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113-607: New Coke was the unofficial name of a reformulation of the soft drink Coca-Cola , introduced by the Coca-Cola Company in April 1985. It was renamed Coke II in 1990, and discontinued in July 2002. By 1985, Coca-Cola had been losing market share to diet soft drinks and non-cola beverages for several years. Blind taste tests suggested that consumers preferred the sweeter taste of the competing product Pepsi-Cola , and so

226-668: A Stepan Company plant in Maywood, New Jersey , the only manufacturing plant authorized by the federal government to import and process coca leaves, which it obtains from Peru and Bolivia. Stepan Company extracts cocaine from the coca leaves, which it then sells to Mallinckrodt , the only company in the United States licensed to purify cocaine for medicinal use . Long after the syrup had ceased to contain any significant amount of cocaine, in North Carolina "dope" remained

339-583: A cautionary tale against tampering with an established successful brand. After World War II , Coca-Cola held 60 percent of the market share for cola . By 1983, it had declined to under 24 percent, largely because of competition from Pepsi-Cola . Pepsi had begun to outsell Coke in supermarkets; Coke maintained its lead only through venues such as soda vending machines and fast food restaurants, especially McDonald's . Market analysts believed baby boomers were more likely to purchase diet drinks as they aged and became health- and weight-conscious. Growth in

452-516: A public relations firm with $ 120,000 of borrowed money, formed the Old Cola Drinkers of America on May 28 to lobby Coca-Cola to either reintroduce the old formula or sell it to someone else. His organization eventually received over 60,000 phone calls. He also filed a class action lawsuit against the company (which was quickly dismissed by a judge who said he preferred the taste of Pepsi), while nevertheless expressing interest in securing

565-447: A 14 percent sales increase over the same month the previous year, the largest sales growth in the company's history. Coca-Cola's director of corporate communications, Carlton Curtis, realized over time that consumers were more upset about the withdrawal of the old formula than the taste of the new one. Immediately following the announcement of Coca-Cola's change, Roger Enrico , then director of PepsiCo's North American operations, took out

678-417: A big change by overwhelming public pressure flattered customers, as Keough put it, "We love any retreat which has us rushing toward our best customers with the product they love the most." Bottles and cans continued to bear the "Coca-Cola Classic" title until January 2009, when the company announced it would stop printing the word "Classic" on the labels of 16-US-fluid-ounce (470 ml) bottles sold in parts of

791-519: A book in 1950 published by Emory University . In this definitive biography about his father, Candler specifically states: "on April 14, 1888, the young druggist Asa Griggs Candler purchased a one-third interest in the formula of an almost completely unknown proprietary elixir known as Coca-Cola." The deal was actually between John Pemberton's son Charley and Walker, Candler & Co. – with John Pemberton acting as cosigner for his son. For $ 50 down and $ 500 in 30 days, Walker, Candler & Co. obtained all of

904-603: A common colloquialism for Coca-Cola, and "dope-wagons" were trucks that transported it. The kola nut acts as a flavoring and the original source of caffeine in Coca-Cola. It contains about 2.0 to 3.5% caffeine, and has a bitter flavor. In 1911, the US government sued in United States v. Forty Barrels and Twenty Kegs of Coca-Cola , hoping to force the Coca-Cola Company to remove caffeine from its formula. The court found that

1017-442: A contract giving them control of the procedure for only one dollar. Candler later realized that he had made a grave mistake. Candler never collected his dollar, but in 1899, Chattanooga became the site of the first Coca-Cola bottling company. Candler remained very content just selling his company's syrup. The loosely termed contract proved to be problematic for the Coca-Cola Company for decades to come. Legal matters were not helped by

1130-792: A franchising model. The Coca-Cola Company only produces a syrup concentrate, which it sells to bottlers throughout the world, who hold Coca-Cola franchises for one or more geographical areas. The bottlers produce the final drink by mixing the syrup with filtered water and sweeteners, putting the mixture into cans and bottles, and carbonating it, which the bottlers then sell and distribute to retail stores, vending machines, restaurants, and foodservice distributors. The Coca-Cola Company owns minority shares in some of its largest franchises, such as Coca-Cola Enterprises , Coca-Cola Amatil , Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company , and Coca-Cola FEMSA , as well as some smaller ones, such as Coca-Cola Bottlers Uzbekistan , but fully independent bottlers produce almost half of

1243-522: A full page ad in The New York Times proclaiming PepsiCo the winner of the long-running " Cola Wars " and declared a company-wide holiday on April 26, saying "By today's action, Coke had admitted that it's not the real thing." Since Coke officials were preoccupied over the weekend with preparations for the announcement, their PepsiCo counterparts had time to cultivate skepticism among reporters, sounding themes that would later come into play in

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1356-435: A full payment amounting to $ 1,000, which all agreed Candler could pay off with a series of notes over a specified time span. By May 1, 1889, Candler was claiming full ownership of the Coca-Cola beverage, with a total investment outlay by Candler for the drink enterprise over the years amounting to $ 2,300. In 1914, Margaret Dozier, as co-owner of the original Coca-Cola Company in 1888, came forward to claim that her signature on

1469-441: A girlfriend. The ads and campaign continued through 1987, and were chosen as best of 1986 by Video Storyboard of New York. Coca-Cola Coca-Cola , or Coke , is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company . In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings each day. Coca-Cola ranked No. 94 in

