Coca-Cola’s latest iteration definitely adds some spice.
The beverage giant announced Wednesday that it will launch Coca-Cola Spiced, a new drink that includes notes of raspberry and other spices and will be available in regular and sugar-free versions.
The drink is expected to launch in the United States and Canada on February 19 as a rare permanent addition to the company’s existing flavors. It is the first permanent addition in three years and will be sold in both cans and bottles in several formats.
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“Consumers are looking for bolder flavors and more complex flavor profiles,” said Sue Lynne Cha, Coca-Cola vice president of marketing for North America, for CNN. “This is a trend that we started seeing in food, but also in drinks, and we thought it was a unique space to play in.”
More recently, the company experimented with AI technology to imagine how Coca-Cola might look and taste in the future when it launched the limited edition, Y3000 Coke, last September.
Coca-Cola reported a strong third quarter of 2023, with global net revenue up 8% quarter-on-quarter, underscoring that its North American market saw growth in the sparkling beverage, juice and milk beverage categories.
“If you go into the aisles, you’ll see that the amount of spiciness has increased because the taste palette of consumers has evolved. We realized that this could be an opportunity for us,” said Coca-Cola’s marketing chief, Shakir Moin. The associated press.
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Coca-Cola was relatively stable, up less than 0.50%, over a one-year period, as of Wednesday afternoon.