Is reincarnation the future for cola?
PepsiCo’s latest advert, which takes aim at Coca-Cola’s Vanilla Coke product, emphasises how much the soft-drinks industry is focusing on spin-offs to provide profitability in the years to come.
Both companies have unveiled a plethora of new sodas in recent years including Sprite ReMix, Mountain Dew LiveWire and Pepsi LiveWire, prompting speculation that the companies may not be far from releasing such outlandish creations as “Peach Coke,” or “Pepsi Kiwi,” the Wall Street Journal reported.
“We’re going to need higher levels of innovation to realy help the overall soft-drink category,” Chairman and Chief Executive Michael Bellas of Beverage Marketing told the WSJ.
Both companies are seeking to boost sales as flagship brands become less popular. Sales of Coca-Cola Classic fell two percent in 2002, while Pepsi-Cola sales slipped four percent, the WSJ said.