1582-598: A plan to combat plastic waste , Coca-Cola said that it would start selling its sodas in bottles made from 100% recycled plastic material in the United States, and by 2030 planned to recycle one bottle or can for each one it sold. Coca-Cola started by selling 2000 paper bottles to see if they held up due to the risk of safety and of changing the taste of the drink. A typical can of Coca-Cola (12 fl ounces/355 ml) contains 39 grams of sugar, 46 mg of caffeine, 50 mg of sodium, no fat, no potassium, and 140 calories. The exact formula for Coca-Cola's natural flavorings

1695-505: A plan to market two Coca-Colas where such plans were inconceivable just a few months before. Coca-Cola Classic did not need much help, with a "Red, White and You" campaign showcasing the American virtues many of those who had clamored for its reintroduction had pointedly reminded the company that it embodied. But the company was at a loss to sell what was now just "Coke". "The Best Just Got Better" could no longer be used. Marketers fumbled for

1808-498: A preference for Pepsi, with Classic Coke accounting for the remainder save two New Coke loyalists. When this group was given a chance to try all three in a blind test, New Coke slightly edged out Pepsi, but many drinkers reacted angrily to finding they had chosen a brand other than their favorite. Goizueta claimed that he never once regretted the decision to change Coca-Cola. He even threw a tenth anniversary party for New Coke in 1995 and continued to drink it until his death in 1997. In

1921-770: A product's label. In 1913 the case was appealed to the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati, where the ruling was affirmed, but then appealed again in 1916 to the Supreme Court, where the government effectively won as a new trial was ordered. The company then voluntarily reduced the amount of caffeine in its product, and offered to pay the government's legal costs to settle and avoid further litigation. Coca-Cola contains 46 mg of caffeine per 12 US fluid ounces (or 30.7 mg per 8 US fluid ounces (240 ml) serving). The production and distribution of Coca-Cola follows

2034-401: A reporter asked whether Diet Coke would also be reformulated "assuming [New Coke] is a success," Goizueta curtly replied, "No. And I didn't assume that this is a success. This is a success." The emphasis on the new formula's sweeter taste also ran contrary to previous Coke advertising, in which spokesman Bill Cosby had touted the original Coke's less-sweet taste as a reason to prefer it over

2147-447: A strategy for the rest of the year. Matters were not helped when McDonald's announced shortly after the reintroduction of Coca-Cola Classic, that it was immediately switching from New Coke back to original Coca-Cola at all of its restaurants. At the beginning of 1986, however, Coke's marketing team found a strategy by returning to one of their original motives for changing the formula: the youth market that preferred Pepsi. Max Headroom ,

2260-456: A type of natural brown sugar, with water in this process produces demerara syrup. Sugar substitutes such as honey or agave nectar can also be used to make syrups. Spices can be added to the ingredients during the process, resulting in a spiced simple syrup. Gomme syrup (or gum syrup ; gomme is French for "gum") is a boiled mixture of sugar and water, made with the highest ratio of sugar to water possible. In old recipes, gum arabic

2373-399: A typical dose or "line" of cocaine is 50–75 mg. ) In 1903, the fresh coca leaves were removed from the formula. After 1904, instead of using fresh leaves, Coca-Cola started using "spent" leaves – the leftovers of the cocaine-extraction process with trace levels of cocaine. Since then (by 1929 ), Coca-Cola has used a cocaine-free coca leaf extract. Today, that extract is prepared at

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2486-541: A version that he made either before or after the product hit the market in 1886. The formula basically matched the one found in Pemberton's diary. Coca-Cola archivist Phil Mooney acknowledged that the recipe "could be a precursor" to the formula used in the original 1886 product, but emphasized that Pemberton's original formula is not the same as the one used in the modern product. When launched, Coca-Cola's two key ingredients were cocaine and caffeine . The cocaine

2599-587: Is a trade secret . (All of its other ingredients are listed on the side of the bottle or can, and are not secret.) The original copy of the formula was held in Truist Financial 's main vault in Atlanta for 86 years. Its predecessor, the Trust Company, was the underwriter for the Coca-Cola Company's initial public offering in 1919. On December 8, 2011, the original secret formula was moved from

2712-466: Is a basic sugar-and-water syrup. It is used by bartenders as a sweetener to make cocktails, and as a yeast feeding agent in ethanol fermentation . The ratio of sugar to water is 1:1 by volume for normal simple syrup, but can get up to 2:1 for rich simple syrup. For pure sucrose the saturation limit is about 5:1 (500 grams (18 oz) sucrose to 100 millilitres (3.5 imp fl oz; 3.4 US fl oz) water). Combining demerara sugar ,

2825-606: Is added, in the belief that it prevents the sugar from crystallizing and adds a smooth texture. Some recipes omit the gum arabic, thus are just simple syrup, considering the gum undesired, or to reduce cost. Gomme syrup is an ingredient commonly used in mixed drinks . In Japan, liquid sweeteners for iced coffee are called gum syrup , although they are actually simple syrup which contains no gum arabic. Ingredients vary by brand; some are glucose–fructose syrup , some are sugar, or blends of both. Flavored syrups are made by infusing simple syrups with flavoring agents during

2938-592: Is reported to be available in both countries as a grey import . As of 2022, Coca-Cola has suspended its operations in Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine . Coca-Cola has been a point of legal discussion in the Middle East . In the early 20th century, a fatwa was created in Egypt to discuss the question of "whether Muslims were permitted to drink Coca-Cola and Pepsi cola." The fatwa states: "According to

3051-632: The American Civil War and addicted to morphine , also had a medical degree and began a quest to find a substitute for the problematic drug. In 1885 at Pemberton's Eagle Drug and Chemical House, his drugstore in Columbus, Georgia , he registered Pemberton's French Wine Coca nerve tonic. Pemberton's tonic may have been inspired by the formidable success of Vin Mariani , a French- Corsican coca wine , but his recipe additionally included

