There are so many brand stories a-poppin’ today, and this Coke lover was dismayed to read Business Insider’s The End of the Coke Era:”
Pepsi-Cola surpassed Diet Coke to become the second biggest soda brand in the US (Coca-Cola’s biggest market,) Beverage Digest said last month. Diet Coke had been the second biggest soda brand by volume in the US since 2010, but Pepsi’s shift back to No.2 provided evidence of America’s growing dislike for diet sodas – and that is at a time when Americans are drinking less soda overall than in the 1980s.
Before that report was published, Coca-Cola reported that net earnings attributable to shareholders plunged 55% in its fourth quarter to $770 million.
It’s not just Coke experiencing this issue, the entire soda market in the US, picking out one region as an example, is in decline. The attention is on Coke because it is the leader of the sector. It may yet be decades before people start referring to Coke in the same way they do Kodak, and its terminal decline may not even happen at all. But if the company does not make a big strategic move soon, a massively mature market could be coming to an end.
Right now, Coke is on the way out. Not with a bang, but a long, slow whimper.
Marketing Week columnist Mark Ritson… told Business Insider: “Coke will always be the leading brand of cola until the end of time. But the value of that cola category is set to plummet over the next 20 years. It’s no good being a big fish in an ever smaller pond. The days of Coke being the world’s biggest brand are over forever.”
And that’s down to nuanced drinking habits becoming more widespread, Ritson added: “Natural products, organic ingredients, incredibly fresh origin, local provenance – these were initially the watchwords of small groups of maven consumers, but this movement has become more and more pronounced in the developed world in recent years. And it will only get stronger in the years to come.
While I completely understand people’s healthier choices cutting into what’s perceived as a less-than-healthy beverage choice, I can’t imagine a world without my Cokes. As my regular readers know, though, I’m very passionate about real-sugar Cokes and go to great lengths to acquire them. I have always seen Coke as my own “friendly vice.” I enjoy it in moderation, I have no other real vices (I don’t smoke, don’t drink, and don’t even drink coffee..!) and it’s a treat to myself that I truly look forward to and savor.
I can’t imagine a world without Coca-Cola.
Coca-Cola logo image from Coca-Cola Media Center
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