In a major brand overhaul, the global drink giant, Coca-Cola, is revealing a new line of flavored Diet Coke beverages. The original Diet Coke recipe will remain unchanged. But for the adventurous, there lies a variety of fruity new Diet Coke flavors. They don’t want to take away from any current, traditional Diet Coke drinkers; instead, Diet Coke hopes to introduce the brand to a new, younger, market that is moving further and further away from overly sugary drinks. It’s the biggest change in Diet Coke’s history since its release in 1982. Diet Coke is currently America’s third favorite carbonated beverage, after the classic Coke and Pepsi.
Coke first started to release their new diet flavors in 2018 with more scheduled to be released this year. This year’s new flavors are Strawberry Guava and Blueberry Acai. They join Feisty Cherry, Ginger Lime, Twisted Mango, and Zesty Blood Orange. Coke claims that up to 30 other blends were tested but ultimately rejected, like Oro Blanco Grapefruit and Vanilla Chai. The new line-up usurps the now discontinued Diet Coke Vanilla, Cherry, and Lime. The brand has been spiced up and twisted into a new generation of sugar free beverages. Coke wants to compete with the growing market of La Croix and other brands of sparkling water. Consumers want flavor, not sugar. Since releasing their new line Coca Cola reports a three percent sales increase. This is a significant gain since diet soda sales have been declining in recent years as sparkling water becomes more popular. Bottled water has now become the most popular drink for the first time ever. Diet Coke felt the need to change with the times and aim for the millennial consumer.
The cans are bright and colorful and attract attention. They are thinner and taller than the traditional soda can. Each flavor has its own color which makes the cans easy to tell apart. Blueberry Acai is blue, of course. Zesty Blood Orange is, you guessed it, orange. It’s easy to spot the flavor you prefer. Even the original Diet Coke, has an updated can, though the flavor is the same. The new flavors of Diet Coke are sweetened with aspartame and acesulfame potassium (ace-k) which is a new blend also used in Coke Zero and Coke Zero Sugar.
Grocery stores across the globe are quick to stock this new generation of Diet Coke. The 12oz cans are sold individually or in eight-packs. The new shape and bold colors make it easy to spot on the shelves and in refrigerated cases near you. These new flavors look to make a splash in the sugar free beverage market. Consumers want a variety of flavors of sugar free drinks. Sparkling waters come in almost every flavor imaginable, and Diet Coke is attempting to capitalize on demand for unique and adventurous flavors with this expanded range of six new fruity flavors.
All Innova Market Insights material is copyrighted. The terms of use for this resource are contained in our standard Terms and Conditions.