3164-632: The Civil War as a surrender to the " Yankees " as PepsiCo , the manufacturer of Pepsi, is based in Purchase, New York . In a Chicago Tribune story about reaction in the South, a professor at the University of Mississippi observed that "changing Coca-Cola is an intrusion on tradition" and thus would not be well received in that region. An Alabama resident wondered why the company had introduced

3277-613: The Delaware General Corporation Law . The company publicly offered 500,000 shares of the company for $ 40 a share. In 1923, his son Robert W. Woodruff was elected President of the company. Woodruff expanded the company and brought Coca-Cola to the rest of the world. Coca-Cola began distributing bottles as "Six-packs", encouraging customers to purchase the beverage for their home. During its first several decades, Coca-Cola officially wanted to be known by its full-name despite being commonly known as "Coke". This

3390-482: The scoreboard at the Houston Astrodome . Even Fidel Castro , a longtime Coca-Cola drinker, contributed to the backlash, calling New Coke a sign of American capitalist decadence. Goizueta's father expressed similar misgivings to his son, who later recalled that it was the only time his father had agreed with Castro, whose regime he had fled Cuba to avoid. Gay Mullins, a Seattle retiree looking to start

3503-480: The "Coca-Cola Company" destroyed in 1910, the action was claimed to have been made during a move to new corporation offices around this time. On June 23, 1894, Charley Pemberton was found unconscious with a stick of opium by his side. Ten days later, Charley died at Atlanta's Grady Hospital at the age of 40. On September 12, 1919, Coca-Cola Co. was purchased by a group of investors led by Ernest Woodruff 's Trust Company for $ 25 million and reincorporated under

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3616-408: The 1888 Coca-Cola Company bill of sale had been forged. Subsequent analysis of other similar transfer documents had also indicated John Pemberton's signature had most likely been forged as well, which some accounts claim was precipitated by his son Charley. In 1892, Candler set out to incorporate a second company, the Coca-Cola Company (the modern corporation). When Candler had the earliest records of

3729-457: The 2024 Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by revenue . Based on Interbrand's "best global brand" study of 2023, Coca-Cola was the world's sixth most valuable brand . Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine , Coca-Cola was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta , Georgia. In 1888, Pemberton sold

3842-565: The African kola nut , the beverage's source of caffeine. A Spanish drink called "Kola Coca" was presented at a contest in Philadelphia in 1885, a year before the official birth of Coca-Cola. The rights for this Spanish drink were bought by Coca-Cola in 1953. In 1886, when Atlanta and Fulton County passed prohibition legislation, Pemberton responded by developing Coca-Cola, a non-alcoholic version of Pemberton's French Wine Coca . It

3955-516: The Biedenharn Candy Company on March 12, 1894. The proprietor of the bottling works was Joseph A. Biedenharn . The original bottles were Hutchinson bottles, very different from the much later hobble-skirt design of 1915 now so familiar. A few years later two entrepreneurs from Chattanooga, Tennessee , namely Benjamin F. Thomas and Joseph B. Whitehead , proposed the idea of bottling and were so persuasive that Candler signed

4068-587: The Caribbean, the Netherlands , Germany and parts of Asia until the 1940s, when the brand was introduced throughout South America and then Europe after the end of World War II ( Fanta was initially conceived by the German Coca-Cola subsidiary as an emergency replacement as the wartime trade embargo prevented the import of syrup). As a result, Coca-Cola eventually became regarded as one of

4181-525: The Coca-Cola Company as a client of his new firm should it reintroduce the old formula. In two informal blind taste tests, Mullins either failed to distinguish New Coke from old or expressed a preference for New Coke. Despite ongoing resistance in the South, New Coke continued to do well in the rest of the country. However, the executives were uncertain of how international markets would react. They met with international Coke bottlers in Monaco; to their surprise,

4294-426: The Coca-Cola Company". Another letter asked for his autograph, as the signature of "one of the dumbest executives in American business history" would likely become valuable in the future. The company hotline, 1-800-GET-COKE, received over 1,500 calls a day compared to around 400 before the change. A psychiatrist whom Coke had hired to listen in on calls told executives that many people sounded as if they were discussing

4407-519: The Coca-Cola recipe was reformulated. The American public reacted negatively, and New Coke was considered a major failure. The company reintroduced the original formula within three months, rebranded "Coca-Cola Classic", resulting in a significant sales boost. This led to speculation that the New Coke formula had been a ploy to stimulate sales of the original Coca-Cola, which the company has vehemently denied. The story of New Coke remains influential as

4520-463: The Coke name. The most common of these is Diet Coke , along with others including Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola , Diet Coke Caffeine-Free , Coca-Cola Zero Sugar , Coca-Cola Cherry , Coca-Cola Vanilla , and special versions with lemon , lime , and coffee . Coca-Cola was called "Coca-Cola Classic" from July 1985 to 2009, to distinguish it from " New Coke ". Confederate Colonel John Pemberton , wounded in

4633-621: The Muslim Hanefite, Shafi'ite, etc., the rule in Islamic law of forbidding or allowing foods and beverages is based on the presumption that such things are permitted unless it can be shown that they are forbidden on the basis of the Qur'an ." The Muslim jurists stated that, unless the Qur'an specifically prohibits the consumption of a particular product, it is permissible to consume. Another clause

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4746-491: The bottlers voiced these complaints in a private meeting with Coca-Cola executives at the company's headquarters in Atlanta. With the Coca-Cola company now fearing boycotts not only from consumers but its bottlers, talks about reintroducing the old formula moved from "if" to when. Finally, the Coca-Cola board decided that enough was enough and in early July, plans were set in motion to resume production of original Coca-Cola. Company president Donald Keough revealed years later, in

