Need a New Afternoon Pick-Me-Up? Coca-Cola Now Comes with Coffee
With less caffeine than your average cup of joe, Coke’s latest launch may be just what you’re looking for.
Photo courtesy of Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is giving its fans something to buzz about. On Monday, the soda company announced the arrival of its latest beverage, Coca-Cola With Coffee, which is now available nationwide. As the drink’s name suggests, it’s Coke that’s been infused with Brazilian coffee.
The new beverage, which is apparently leading the way in the “refreshment coffee” category, “sips like a Coke and finishes like a coffee,” according to a press release. It’s also billed as a “refreshing and reinvigorating reset” for Coke and coffee drinkers.
Coca-Cola with Coffee is currently available in three signature flavors — Dark Blend, Vanilla and Caramel. Additionally, the drink’s zero-sugar counterpart comes in Dark Blend and Vanilla.
“We’re focusing our innovation efforts on doing what Coca-Cola has always stood for and does best — which is to deliver emotional and functional uplift — in bigger, bolder, more differentiated ways,” Brandan Strickland, brand director, Coca-Cola Trademark, said in a statement. “Coca-Cola with Coffee is a true hybrid innovation that provides the perfect solution for that mid-afternoon pick-me-up we all want, especially in today’s work-from-home environment. We’re fulfilling this need state and occasion in a uniquely Coca-Cola way.”
Since it’s estimated that more than 50% of Coca-Cola drinkers and coffee loyalists enjoy both beverages on a regular basis, Coke is clearly filling a void with its latest product. “Many people are often torn between reaching for a soft drink or a coffee at 3 p.m. at work, at school or on the go,” Strickland added. “Now, you don’t need to leave Coca-Cola to get your coffee fix.”
However, while it’s easy to assume that Coca-Cola With Coffee is little more than caffeine in a bottle, the drink, which contains 69 mg of caffeine per 12-ounce can, isn’t as strong as you might think. While it does have more caffeine than regular Coke and Diet Coke, an average cup of coffee boasts 95 mg of caffeine meaning Coca-Cola With Coffee isn’t quite as strong as standard java.
While consumers in Coffee County, Georgia, had a chance to sample Coca-Cola with Coffee via drone on Monday thanks to a fun event from the brand, the first people to get a taste of Coca-Cola with Coffee were actually 2,000 members of the Coca-Cola Insiders Club who had an opportunity to sample the drink last July. The beverage subscription service, which recently relaunched, gives “Insiders” the chance to sign up to receive some of Coke’s newest drinks and surprise swag.
What’s more? The United States is actually the 50th market to launch Coca-Cola with Coffee, which was first piloted in Japan in 2018. Each country (including the U.S.), tailors the Coca-Cola With Coffee recipe and packaging mix to meet local tastes. Coca-Cola also launched a similar drink called Coca-Cola Blak in 2006, but it quietly disappeared after just a few years on the market.
Even though Coca-Cola with Coffee hasn’t been rolled out to the masses just yet, there are already signs that the drink could fare better than Coca-Cola Blak and be a hit. For example, in preliminary consumer testing more than 80% of consumers who tried Coca-Cola with Coffee said they would buy it.
The new drink joins a slate of other Coke products including Coke Energy/Coke Energy Cherry, Cherry Vanilla Coke, Orange Vanilla Coke (and their zero-sugar counterparts).
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