Coca-Cola Zero

Coca-Cola Zero or Coke Zero is a product of the Coca-Cola Company. It is a sugar-free variation of Coca-Cola. In the United States, where the drink was first introduced, Coke Zero is marketed as having zero calories (hence the Zero in the product's name), but in other countries it is marketed as having zero sugar. Coca-Cola Zero in fact has a small calorific value. Depending on the country in which it is made, it has about 0.2 to 0.5 calories per 100 mL (3.4 US fl. oz.)

Marketing

Coke Zero is Coca-Cola's biggest product launch in 22 years, and primarily targets young adult males. In the U.S., advertising has reflected that by describing the drink as "calorie-free" rather than "diet", since that demographic associates diet drinks with women.

It also makes the marketing claim that the taste is almost indistinguishable from Coca-Cola since, unlike Diet Coke, Coke Zero is based on the formulation of Coca-Cola. A 2007 U.S. viral marketing campaign for Coke Zero played to that theme by suggesting that the company's executives were so angry over the drinks' similarities they were considering suing their coworkers for "taste infringement". It featured company executives talking to actual lawyers who were not let in on the conceit, and solicited customers as possible plaintiffs.

In Australia, the company created a controversial fake front group to promote the product, a campaign of outdoor graffiti and online spamming (which promoted a fake blog), was created by Coca-Cola and designed to appeal to its target audience. Once exposed, consumer advocates assailed the campaign as misleading and established the Zero Coke Movement to comment on the ethics of Coke's activities.

In the UK, Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole was signed up to launch the product in a campaign aimed at young men. A television advert was aired, featuring a group of men marching through a city saying "Why can't all the good things in life come without downsides?", ending with a huge banner being rolled down a building, reminiscent of a scene from the German movie Good Bye Lenin!. (The same TV ad has been used in some other markets, like Croatia.) Recently, Manchester United and England football player Wayne Rooney and his girlfriend Coleen McLoughlin have been advertising Coke Zero in a print campaign.

In Austria, the launch of Coke Zero is currently underway. Massive viral marketing is taking place, corporate representatives are spamming online forums, e.g. of major newspapers's websites, with links to the fake-blog Zeronistas.at. On this blog, the "Zeronistas" are portrayed as a group of 4-5 male persons who are "striving to continuosly improve the life of young men". The website/blog is also being advertised via outdoor posters similar to concert announcement posters.[citation needed]

In Norway, the launch started on Monday October 2, 2006 and like in Australia the online forums are being spammed by the companies representatives. The launch is the largest and most expensive launch of any food product ever seen in Norway.

In Finland, Coca-Cola called off the Zero marketing campaign on Internet due to its sexist implications. The campaign was deemed to objectify women as sex objects and hence endorse discriminating attitudes to women.

In January 2007, the campaign started in Argentina, with the taglines "Coca-Cola Zero, lo que no esperabas" (Coca-Cola Zero, what you weren't expecting) and "El mismo sabor de siempre, zero azúcar" (The same taste as always, zero sugar).

On January 15, 2007, television commercials for Zero appeared in Denmark and the product can be found in local stores. Coke Zero launched in Ireland on February 8, 2007, with Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding as the face of the brand, much like her bandmate Cheryl Cole was in the UK.

With its current targeting of young males Coke Zero seems destined to compete head on with Pepsi Max. In the UK some Coke Zero advertising alluded to Pepsi Max, leading to a robust counter-campaign by Pepsi directly extolling the virtues of the concept of "maximum" over that of "zero."

Coke Zero's US ads make use of a superimposed computer image on the Coke Zero can. In earlier versions of these commercials, the can's design was different and its colors were inverted.

The Coca-Cola Zero logo has generally featured the script Coca-Cola logo in red with white trim on a black background, with the word "zero" underneath in a lower case geometric typeface looking a lot like Twentieth Century. Some details have varied from country to country. The British logo, for example, has the "o" taking a spiral form. In the U.S., the letters decline in weight over the course of the word.

The U.S. and Canada also appear to be the only countries in which the logo originally had a white background, with a black "zero". This was the face of the drink from its inception until late 2006, when a holiday theme triggered the switch. The black color was kept on 2-liter bottles into 2007, and was introduced on cans as the new year began. This further diminished the confusion there was between Diet Coke and Coke Zero having a similar white logo with black letters. Twenty-ounce (591 ml) bottles remained white for some time afterwards, but black labels began to be phased in in late February shortly after the launch of Cherry Coke Zero.