4859-489: The bottlers were not interested in selling New Coke. Zyman also heard doubts and skepticism from his relatives in Mexico, where New Coke was scheduled to be introduced later that summer, when he went there on vacation. Goizueta stated that Coca-Cola employees who liked New Coke felt unable to speak up due to peer pressure, as had happened in the focus groups. Donald Keough , the Coca-Cola president and chief operating officer at

4972-593: The business, as well. John Pemberton died suddenly on August 16, 1888. Asa Candler then decided to move swiftly forward to attain full control of the entire Coca-Cola operation. Charley Pemberton, an alcoholic and opium addict, unnerved Asa Candler more than anyone else. Candler is said to have quickly maneuvered to purchase the exclusive rights to the name "Coca-Cola" from Pemberton's son Charley immediately after he learned of Dr. Pemberton's death. One of several stories states that Candler approached Charley's mother at John Pemberton's funeral and offered her $ 300 in cash for

5085-402: The change were placed on the cartons of multi-packs. The press conference at New York City's Lincoln Center to introduce the new formula did not go well. Reporters had already been fed questions by Pepsi, which was worried that New Coke would erase its gains. Goizueta, Coca-Cola's CEO, described the new flavor as "bolder", "rounder", and "more harmonious", and defended the change by saying that

5198-691: The company did business, including how it formulated its drinks. Coca-Cola's senior executives commissioned a secret project headed by marketing vice president Sergio Zyman and Coca-Cola USA president Brian Dyson to create a new flavor for Coke. This project was named "Project Kansas", from a photo of Kansas journalist William Allen White drinking a Coke; the image had been used extensively in Coca-Cola advertising and hung on several executives' walls. The sweeter cola overwhelmingly beat both regular Coke and Pepsi in taste tests , surveys , and focus groups . The southeastern United States , one of Coca-Cola's strongest and most reliable markets, narrowly preferred

5311-441: The company had more serious reasons to be concerned. Coca-Cola bottlers, and not just the ones still suing the company over syrup pricing policies, were expressing concern. While they had given Goizueta a standing ovation when he announced the change at an April 22 bottlers' meeting at Atlanta's Woodruff Arts Center , glad the company had finally taken some initiative in the face of PepsiCo's advances, they were less enthusiastic about

5424-405: The company made minor changes in the sourcing of some ingredients so it could continue to be consumed by America's Jewish population, including during Passover . A yellow cap on a Coca-Cola drink indicates that it is kosher for Passover . The longest running commercial Coca-Cola soda fountain anywhere was Atlanta's Fleeman's Pharmacy, which first opened its doors in 1914. Jack Fleeman took over

5537-454: The company's success in 1985. The Coca-Cola Company spent a considerable amount of time trying to figure out where it had made a mistake, ultimately concluding that it had underestimated the public reaction of the portion of the customer base that would be alienated by the switch. This would not emerge for several years afterward, however, and in the meantime the public simply concluded that the company had, as Keough suggested, failed to consider

5650-821: The cooking process. A wide variety of flavoring agents can be used, often in combination with each other, such as herbs, spices, or aromatics. For instance, syrups' aromatics is prepared by adding certain quantities of orange flavorings and cinnamon water to simple syrup. This type of syrup is commonly used at coffee bars , especially in the United States , to make flavored drinks. Infused simple syrups can be used to create desserts, or add sweetness and depth of flavor to cocktails. Glucose syrups rating over 90 DE ( dextrose equivalent ) are used in industrial fermentation . Syrups can be made by dissolving sugar in water or by reducing naturally sweet juices such as cane juice, sorghum juice, or maple sap. Corn syrup

5763-431: The death of a family member. There were critics of New Coke from outside the region. Chicago Tribune columnist Bob Greene wrote some widely reprinted pieces ridiculing the new flavor and expressing anger at Coke's executives for having changed it. Comedians and talk show hosts, including Johnny Carson and David Letterman , made regular jokes mocking the switch. Ads for New Coke were booed heavily when they appeared on

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5876-522: The decision of the bottlers to subcontract to other companies, effectively becoming parent bottlers. This contract specified that bottles would be sold at 5¢ each and had no fixed duration, leading to the fixed price of Coca-Cola from 1886 to 1959 . The first outdoor wall advertisement that promoted the Coca-Cola drink was painted in 1894 in Cartersville, Georgia . Cola syrup was sold as an over-the-counter dietary supplement for upset stomach. By

5989-403: The documentary The People vs. Coke (2002), that they realized this was the only right thing to do when they visited a small restaurant in Monaco and the owner proudly said they served "the real thing, it's a real Coke", offering them a chilled 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 oz. glass bottle of original Coca-Cola. On the afternoon of July 11, 1985, Coca-Cola executives held a press conference and announced

6102-420: The drink's centenary . However, the groups had provided a clue as to how the change would play out in the public, a finding the company downplayed. Management rejected an idea to make and sell the new flavor as a separate variety of Coca-Cola. The company's bottlers were already complaining about absorbing other recent additions into the product line since 1982, after the introduction of Diet Coke ; Cherry Coke

6215-559: The drink's flavor slightly, and so was receptive to the idea that changing the flavor of Coke could boost profits. He believed it would be "New Coke or no Coke", and that the change must take place openly. He insisted that the containers carry the "New!" label, which gave the drink its popular name. Goizueta also made a visit to his mentor and predecessor as the company's chief executive, the ailing Robert W. Woodruff , who had built Coca-Cola into an international brand following World War II. Goizueta claimed he had secured Woodruff's blessing for

