April 23 2016 marked the 30th Year celebration of the introduction of the “New Coke” by the Coca-Cola Company. This was introduced in 1985, but not without its side effects.

Remarkable, this was a torrid time, as the New Coke was greeted by hostility, customer dissatisfaction, and discontentment. The reason; The Coca-Cola Company changed the formula of the 99 Year Old flagship product.
The backlash for changing the formula was so bad; Coca-Cola had to revert to the Old formula. A Cola-cola Employee once said “it was unfortunate and almost surreal …, it was sort like we were starring in a bad movie.
This article focus on how missing critical features of a product can result to brand failure and this can happen to anybody, even an experience multinational such as Coca-Cola as in this case. coca cola 2
Rebranding is a tool used to gain competitive advantage over a rival to gain leverage. But caution must be applied when rebranding as this process usually involves removing or adding something to the equation.

The New Coca-Cola emerged as a brand to outshine their long-time rival (Pepsi). A new formula that was tasted to be better than the old Coca-Cola; thus the decision to scrap the old Coke (so as to avoid having two direct products competing with themselves). But this moved backfired, Coca-Cola underestimated the power of the Old Coke. Production of Old Coke Stopped after the new coke was introduced in April 23, 1985, and sadly one of the biggest marketing blinder of all time. Sales of new coke was low, outrage and public rejection followed.coca cola 3
This piece does not focus on how Coca-Cola gets a marketing strategy wrong, but on how listening to consumers helped Coca-Cola return to becoming one of the biggest brand in the World.

Top management at Coca-Cola listened to the desire of Old Coke lovers and was forced to bring back Old Coke into production. The biggest marketing power Old Coke had over New Coke was emotional attachment. People had grown emotionally attached with consumers complaining of how the New Coke had destroyed great memories. Memories of coke on their first date, memories from world war II, memories from wedding toast, unforgettable experience.

Donald Keough (the company’s chief operating officer ) admitted: 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. The passion for original Coca-Cola — and that is the word for it, passion — was something that caught us by surprise.

So next time you think of rebranding, don’t just start adding and removing equation. Look for that extra characteristic that distinguishes a brand, for that might just be what makes your brand what it is.

http://www.debravidsolutions.com/socialmediaforum/2016/04/29/listening-to-customer-lessons-from-the-new-coke-lunch/