Introducing New Flavor for Coke

With the market share erosion of the late 1970s and early 1980s, despite strong advertising and superior distribution, the company began to look at the product itself. Taste was suspected as the chief culprit in Coke`s decline, and marketing research seemed to confirm this. In September 1984 the technical developed a sweeter flavor that, in perhaps the biggest taste test ever, costing $4 million, 191,000 people approved by 55 percent over both the original formula of Coke and Pepsi, The decision was unanimously made by top executives to change the taste and take the old Coke off the market. The results flabbergasted executives. While some protests were expected, they quickly mushroomed and by mid-May calls were coming in at the rate of 5,000 a day, in addition to a barrage of angry letters. People were speaking of Coke as an American symbol and as a longtime friend that had suddenly betrayed them. Anger spread across the country, fueled by media publicity. Fiddling with the formula f…
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