6328-403: The drink's secret formula was not sacrosanct and inviolable. As far back as 1935, Coca-Cola sought kosher certification from Atlanta rabbi Tobias Geffen , and made two changes to the formula so the drink could be considered kosher (as well as halal and vegetarian). Goizueta also refused to admit that taste tests had led the change, calling it "one of the easiest decisions we've ever made". When

6441-456: The drink, though most had by this time. "There is a twist to this story which will please every humanist and will probably keep Harvard professors puzzled for years," said Keough at a press conference. "The simple fact is that all the time and money and skill poured into consumer research on the new Coca-Cola could not measure or reveal the deep and abiding emotional attachment to original Coca-Cola felt by so many people." Gay Mullins, founder of

6554-478: The entire formula, and that persons other than the prescribed duo have known the formulation process. On February 11, 2011, Ira Glass said on his PRI radio show, This American Life , that his staffers had found a recipe in "Everett Beal's Recipe Book", reproduced in the February 28, 1979 issue of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution , that they believed was either Pemberton's original formula for Coca-Cola or

6667-665: The finished product in cans and bottles from the concentrate, in combination with filtered water and sweeteners. A typical 12-US-fluid-ounce (350 ml) can contains 38 grams (1.3 oz) of sugar (usually in the form of high-fructose corn syrup in North America). The bottlers then sell, distribute, and merchandise Coca-Cola to retail stores, restaurants, and vending machines throughout the world. The Coca-Cola Company also sells concentrate for soda fountains of major restaurants and foodservice distributors . The Coca-Cola Company has on occasion introduced other cola drinks under

6780-411: The formula has been used by Coca-Cola as a marketing aid because only a handful of anonymous employees know the formula. The drink has inspired imitators and created a whole classification of soft drink: colas. The Coca-Cola Company produces concentrate , which is then sold to licensed Coca-Cola bottlers throughout the world. The bottlers, who hold exclusive territory contracts with the company, produce

6893-452: The full-calorie segment would come from younger drinkers, who at that time favored Pepsi by increasing margins. Meanwhile, the overall market for colas steadily declined in the early 1980s, as consumers increasingly purchased diet and non-cola soft drinks, many of which were sold by Coca-Cola. This further eroded Coca-Cola's market share. When Roberto Goizueta became Coca-Cola CEO in 1980, he told employees there would be no "sacred cows" in how

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7006-479: The health, and Pemberton's new drink was marketed and sold as a patent medicine , Pemberton claiming it a cure for many diseases, including morphine addiction, indigestion, nerve disorders, headaches, and impotence . Pemberton ran the first advertisement for the beverage on May 29 of the same year in the Atlanta Journal . By 1888, three versions of Coca-Cola – sold by three separate businesses – were on

7119-404: The likes of which no business has ever seen. — The Coca-Cola Company, on the New Coke announcement Though New Coke had been accepted by many loyal Coca-Cola drinkers, many more resented the change, as had happened in the focus groups. Many critics were from the southern US states , some of whom considered Coca-Cola part of their regional identity. Some viewed the change through the prism of

7232-532: The major symbols of American soft power as well as of globalization. Since it announced its intention to begin distribution in Myanmar in June 2012, Coca-Cola has been officially available in every country in the world except Cuba (where it stopped being available officially since 1960—ironically, Coca-Cola's first bottling plant outside the United States was established there in 1906) and North Korea . However, it

7345-452: The market. A co-partnership had been formed on January 14, 1888, between Pemberton and four Atlanta businessmen: J.C. Mayfield , A.O. Murphey, C.O. Mullahy, and E.H. Bloodworth. Not codified by any signed document, a verbal statement given by Asa Candler years later asserted under testimony that he had acquired a stake in Pemberton's company as early as 1887. John Pemberton declared that the name "Coca-Cola" belonged to his son, Charley, but

7458-422: The most cleverly structured pitches ever aimed at the under-30 viewer." John Reid, Coke's SVP of marketing, claimed that "76 percent of teenagers had heard of Max after our first flight of ads." Surveys likewise showed that more than three-quarters of the target market were aware of the ads within two days. Coke's consumer hotline received more calls about Max than any previous spokesperson, some even asking if he had

7571-409: The name "Coca-Cola Classic" was changed back to "Coca-Cola". The word "Classic" was removed because "New Coke" was no longer in production, eliminating the need to differentiate between the two. The formula remained unchanged. In January 2009, Coca-Cola stopped printing the word "Classic" on the labels of 16-US-fluid-ounce (470 ml) bottles sold in parts of the southeastern United States. The change

7684-601: The name "Coke" in 1941. "Coke" eventually became a registered trademark of the Coca-Cola Company in 1945. In 1986, the Coca-Cola Company merged with two of their bottling operators (owned by JTL Corporation and BCI Holding Corporation) to form Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. (CCE). In December 1991, Coca-Cola Enterprises merged with the Johnston Coca-Cola Bottling Group, Inc. The first bottling of Coca-Cola occurred in Vicksburg, Mississippi , at

7797-419: The names "Yum Yum" and "Koke". This was while Charley Pemberton was selling the elixir, although a cruder mixture, under the name "Coca-Cola", all with his father's blessing. After both names failed to catch on for Candler, by the middle of 1888, the Atlanta pharmacist was quite anxious to establish a firmer legal claim to Coca-Cola, and hoped he could force his two competitors, Walker and Dozier, completely out of

