On April 23, 1985, The Coca-Cola Company announced that it
is changing the formula of its signature soft drink for the first
time in 99 years. The short-lived, sweeter New Coke, as it was
called, debuted to a consumer backlash that pundits call the
marketing blunder of the century.
Coca-Cola, which had been the world’s bestselling soft drink,
had been facing increasing competition from rival cola Pepsi,
and the company wanted to re-energize the brand. In blind
taste tests, consumers generally preferred New Coke over
Pepsi and the original Coke.
But, consumers had a sentimental attachment to their beloved
brand and reacted very negatively to New Coke. The company
was flooded with up to 8,000 calls a day from dissatisfied
consumers and received some 40,000 complaint letters.
Roberto Goizueta (left), chairman of the board and CEO
of the Coca-Cola Company, toasting the launch of New
Coke with Donald Keough, president and chief operating
officer, 1985.
The soda company quickly got the message and brought back
the original formula less than three months after New Coke
launched.
On July 11, 1985, 79 days after the release of New Coke, Coke’s
original formula returned to market, rebranded as Coca-Cola
Classic. It quickly regained its status as the dominant cola.
