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Dive Briefing:
- Coca-Cola told Food Dive in an email that it is discontinuing the Spiced flavor after just seven months on the market. “We plan to phase out Coca-Cola Spiced by 2025 to make room for exciting new flavors,” the company said.
- The Atlanta-based company did not give a reason for its decision on Spiced. It said Coca-Cola is “always looking at what our customers like and adjusting our product line.”
- Spiced was set to become the Coca-Cola brand’s first permanent product in three years. The soda, which combines traditional Coca-Cola flavors with raspberry and “spiced” flavors, began appearing on shelves in February.
Dive Insight:
As Coca-Cola seeks to maintain and grow consumer interest in its sodas, new flavors have played a key role in its strategy. Spice is also an attempt by the beverage company to respond to growing consumer interest in spicier foods and drinks, especially among younger generations. Despite its name, Coca-Cola says the drink is not spicy, but rather has a strong flavor.
Coca-Cola did not give a reason for pulling the product from stores, but lack of awareness of the new product and confusion about the taste (it wasn’t spicy) may have contributed to poor sales.
Coca-Cola may have discontinued Spiced because it felt its resources and shelf space were better suited to other, yet-to-be-announced beverages.
A major part of Coca-Cola’s recent innovation efforts centers around its Creations platform, which will debut in 2022 and highlight the company’s signature drinks and attract younger consumers. Creations do not promote or reveal flavor profiles, such as cola, cherry or vanilla, but rather provide a feeling or experience. These extensions have proven successful in drawing consumers to the original Coca-Cola brand.
So far, the company has released 11 limited edition products, including Coca-Cola Starlight, Coca-Cola Bite, Coca-Cola Dreamworld, and Coca-Cola Warza.
Coca-Cola has discontinued several brands in recent years to focus on underperforming or high-growth products. In 2021, the company said it would no longer produce Coca-Cola Energy, and last year it announced it would drastically reduce distribution of its Aha sparkling water as sales declined. Other brands that will be discontinued or sold include Honest tea, Zico coconut water, and Tab soda.