7910-593: The new flavor in New York; elsewhere in the state an Anniston Star columnist, noting Goizueta's Cuban origins, insinuated that the flavor change was a Communist plot. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found a majority of patrons at The Varsity , a popular local restaurant in that city, favored the old formula. "Why didn't they test anybody here?" the co-owner asked. The company received over 40,000 calls and letters expressing anger or disappointment, including one letter, delivered to Goizueta, addressed to "Chief Dodo,

8023-414: The new flavor; this preference widened once the testers revealed the new taste was also a Coca-Cola product. One bottling company threatened to sue the company if it did not put the drink on the market. Asked if they would buy and drink the product if it were Coca-Cola, most testers said they would, although said it would take some getting used to. About 10–12 percent of testers felt angry and alienated at

8136-399: The old drink were exhausted. Due to some complaints about New Coke's taste, company chemists quietly reduced the acidity level of the new formula, allowing its sweetness to be better perceived (advertisements pointing to this change were prepared, but never used). In addition to the noisier public protests, boycotts , and bottles of New Coke being emptied into the streets of several cities,

8249-597: The old drink, leading to a backlash . The company gave in to protests and returned to the old formula under the name Coca-Cola Classic, on July 10, 1985. "New Coke" remained available and was renamed Coke II in 1992; it was discontinued in 2002. On July 5, 2005, it was revealed that Coca-Cola would resume operations in Iraq for the first time since the Arab League boycotted the company in 1968. In April 2007, in Canada,

8362-476: The one-third interest in the Coca-Cola Company that Charley held, all while Charley still held on to the name. After the April 14 deal, on April 17, 1888, one-half of the Walker/Dozier interest shares were acquired by Candler for an additional $ 750. After Candler had gained a better foothold on Coca-Cola in April 1888, he nevertheless was forced to sell the beverage he produced with the recipe he had under

8475-523: The ones in Tucson, Arizona ) additionally sell imported Coca-Cola from Mexico with cane sugar instead of corn syrup from separate distributors. Coca-Cola introduced the 7.5-ounce mini-can in 2009, and on September 22, 2011, the company announced price reductions, asking retailers to sell eight-packs for $ 2.99. That same day, Coca-Cola announced the 12.5-ounce bottle, to sell for 89 cents. A 16-ounce bottle has sold well at 99 cents since being re-introduced, but

8588-481: The organization Old Cola Drinkers of America (which had lobbied Coca-Cola to either reintroduce the old formula or sell it to someone else), was given the first case of Coca-Cola Classic. Later he complained that the drink now made him sick, which he blamed on the drink's use of HFCS; he also claimed that HFCS had dulled his taste buds, accounting for his preference for New Coke in taste tests. Six months after New Coke's introduction, sales of Coke had increased at twice

8701-575: The other two manufacturers could continue to use the formula . Charley Pemberton's record of control over the "Coca-Cola" name was the underlying factor that allowed for him to participate as a major shareholder in the March 1888 Coca-Cola Company incorporation filing made in his father's place. Charley's exclusive control over the "Coca-Cola" name became a continual thorn in Asa Candler's side. Candler's oldest son, Charles Howard Candler , authored

8814-456: The ownership rights to Asa Griggs Candler , a businessman, whose marketing tactics led Coca-Cola to its dominance of the global soft-drink market throughout the 20th and 21st century. The name refers to two of its original ingredients: coca leaves and kola nuts (a source of caffeine ). The formula of Coca-Cola remains a trade secret ; however, a variety of reported recipes and experimental recreations have been published. The secrecy around

8927-399: The pharmacy from his father and ran it until 1995; closing it after 81 years. On July 12, 1944, the one-billionth gallon of Coca-Cola syrup was manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Cans of Coke first appeared in 1955. Sugar prices spiked in the 1970s because of Soviet demand/hoarding and possible futures contracts market manipulation. The Soviet Union was the largest producer of sugar at

9040-588: The price was going up to $ 1.19. In 2012, Coca-Cola resumed business in Myanmar after 60 years of absence due to US-imposed investment sanctions against the country. Coca-Cola's bottling plant is located in Yangon and is part of the company's five-year plan and $ 200 million investment in Myanmar. Coca-Cola with its partners is to invest US$ 5 billion in its operations in India by 2020. In February 2021, as

9153-513: The public discourse over the changed drink. Behind the scenes, some Coca-Cola executives had quietly been arguing for a reintroduction of the old formula as early as May. By mid-June, when soft drink sales usually start to rise, the numbers showed that new Coke was leveling among consumers. Executives feared social peer pressure was now affecting their bottom line. Many consumers even began trying to obtain original Coca-Cola from overseas, where New Coke had not yet been introduced, as domestic stocks of

9266-455: The public's attachment to the idea of what Coke's old formula represented. While that has become conventional wisdom in the ensuing years, some analyses have suggested otherwise. This populist version of the story served Coke's interests, however, as the episode did more to position and define Coca-Cola as a brand embodying values distinct from Pepsi. Allowing itself to be portrayed as a somewhat clueless large corporation forced to withdraw from

9379-403: The public, cost us a ton of money and lasted for only 77 days before we reintroduced Coca-Cola Classic. Still, New Coke was a success because it revitalized the brand and reattached the public to Coke. New Coke continued to do what it had originally been designed to do: win taste tests. In 1987, The Wall Street Journal surveyed 100 randomly selected cola drinkers, the majority of whom indicated

9492-459: The purportedly computer-generated media personality played by Matt Frewer , was chosen to replace Cosby as the spokesman for Coke's new "Catch the wave" campaign. With his slicked-back hair and sunglasses, he was already known to much of the U.S. youth audience through appearances on MTV and Cinemax . The campaign was launched with a television commercial produced by McCann Erickson New York, with Max saying in his trademark stutter , "C-c-c-catch