Dispute over the Zero name

In Norway the Brewery Ringnes claims that Bryggeriforeningen owns the right to Zero name. The Zero name was used on a non alcoholic beverage from 1972 to 1996.

Criticism

* Several customers in Norway have complained that Coca Cola Zero in 1.5 litre bottles contains particles.[specify] A representative of the Norwegian division of Coca Cola Company says that one of the ingredients did not mix well enough.
* There are also concerns about health effects of aspartame.


Flavored variants

Coca-Cola Cherry Zero is a cherry-flavored variation of Coca-Cola Zero. In late January of 2007, it was introduced to store shelves and was widely available throughout the United States even before its official début. The official début of Coca-Cola Cherry Zero occurred on February 7, 2007, at New York City's Fashion Week.

Coca-Cola is planning to introduce a vanilla-flavored version, Coca-Cola Vanilla Zero, concurrently with the relaunch of the original Coca-Cola Vanilla later this year.

History of Bottling

Coca-Cola® originated as a soda fountain beverage in 1886 selling for five cents a glass. Early growth was impressive, but it was only when a strong bottling system developed that Coca-Cola became the world-famous brand it is today.

1894 … A modest start for a bold idea
In a candy store in Vicksburg, Mississippi, brisk sales of the new fountain beverage called Coca-Cola impressed the store's owner, Joseph A. Biedenharn. He began bottling Coca-Cola to sell, using a common glass bottle called a Hutchinson.

Biedenharn sent a case to Asa Griggs Candler, who owned the Company. Candler thanked him but took no action. One of his nephews already had urged that Coca-Cola be bottled, but Candler focused on fountain sales.

Vintage image of bottling truck1899 … The first bottling agreement
Two young attorneys from Chattanooga, Tennessee believed they could build a business around bottling Coca-Cola. In a meeting with Candler, Benjamin F. Thomas and Joseph B. Whitehead obtained exclusive rights to bottle Coca-Cola across most of the United States -- for the sum of one dollar. A third Chattanooga lawyer, John T. Lupton, soon joined their venture.

1900-1909 … Rapid growth
The three pioneer bottlers divided the country into territories and sold bottling rights to local entrepreneurs. Their efforts were boosted by major progress in bottling technology, which improved efficiency and product quality. By 1909, nearly 400 Coca-Cola bottling plants were operating, most of them family-owned businesses. Some were open only during hot-weather months when demand was high.

Vintage Coca-Cola signage1916 … Birth of the Contour Bottle
Bottlers worried that Coca-Cola's straight-sided bottle was easily confused with imitators. A group representing the Company and bottlers asked glass manufacturers to offer ideas for a distinctive bottle. A design from the Root Glass Company of Terre Haute, Indiana won enthusiastic approval. The Contour Bottle became one of the few packages ever granted trademark status by the U.S. Patent Office. Today, it's one of the most recognized icons in the world - even in the dark!

1920s … Bottling overtakes fountain sales
As the 1920s dawned, more than 1,000 Coca-Cola bottlers were operating in the U.S. Their ideas and zeal fueled steady growth. Six-bottle cartons were a huge hit starting in 1923. A few years later, open-top metal coolers became the forerunners of automated vending machines. By the end of the 1920s, bottle sales of Coca-Cola exceeded fountain sales.

1920s and '30s … International expansion
Led by Robert W. Woodruff, chief executive officer and chairman of the Board, the Company began a major push to establish bottling operations outside the U.S. Plants were opened in France, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Belgium, Italy and South Africa. By the time World War II began, Coca-Cola was being bottled in 44 countries.

Vintage image of bottling plant1940s … Post-war growth
During the war, 64 bottling plants were set up around the world to supply the troops. This followed an urgent request for bottling equipment and materials from General Eisenhower's base in North Africa. Many of these war-time plants were later converted to civilian use, permanently enlarging the bottling system and accelerating the growth of the Company's worldwide business.

1950s … Packaging innovations
For the first time, consumers had choices of Coca-Cola package size and type-the traditional 6.5 ounce Contour Bottle, or larger servings including 10-, 12- and 26-ounce versions. Cans were also introduced, becoming generally available in 1960.

1960s … New brands introduced
Sprite®, Fanta®, Fresca® and TAB® joined brand Coca-Cola in the 1960s. Mr. Pibb® and Mello Yello® were added in the 1970s. The 1980s brought diet Coke® and Cherry Coke®, followed by POWERaDE® and Fruitopia® in the 1990s. Today scores of other brands are offered to meet consumer preferences in local markets around the world.

