Coca-Cola marrying one hit and one miss to create new flavor for Coke
Popular fountain flavor combination hits store shelves on Feb. 10
Days after acknowledging that its new flavors for its flagship soda boosted last quarter's earnings, the Coca-Cola Company is preparing to roll another new soda that looks to put a cherry on top of Valentine’s Day.
In 1985, the soft drink behemoth introduced Cherry Coke. Some seventeen years later Vanilla Coke hit the grocery stores and mini-marts but poured out disappointing sales and was shelved in 2005. It relaunched two years later and has been on the market since then. But now, Coke is marrying its hit and miss for a new Cherry Vanilla Coke, which will become available starting Feb. 10.
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| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KO | THE COCA-COLA CO. | 63.76 | +0.75 | +1.19% |
While Vanilla Coke might have missed the mark in bottles and cans back in 2002, it has been popular as a fountain drink on the Coca-Cola Freestyle fountain machines. Additionally, it has been a cult favorite when combined with the cherry flavor.
Still, the company did try a Black Cherry Vanilla Coke in 2006, but it lost its fizz after only one year on the market.
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(Coca Cola)
However, times may be changing as new flavors have boosted sales of late. Case in point: Orange Vanilla Coke was brought to market last year after being available for a limited time in Canada. Consumers said the flavor was “unique and different in the flavored cola category,” according to Kate Carpenter, brand director for Coca-Cola Trademark.
Coke CEO James Quincey has made "innovation" the company watchword since he took command of the C-Suite in 2017. Last year on an earnings call he said the "new flavor combinations like Orange Vanilla Coke...helped drive 6 percent retail value growth for brand Coca-Cola in our flagship markets.”
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As a result, cherry vanilla lovers will be able to enjoy the new flavor in both "zero sugar" or regular Coke packaging.
Coca-Cola did not respond to a request for comment on the past attempts at some of the flavor combinations that did not fly with consumers.
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This article has been updated to reflect the relaunch of Vanilla Coke in 2007.