9605-551: The rate of rival Pepsi. By the end of 1985, Coca-Cola Classic was substantially outselling both New Coke and Pepsi. New Coke's sales dwindled to a three percent share of the market, although it was selling quite well in Los Angeles and some other key markets. Later research, however, suggested that it was not the return of Coca-Cola Classic, but instead the largely unnoticed introduction of Cherry Coke , which appeared almost simultaneously with New Coke, that can be credited with

9718-669: The reformulation, but many of Goizueta's closest friends within the company doubted that Woodruff understood Goizueta's intentions. Woodruff died in March 1985, a month before New Coke was launched. New Coke was introduced on April 23, 1985. Production of the original formulation ended later that week. In many areas, New Coke was initially sold in original Coke packaging; bottlers used up remaining cans, cartons and labels before new packaging became widely available. Old cans containing New Coke were identified by their gold colored tops, while glass and plastic bottles had red caps instead of silver or white, respectively. Bright yellow stickers indicating

9831-483: The return of the original Coca-Cola formula, 79 days after New Coke's introduction. Peter Jennings of ABC News interrupted General Hospital with a special bulletin to share the news with viewers. On the floor of the U.S. Senate , David Pryor called the reintroduction "a meaningful moment in U.S. history ". The company hotline received 31,600 calls in the two days after the announcement. The new product continued to be marketed and sold as Coke (until 1990, when it

9944-428: The rights to the name. In Charles Howard Candler's 1950 book about his father, he stated: "On August 30 [1888], he [ Asa Candler ] became the sole proprietor of Coca-Cola, a fact which was stated on letterheads, invoice blanks and advertising copy." With this action on August 30, 1888, Candler's sole control became technically all true. Candler had negotiated with Margaret Dozier and her brother Woolfolk Walker

10057-400: The same level as they had the old one. Surveys indicated that the majority of regular Coke drinkers liked the new flavoring. Three quarters of the respondents said they would buy New Coke again. The big test, however, remained in the South, where Coca-Cola had been created and bottled. To hear some tell it, April 23, 1985, was a day that will live in marketing infamy ... spawning consumer angst

10170-405: The short run, the reintroduction of original Coca-Cola saved Coke's sales figures and brought it back in the good graces of many customers and bottlers. Phone calls and letters to the company were as joyful and thankful as they had been angry and depressed. "You would have thought we'd cured cancer," said one executive. But confusion reigned at the company's marketing department, which had to design

10283-505: The southeastern United States. The change was part of a larger strategy to rejuvenate the product's image. Bill Cosby ended his long-time advertising for Coca-Cola, claiming that his commercials praising the superiority of the new formula had hurt his credibility. No one at Coca-Cola was fired for the change. When Goizueta died in 1997, the company's share price was well above what it was when he had taken over 16 years earlier and its position as market leader even more firmly established. At

10396-666: The sweeter taste of Pepsi. The Coca-Cola company's stock went up after the announcement, and market research showed 80 percent of the American public was aware of the reformulation within days of the change. Coca-Cola introduced the new formula with marketing pushes in New York City, where workers renovating the Statue of Liberty for its centenary in 1986 were given free cans, and Washington, D.C., where thousands of cans were given away in Lafayette Park . As soon as New Coke

10509-474: The syrup, when diluted as directed, would result in a beverage containing 1.21 grains (or 78.4 mg) of caffeine per 8 US fluid ounces (240 ml) serving. The case was decided in favor of the Coca-Cola Company at the district court, but subsequently in 1912, the US Pure Food and Drug Act was amended, adding caffeine to the list of "habit-forming" and "deleterious" substances which must be listed on

10622-412: The taste of New Coke. Most of them saw great difficulty in having to promote and sell a drink that had long been marketed as "The Real Thing", constant and unchanging, now that it had actually been changed. The 20 bottlers still suing the Coca-Cola company made much of the formula change in their legal arguments. In its defense, the company had argued when the suit was originally filed that the new formula

10735-402: The thought, and said they might stop drinking Coke. Their presence in focus groups tended to negatively skew results as they exerted indirect peer pressure on other participants. The surveys, which were given more significance by standard marketing procedures of the era, were less negative than the taste tests and were key in convincing management to change the formula in 1985, to coincide with

10848-468: The time of its 50th anniversary, the soft drink had reached the status of a national icon in the US. In 1935, it was certified kosher by Atlanta rabbi Tobias Geffen . With the help of Harold Hirsch, Geffen was the first person outside the company to see the top-secret ingredients list after Coke faced scrutiny from the American Jewish population regarding the drink's kosher status. Consequently,

10961-470: The time, Roger Enrico , then head of PepsiCo's American operations, likened New Coke to the Edsel . Later, when he became PepsiCo's CEO, he modified his assessment of the situation, saying that had people been fired or demoted over New Coke, it would have sent a message that risk-taking was strongly discouraged at the company. In the late 1990s, Zyman summed up the New Coke experience thus: Yes, it infuriated

11074-438: The time, reported overhearing someone say at his country club that they liked New Coke, but they would be "damned if I'll let Coca-Cola know that". PepsiCo took advantage of the situation, running ads in which a first-time Pepsi drinker exclaimed, "Now I know why Coke did it!" Even amidst consumer anger and several Pepsi ads mocking Coca-Cola's debacle, Pepsi actually gained very few long-term converts over Coke's switch, despite

11187-403: The time. In 1974 Coca-Cola switched over to high-fructose corn syrup because of the elevated prices. On April 23, 1985, Coca-Cola, amid much publicity, attempted to change the formula of the drink with "New Coke". Follow-up taste tests revealed most consumers preferred the taste of New Coke to both old Coke and Pepsi but Coca-Cola management was unprepared for the public's nostalgia for

