After
focusing on the youth market with Coca-Cola cherry, lemon, light and zero, the
powerful American company is now trying to attract a segment more interested in
“natural” products with Coca-Cola Life. This new beverage is composed of a mix
between sugar and stevia extracts. Stevia is a trendy natural sweetening weed,
with no calories or carbohydrates. Only a very small quantity is necessary to
bring sweetness to food. This plant replaces aspartame, a
dangerous substance for people's health that has been used up until now in Coca-Cola
beverages. Consequently, Coca-Cola life has 30% less sugar and seems to be
less harmful than the original fizzy drink. The product was launched in Argentina, Chile and in the United Kingdom in 2013. Thanks to its
great success it is going to be commercialised in France in January 2015.
Coca-Cola
wants to ride the wave of diverse diet tendencies and also take advantage of
the global healthy eating trend in order to launch Coca-Cola life.
Consumers are more and more worried about their health so the demand in natural
products has been increasing over the past years. On the other hand, the company's products are not known to be healthy because of several dangerous ingredients
used. To sort this problem out, Coca-Cola uses stevia to limit sugar’s harmful
effects. Thanks to that, the American giant wants to improve its products image and boost its sales. It is currently facing a slowdown in growth due to
the debates about sugar content and aspartame in the framework of the campaign
against obesity. As a result, the company registered a 3% decrease in its profits in 2013. The firm also wanted to take advantage of innovation and
modernised the packaging. This became green (previously red), the colour
of organic farming and the environment in the aim of reflecting its commitment to protect costumers’ health. Moreover, this new packaging, called PlantBottle, is now
made of up to 30% plant-based plastics and recycled plastics.
A product not as good as it seems to be
Cola-Cola
highlights the natural sweetness of its new drink which is supposed to be
healthy but that is not totally true. To begin, stevia is a natural plant
but the process used to obtain the powder that is used by the American
company is chemical. Consequently, the product is not as natural as we can
think it is since it is a false sugar which will dupe the body. Given that consumers believe that they are drinking a healthy product without
calories, they are going to drink to excess, probably every day, while it may be
less dangerous to drink original Coca-Cola once in a while. Moreover, the
non-noxiousness of sweeteners (such as stevia) has not been proved yet. Therefore,
doctors recommend to eat it with moderation. Although Coca-Cola life contains
less sugar, it remains a fizzy drink.
If Coca-Cola really worries about its consumers’ health and the environment now, why does it not extand its carbonated flavoured waters range,
instead of its usual fizzy drinks?
Nadège GC
Even if the new Coca-Coca Life is made to improve the company's brand image, don't you think that it is going be a tremendous failure, such as the New Coke in 1985 (as seen in class)?
ReplyDeleteRémy M.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI think that both situations are not comparable.
DeleteNew Coke was introduced in 1985 to replace the original Coca-Cola which was yet a tremendous success at the time. Costumers were disappointed that the company replaces a product they liked with another they did not know.
Coca-Cola Life was not launch to replace the original beverage. It is just a development of the Coca-Cola range, as Coca Cola Light and Zero and these two products were successful. Low calorie products are very trendy in our society because everybody is concerned about his weight so I do not think that Coca-Cola Life is going to be a tremendous failure as the New Coke in 1985.
Nadège GC
Coca cola launched its last drink called 'life' promoting the fact that the company is now concerned by its consumers’ health, on this point I agree with you on the fact that it's probably just another marketing strategy to make profit.. Coca cola is aware of this new tendency of 'eating/drinking healthy and in my opinion it just 'surfs' on this trend. As you said, they use a chemical process to obtain the stevia powder and in these circumstances the coca cola life is not a healthy product at all. Moreover, I'm not sure that people who buy Coca cola are really interested in a 'healthier product', people who bring special attention to their diet don't drink Coca cola... at all! Even if it is a 'zero' or a 'life' one. This product is presented as 'healthy' whereas it is just another chemical soda, don't you think the company is doing a kind of untruthful advertising?
ReplyDeleteMargaux.C
I think that the company underlines that Coca-Cola Life is a healthier beverage than the others of the brand and overshadows some information concerning the real composition to the costumers, not to speak about negative effects.
DeleteOn one hand, it is the truth that stevia is healthier than aspartame, a dangerous ingredient very controversial over the last years, used in the other Coca-Cola’s drinks.
On the other hand, I agree with you, the company is doing a kind of “untruthful” advertising because, as you said, the product is not as healthy as the firm affirms. False sugars are not healthy and Coca-Cola takes advantage of the ignorance concerning this topic. Although Coca-Life is healthier than the other beverages of the brand, it is not a healthy product that consumers can drink all day long without any risk.
Nadège GC
Hi Nadège,
ReplyDeleteTo my mind Coca Cola is going to smash the beverage market! What a genious idea. But an important point is missing in your article, what about the price of a Coca Cola Life? I have been told that Stevia is much more expensive than sugar. Am I wrong? What would be the price in France for a can?
Marie. AB
Hi Marie,
DeleteYou are right, I did not speak about prices of Coca-Coca Life. Actually, for the French market, prices are not known yet. However, at Tesco supermarkets in the United Kingdom, Coca-Cola life is sold at the same price than the original beverage, being 68P the can of 330ml.
Nadège GC