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Coca-Cola plots a 'Fresca comeback' with design refresh, new flavorsCoca-Cola plots a 'Fresca comeback' with design refresh, new flavorsBy Eric Mandel – Digital Producer , Atlanta Business Chronicle Coca-Cola wants to introduce its new generation of drinkers to an old flame. The Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) announced on its website Monday that its Fresca soda brand is "plotting a comeback of sorts, even though it never left the marketplace." The brand refresh includes a makeover to the no-calorie soft drink’s can and packaging for three new flavors: Original Citrus, Black Cherry Citrus and Peach Citrus. The goal, Coca-Cola said, is "reeling in a new generation of drinkers unfamiliar with the brand." Fresca ("Fresh" in Spanish) debuted in 1967 alongside its calorie-free counterpart, TaB, and the lime-grapefruit flavored soda gained popularity in the 90s and early 2000s. However, Coca-Cola said the drink is largely unknown among Millenials. “Fresca hasn’t said anything to consumers since 2008, and our awareness with younger consumers is very low,” said Ryan Hughes, associate brand manager of Sprite and Citrus Brands, on the Coca-Cola website. “We felt it was time for a refresh after about a decade of silence.” Coca-Cola has increasingly made pushes toward new flavors, including a "brand rejuvenation" of Diet Coke that includes four new variations. With consumer trends leaning in the flavor-filled direction, Hughes said that the Atlanta-based beverage giant realized it is "sitting on a potential goldmine." “Fresca is a magical brand that, when once people taste and experience, fall in love with," he said. "It hits the sweet spot somewhere between a soda and a flavored sparkling water.” Coca-Cola said Fresca be featured in point-of-sale advertising, and targeted sampling in Millennial hotspots like co-working spaces and college campuses. Since it's been a "go-to cocktail mixer for decades," Coca-Cola said Fresca is also exploring partnerships with liquor brands. Being versatile is a new key for The Coca-Cola Co., which is increasingly throwing its weight behind brands outside its core soda line. That includes the newly competitive sparkling water category, which rival PepsiCo Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP) joined in February with its "bubbly" flavored sparkling water. Coca-Cola was encouraged by last year's revamp of the Coca-Cola Zero Sugar brand last July. Though the ingredients were only tweaked from Coke Zero, calling out the zero sugar is part of the company's "One Brand' strategy that also also supports its efforts to promote no- and low-sugar Coca-Cola options. The Coca-Cola Co. has leaned heavily on its Venturing & Emerging Brands unit to acquire companies that can reach the ever-important Millennial demographic. No acquisition was bigger than its $220 million acquisition in October of Topo Chico, one of Mexico's most popular sparkling waters. Coca-Cola certainly hasn't given up on innovation attempts with its core-sugar line, though. The company reportedly launched its fits first squeezable slushy from a pouch today in Japan. |
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