11300-429: The vault at SunTrust Banks into a new vault; this vault will be on display for visitors to its World of Coca-Cola museum in downtown Atlanta. According to Snopes , a popular myth states that only two executives have access to the formula, with each executive having only half the formula. However, several sources state that while Coca-Cola does have a rule restricting access to only two executives, each of them knows

11413-592: The volume sold in the world. Independent bottlers are allowed to sweeten the drink according to local tastes. Coca-Cola has been sold outside the United States as early as 1900, when the Cuba Libre (a mix between Coca-Cola and rum) was created in Havana shortly after the Spanish-American War of 1898. However, the international reach of the product became mostly limited to North and Central America,

11526-475: The wave!" and referring to his fellow "Cokeologists". In a riposte to Pepsi's televisual teasings, one showed Headroom asking a Pepsi can he was "interviewing" how it felt about more drinkers preferring Coke to it and then cut to the condensation forming on, and running down, the can. "S-s-s-s-sweating?" he asked. The campaign was a huge success. "Max's 'C-C-Catch the wave' spots for Coke," a Newsweek article said, "two of which were directed by Ridley Scott, may be

11639-424: The wax tadpole". In the 1930s, the company settled on the name " 可口可樂 （ 可口可乐 ）" (Ke-kou ke-le) taking into account the effects of syllable and meaning translations. The phrase means roughly "to allow the mouth to be able to rejoice". The story introduction from Coca-Cola mentions that Chiang Yee provided the new localized name, but there are also sources that the localized name appeared before 1935, or that it

11752-473: Was derived from the coca leaf and the caffeine from kola nut (also spelled "cola nut" at the time), leading to the name Coca-Cola. Pemberton called for five ounces of coca leaf per gallon of syrup (approximately 37 g/L), a significant dose; in 1891, Candler claimed his formula (altered extensively from Pemberton's original) contained only a tenth of this amount. Coca-Cola once contained an estimated nine milligrams of cocaine per glass. (For comparison,

11865-501: Was discussed, whereby the same rules apply if a person is unaware of the condition or ingredients of the item in question. Coca-Cola first entered the Chinese market in the 1920s with no localized representation of its name. While the company researched a satisfactory translation, local shopkeepers created their own. These produced the desired "ko-ka ko-la" sound, but with odd meanings such as "female horse fastened with wax" or "bite

11978-551: Was due to company fears that the term "coke" would eventually become a generic trademark , which to an extent became true in the Southern United States where "coke" is used even for non Coca-Cola products . The company also didn't want to confuse its drink with the similarly named coal byproduct that clearly wasn't safe to consume. Eventually, out for fears that another company may claim the trademark for "Coke", Coca-Cola finally embraced it and officially endorsed

12091-613: Was given by someone named Jerome T. Lieu who studied at Columbia University in New York . Syrup There are a range of syrups used in food production, including: A variety of beverages call for sweetening to offset the tartness of some juices used in the drink recipes. Granulated sugar does not dissolve easily in cold drinks or ethyl alcohol. Since syrups are liquids, they are easily mixed with other liquids in mixed drinks , making them superior alternatives to granulated sugar. Simple syrup (also known as sugar syrup, or bar syrup)

12204-418: Was introduced, the new formula was available at McDonald's and other drink fountains in the United States. Sales figures from those cities, and other areas where it had been introduced such as Miami and Detroit, showed a reaction that went as the market research had predicted. In fact, Coke's sales were up 8 percent over the same period as the year before. Most Coke drinkers resumed buying the new Coke at much

12317-507: Was launched nationally nearly concurrently with New Coke during 1985. Many bottling companies had sued over the company's syrup pricing policies. A new variety of Coke in competition with the main variety could also have cannibalized Coke's sales and increased the proportion of Pepsi drinkers relative to Coke drinkers. Early in his career with Coca-Cola, Goizueta had been in charge of the Bahamas subsidiary. He had improved sales by tweaking

12430-407: Was marketed as "Coca-Cola: The temperance drink", which appealed to many people as the temperance movement enjoyed wide support during this time. The first sales were at Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 8, 1886, where it initially sold for five cents a glass. Drugstore soda fountains were popular in the United States at the time due to the belief that carbonated water was good for

12543-435: Was part of a larger strategy to rejuvenate the product's image. The word "Classic" was removed from all Coca-Cola products by 2011. In November 2009, due to a dispute over wholesale prices of Coca-Cola products, Costco stopped restocking its shelves with Coke and Diet Coke for two months; a separate pouring rights deal in 2013 saw Coke products removed from Costco food courts in favor of Pepsi. Some Costco locations (such as

12656-526: Was renamed Coke II ) while the original formula was named Coca-Cola Classic, and for a short time it was referred to by the public as Old Coke. Some who tasted the reintroduced formula were not convinced that the first batches really were the same formula that had supposedly been retired that spring. This was true for a few regions, because Coca-Cola Classic differed from the original formula in that all bottlers who had not already done so were using high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) instead of cane sugar to sweeten

12769-567: Was unique and different from Diet Coke, which justified different pricing policies from the latter; however, if the new formula was merely a high-fructose corn syrup -sweetened version of Diet Coke, the company could not argue the formula for New Coke was unique. Bottlers, particularly in the South, were also tired of facing personal attacks over the change; many reported that some acquaintances and even friends and relatives had actually ostracized them or had expressed their displeasure over New Coke in other emotionally hurtful ways. On June 23, several of

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