Changing Perceptions on Coke
By ntmarketing
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How a company who wanted to help polar bears saw a drop in sales
At the end of last year Coke decided to market their new white cans and try to save the polar bear. A great idea and everyone who was a Coke user ran out and bought these cans. However, all was not so great when a lot of them thought that the product tasted different than the original Coke in the red can. In reality there was no change in formula, but the color of the can actually changed peoples perception of it. Some people tasted vanilla because they possibly associated white with that flavor. Others say it just didn't taste well at all. So Coke began to watch their sales fall in late November and when realizing when it was their users perceptions that were causing the problems they rolled out their original red cans. Then they saw the surge of growth back to their normal distribution.
The is the second part in our series about perception, about how a logo or color change in a product can seriously alter our sensory systems to begin to have a different view of that product. If you want a little more information on the colors of marketing read one of my earlier blogs and it will explain further why the white cans didn't work well for Coca-Cola. Originality of thought can never replace purely original marketing trends, and that is why this marketing didn't work. It was a great idea and new foundation which stirred a lot of business at the time but when the users tasted the products they didn't want to re-purchase. The one thing that some brands overlook is the opportunity for future sales, because they are the most crucial to staying in business.
Check back tomorrow for another article on Perception.
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Ah, that's why they changed it. Interesting. A whole society that was turned off by the change in color... wow.
Now I'll bet dollars for donuts that coke will now come out with something like coke white or coke silver, coke blonde etc and use the marketing test they have just done to their advantage. They will be able to market the same product in the different can with peoples perceptions Being none the wiser that it's the same product. It really is amazing how the brain thinks I tried it with cream blue tasted sweet where as green tasted like lime. Good hub keep up the great writing
howardyoung 3 months ago
My wife thought it was the best diet coke she ever had until I told her that they changed color of the can.