Bottling truck1970s and '80s … Consolidation to serve customers
As technology led to a global economy, retail customers of The Coca-Cola Company merged and evolved into international mega-chains. Such customers required a new approach. In response, many small and medium-size bottlers consolidated to better serve giant international customers. The Company encouraged and invested in a number of bottler consolidations to assure that its largest bottling partners would have capacity to lead the system in working with global retailers.

1990s … New and growing markets
Political and economic changes opened vast markets that were closed or underdeveloped for decades. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Company invested heavily to build plants in Eastern Europe. As the century closed, more than $1.5 billion was committed to new bottling facilities in Africa.

21st Century …
The Coca-Cola bottling system grew up with roots deeply planted in local communities. This heritage serves the Company well today as consumers seek brands that honor local identity and the distinctiveness of local markets. As was true a century ago, strong locally based relationships between Coca-Cola bottlers, customers and communities are the foundation on which the entire business grows.

Coca-Cola Black Cherry Vanilla

Manufacturer The Coca-Cola Company
Country of Origin USA
Introduced 2006
Variants Diet Coke Black Cherry Vanilla
Related products Vanilla Coke, Coca-Cola Cherry

Coca-Cola Black Cherry Vanilla and Diet Coke Black Cherry Vanilla is a variety of Coca-Cola that was launched in January 2006 by The Coca-Cola Company in United States. The diet version is sweetened with a blend of aspartame and acesulfame potassium and is marketed as part of the Diet Coke family. Currently it is available in 20-ounce, 2-liter, and 12-pack can forms. The release of this product coincided with the phasing out of Vanilla Coke and its diet counterpart in North America and the rechristening of Cherry Coke as Coca-Cola Cherry.

Coke Zero Black Cherry Vanilla is the "Coca-Cola" version of Diet Coke Black Cherry Vanilla launched in 2006 in Canada.

Throughout the first 6 months of the product's sale, the percentage of drinks bought from Coca-Cola and its variants that was Black Cherry Vanilla Coke was 4%, compared to 9% for Coca-Cola with Lime and 3% for Diet Black Cherry Vanilla Coke compared to 7% for Diet Coke with Lime, 13% for the Caffeine free Colas, 13.5% for Coke Cherry and Diet Coke Cherry, and 26% for Diet Coke.

Coca-Cola Black Cherry Vanilla and Diet Coke Black Cherry Vanilla will be discontinued by the Coca-Cola Company in early 2007 in the United States & Canada

Coca-Cola New Products

Diet Coke Sweetened with Splenda

ATLANTA, February 7, 2005 – Coca-Cola North America today announced that it will introduce Diet Coke Sweetened with Splenda® in the United States in the second quarter of 2005.
Diet Coke Sweetened with Splenda will be the seventh addition to the
Diet Coke family, which includes the flagship Diet Coke, America’s #1 diet soft drink, plus Caffeine Free Diet Coke, Diet Coke with Lime, Diet Coke with Lemon, Diet Cherry Coke, and Diet Vanilla Coke.

“Many consumers told us they liked the taste of Splenda and wanted a Splenda-sweetened option under the Diet Coke brand, so we’re obliging them,” said Dan Dillon, Jr., vice president, Diet Portfolio, Coca-Cola North America. “The millions of current Diet Coke devotees across America shouldn’t be concerned – the Diet Coke they love will stay just as it is.”

The launch of Diet Coke Sweetened with Splenda follows the successful roll out one year ago of Diet Coke with Lime, which has become the #1 flavored diet cola in America. The launch continues a year of innovation for The Coca-Cola Company which will include a range of offerings across all beverage categories.

Diet Coke Sweetened with Splenda will feature a blend of Splenda and acesulfame potassium (ace-k) for optimal taste. It will be available in a range of package sizes and will be supported by a variety of marketing programs. Further details on launch plans will be made available closer to the introduction.

The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company. Along with Coca-Cola, recognized as the world's best-known brand, the Company markets four of the world's top five soft drink brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta and Sprite, and a wide range of other beverages, including diet and light soft drinks, waters, juices and juice drinks, teas, coffees and sports drinks. Through the world's largest distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company's beverages at a rate exceeding 1 billion servings each day.
For more information about The Coca-Cola Company, please visit our website at www.coca-cola.com.