Coke Reveals 4 New Diet Coke Flavors in New Packaging

Coca Cola’s iconic Diet Coke beverage has gotten a makeover with four new flavors set to hit the shelves in new trendy slim cans. The zero-calorie pop beverage will be packaged in a tall, slim, 12-ounce can alongside 4 bold flavors: ginger lime, twisted mango, feisty cherry and zesty blood orange.

The 36-year-old beverage has been experiencing a decrease in sales as consumers turn to healthier beverages like water or tea. Coca-Cola hopes to win back their consumers with a new look and taste along with their eye-catching “zero-calorie” label.

“Diet Coke is one of the most iconic brands loved by millions of fans in North America,” said Rafael Acevedo, Coca-Cola North America’s group director for Diet Coke. “Throughout this relaunch journey, we wanted to be bold, think differently and be innovative in our approach. And most importantly, we wanted to stay true to the essence of Diet Coke while recasting the brand for a new generation.”

After testing more than 30 flavor combinations in the course of two years, the company finally decided on their four new flavors based on positive consumer responses. The new products will be sweetened using acesulfame potassium, also known as Ace K, which is believed to be 200 times sweeter than natural sugar. The traditional Diet Coke, even though it’s in new packaging, will stay true to its original recipe using aspartame.

“Millennials are now thirstier than ever for adventures and new experiences, and we want to be right by their side,” Acevedo continued. “We’re contemporizing the Diet Coke brand and portfolio with sleek packaging and new flavors that are appealing to new audiences.”

Diet Coke’s new packaging was developed to appeal to the growing millennial market which is currently dominating the retail space. A slimmer, modern and simplistic design allows the company to not only market a new look, but they can also charge more per ounce of beverage. This is a trend Coca-Cola’s competitor PepsiCo has adopted as well . The market for pop beverages sold in slim cans helped to increase dollar sales of these products by two percent in 2016, reaching a total of $80.6 billion, according to Fortune.

“With a brand recast, designers are challenged with determining how far is too far, and how close is not far enough,” said James Sommerville, vice president, Coca-Cola Global Design. “We set out to demonstrate progressive change and innovation with a look that would appeal to a consumer seeking bolder flavors, but without alienating the loyal Diet Coke fan base.”

These packaging changes are likely to increase brand attention by helping the products stand out on the shelves and keeping consumers curious about new innovations. Coca-Cola recently made a change in their Fanta product’s packaging as well by introducing a new spiral bottle.

These packaging trends are indicative of the positive effects of labelling and appearance on consumers’ purchasing decisions. A recent survey conducted by Luminer found that shoppers are persuaded by packaging and labeling techniques to buy food products.