Have Consumers and Manufacturers Found A Happy Medium for Beverages?
From FoodProcessing.com
Coca-Cola Life has been attracting a lot of attention since its national introduction last November. That’s also the time when Alexander “Sandy” Douglas, president of Coca-Cola North America, told analysts at the Morgan Stanley Global Consumer Conference that the new product will benefit from consumer trends favoring natural and fresh products.
Coca-Cola Life, which is undergoing a gradual but full U.S. introduction, is sweetened with a combination of stevia and cane sugar and offers a flavor and mouthfeel similar to that of flagship Coke, the company claims, but with just a little over half of Coke’s calorie load.
“You’ll see it in stores now in glass bottles, premium priced, as close to the natural section as we can market it, and that’s our move with the Coke trademark,” Douglas told the Morgan Stanley audience. “Our belief is that that trend will continue and that we have to be in a competitively advantaged place, a solution for consumers who want to make positive changes but also want to treat themselves to the best-tasting drinks.”
Douglas acknowledged diet products are hurting but the Atlanta-based beverage giant is in a good place to deal with these trends.