Unveiled to much fanfare in February, Coca-Cola is already saying goodbye to its Spiced flavor line after only seven months on shelves.
Coca-Cola Spiced and Spiced Zero Sugar hit shelves in Canada and the United States on Feb. 19. They were the first new permanent offerings to Coke’s North American portfolio in the past three years, the company said at the time.
But nothing lasts forever.
“This is pretty quick to pull a product like that,” Duane Stanford, editor & publisher of trade industry publication Beverage Digest, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I think in one regard, it kind of points to their willingness to experiment with flagship Coca-Cola, but also to move on quickly if it doesn’t work.”
A Coca-Cola spokesperson did not explain specifically why the company is discontinuing its Spiced flavor line but said in a statement, “We’re always looking at what our consumers like and adjusting our range of products. As part of this strategy, we’re planning to phase out Coca-Cola Spiced to introduce an exciting new flavor in 2025.”
Coke created the Spiced flavor on a pretty short timeline for the company, according to Stanford. He said permanent offerings typically take a few years to develop, but Spiced came together in less than a year.
The flavor was supposed to appeal to younger customers. The drink tasted like a mix of raspberry and spiced coffee cake, “something akin to a Dr Pepper,” Stanford said, but ultimately, “that flavor combination didn’t really end up resonating with consumers.”
He also noted that Spiced might have gotten lost in the shuffle with Coca-Cola Creations, a series of limited-edition flavors the company started rolling out in 2022 to cater to Gen Z customers. In August the company announced its latest Creations drink, Coca-Cola Oreo Zero Sugar, which has “flavorful, Oreo cookie-inspired hints,” according to a press release.
And it’s not the only new drink the beverage giant is rolling out.
Coke announced last week it was collaborating with rum maker Bacardi to create a premixed cocktail in a can, which will launch in 2025 in parts of Europe and Mexico. The Bacardi partnership is among Coke’s latest efforts to offer spiked versions of its carbonated drinks, following partnerships with the maker of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and Absolut Vodka.
“One of the interesting things about Coke in recent years is that they seem more willing to take some risks than perhaps they were in the past,” Stanford said. “I think they’re perfectly willing to, you know, make some bets … in order to hit upon the one at some point that will give them years of growth.”
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