
I find this to be highly intriguing. It is interesting to think that a drink made by a soda company can actually burn calories, but I can't help but wonder if it actually works. Even though it is made by a partnership between Coke and Nestle, the drink still seems like one of those questionable diet drink or pill ads one would see on TV. Does anyone have any comments on this?
On a final note, I haven't tried the drink yet, but I think I might. If it tastes good, what harm can it do by burning a few extra calories?
The ingredients in the new drink combine to create a caloring-burning effect, the release said. The drink contains caffeine and green tea extract, which is high in EGCG. These ingredients kickstart the body's metabolism, which means the body burns more energy in the form of calories. According to the release, a lean- to average-bodied person can burn 60 to 100 more calories after drinking three cans of Enviga.
I find this to be highly intriguing. It is interesting to think that a drink made by a soda company can actually burn calories, but I can't help but wonder if it actually works. Even though it is made by a partnership between Coke and Nestle, the drink still seems like one of those questionable diet drink or pill ads one would see on TV. Does anyone have any comments on this?
On a final note, I haven't tried the drink yet, but I think I might. If it tastes good, what harm can it do by burning a few extra calories?
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Dole Sparkling Juice Spotted
I was on my way home from Detroit last weekend, and I found myself in the food court at the Detroit airport. Looking for something to drink, I spotted a drink strangely similar to my idea for a new Coca-Cola product: a sparkling juice beverage. Called Dole Sparklers, the drink comes in four flavors, including Pomegranate Blueberry, Cranberry Raspberry, Orange Tangerine and Pink Grapefruit. According to a Dole press release posted on Salute to Soda, another soft drink blog, the Dole Sparklers line launched in Oct. 2006.
Always the curious one, I decided to give it a try. I picked out Cranberry Raspberry, paid for the 16.9-ounce bottle and opened it. It definitely tasted like cranberry and raspberry, but it definitely did not taste like juice. Examining the side of the bottle, I realized this "juice drink" is a low-sugar beverage that has only 50 calories per serving. For a diet drink, it was tasty, but it just wasn't what I was expecting from a juice company.
For my product idea, I would like Coke to launch sparkling juice in its true form, not a light "juice drink" probably designed to appeal to adults. The product would be full of flavor and would have plenty of natural vitamins and nutrients to make it healthy for children. If I stumble across any other similar beverages, I will be sure to post on those as well.
How does everyone feel about this? Is a carbonated regular juice still a viable product idea?
Always the curious one, I decided to give it a try. I picked out Cranberry Raspberry, paid for the 16.9-ounce bottle and opened it. It definitely tasted like cranberry and raspberry, but it definitely did not taste like juice. Examining the side of the bottle, I realized this "juice drink" is a low-sugar beverage that has only 50 calories per serving. For a diet drink, it was tasty, but it just wasn't what I was expecting from a juice company.
For my product idea, I would like Coke to launch sparkling juice in its true form, not a light "juice drink" probably designed to appeal to adults. The product would be full of flavor and would have plenty of natural vitamins and nutrients to make it healthy for children. If I stumble across any other similar beverages, I will be sure to post on those as well.
How does everyone feel about this? Is a carbonated regular juice still a viable product idea?
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Welcome to Soda Industry News!
As a public relations writing student at the University of Florida, I am working on a communication plan for a new product I am suggesting to Coca-Cola. In an effort to make this plan as authentic as possible, I am conducting research about updates and events in the soda industry. This blog will serve to introduce and discuss soda-industry news topics over a 10-week period, and I hope it will complement the creation of the communication plan very well. Please read and respond to the posts I write on this blog; comments and/or suggestions are greatly appreciated.
First Blog
On Jan. 24, Coca-Cola announced it will run Super Bowl ads for the first time since 1998. Both previously aired on Fox's ever-popular American Idol show, "Video Game" and "Happiness Factory" will hit the small screen during Super Bowl XLI on CBS, according to the press release.
The ads, which include amazingly detailed animation, position Coke as a source of happiness. "Video Game" offers a positive twist on the typical violent video game, suggesting that Coke makes people happy and offers a source of goodness in communities. "Happiness Factory" creates an imaginary view of what goes on inside a Coke machine when someone buys a drink. The Coke bottle and the joy it brings along the way to the dispenser are celebrated in a world inside the machine.
Both ads are very intriguing because they offer a totally different perspective of Coke and how it can relate to happiness in one's life. The detail in the animation is astounding, and even if viewers don't particularly care for Coke products, I can definitely see them watching these ads anyway. For example, a Coke survey suggested that 11 percent of Belgian teens were aware of "Happiness Factory," even though the ad has not even been introduced in Belgium.
Overall, the ads positively contribute to the overall Coca-Cola brand, which has been labeled no. 1 in the world for five years running. The ad producers did a very good job creating a unique perspective on a century-old product when they easily could have slipped into the trap of a boring, forgettable ad.
First Blog
On Jan. 24, Coca-Cola announced it will run Super Bowl ads for the first time since 1998. Both previously aired on Fox's ever-popular American Idol show, "Video Game" and "Happiness Factory" will hit the small screen during Super Bowl XLI on CBS, according to the press release.
The ads, which include amazingly detailed animation, position Coke as a source of happiness. "Video Game" offers a positive twist on the typical violent video game, suggesting that Coke makes people happy and offers a source of goodness in communities. "Happiness Factory" creates an imaginary view of what goes on inside a Coke machine when someone buys a drink. The Coke bottle and the joy it brings along the way to the dispenser are celebrated in a world inside the machine.
Both ads are very intriguing because they offer a totally different perspective of Coke and how it can relate to happiness in one's life. The detail in the animation is astounding, and even if viewers don't particularly care for Coke products, I can definitely see them watching these ads anyway. For example, a Coke survey suggested that 11 percent of Belgian teens were aware of "Happiness Factory," even though the ad has not even been introduced in Belgium.
Overall, the ads positively contribute to the overall Coca-Cola brand, which has been labeled no. 1 in the world for five years running. The ad producers did a very good job creating a unique perspective on a century-old product when they easily could have slipped into the trap of a boring, forgettable ad.
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