In Reply to: They did actually make a new formulation, Scott Paterson [Profile/Gallery] , Fri, 18 Jun 2004 09:17:50

As a college student my summer job in B'ham, AL was working for the local Coca-Cola bottling plant. My job consisted of either 1) working at new grocery stores as a bribe to the store manager for better displays of Coke products or 2) cleaning and waxing Coke machines all over the Birmingham metro area. It was an enlightening experience to see how cutthroat the soft drink bottlers are in a given competitive area. Both Pepsi and Coke plants had rooms filled with brand new audio and video equipment with which to bribe store managers. I saw the room at the Coke plant and my jaw dropped. I witnessed a store manager threaten my manager with giving Pepsi the front display space if he didn't deliver a larger TV than Pepsi to his house. No sh*t. Of course my first job in HS was bagging groceries so seeing this from a grocery store manager wasn't that surprising.

Anyway the first summer I did this was the summer that "New Coke" was unveiled. Being a long-time Coca-Cola fan I didn't like it but didn't really think that much about it. I can't tell you the flack I personally took from grocery store shoppers who would see me in my Coke shirt about the new formula. Here I am a college student working for minimum wage essentially serving as a slave to a grocery store manager (count your fingers if you ever shake hands with one of those guys) and these old men and women would stand there and literally yell at me about the change in the formula. At first I was taken aback but then just found it hilarious.

Ah well . . . that was a long time ago, and the formula change was definitely not a ploy to emphasize the classic formula - it was a strategic fumble and market miscalculation of historic proportions.

Gee, I hope no one here manages a grocery store for a living . . . 8)

John
Atlanta
'01 Viggen

posted by 63.67.218...

• Great New Coke C2 Commercial - good job..., Scott Paterson , Thu, 17 Jun 2004 22:24:29
  • Wonder how much Mick & Keef got paid for that.. n/m, Rod M, Fri, 18 Jun 2004 11:46:21
  • I just tried it, Schu, Fri, 18 Jun 2004 09:37:27
    • C2 tastes like 1/2 diet & 1/2 regular, ryanathp, Fri, 18 Jun 2004 19:13:42
    • I don't get it, Jason 5W-40, Fri, 18 Jun 2004 11:23:16
      • Diet Pepsi, Sieglo, Tue, 22 Jun 2004 08:00:36
      • b/c of what Clay Says below. I've tasted all three..., Scott Paterson , Fri, 18 Jun 2004 15:27:26
      • I actually drink water or juice most of the time, Schu, Fri, 18 Jun 2004 13:47:49
        • Me, too..., Clay McNeely , Fri, 18 Jun 2004 13:54:30
      • Gag a maggot on a gut truck...diet coke = yuck! n/m, Clay McNeely , Fri, 18 Jun 2004 11:30:37
        • Correction...diet anything = yuck (IMO) n/m, Clay McNeely , Fri, 18 Jun 2004 11:40:27
          • except Waist Watchers..., Bob M, Sun, 20 Jun 2004 09:16:40
    • Doesnt matter to me..., PaulYVR, Fri, 18 Jun 2004 10:55:01
  • So the "New Coke" fiasco was..., Roger, Fri, 18 Jun 2004 07:40:10
    • They did actually make a new formulation, Scott Paterson , Fri, 18 Jun 2004 09:17:50
      • Depends..., Clay McNeely , Fri, 18 Jun 2004 11:03:07
      • Funny Story about 'New Coke' . . ., jc, Fri, 18 Jun 2004 10:10:51 <-- Viewing This Message
      • I specifically ask for Coke,, MJM , Fri, 18 Jun 2004 09:49:25
    • No, Eiron, Fri, 18 Jun 2004 07:54:14
      • Re: Brown Sugar, HF 98 CSE, Fri, 18 Jun 2004 13:39:51
  • Agreed, nice piece of work n/m, Noel, Fri, 18 Jun 2004 06:54:23
  • I was in a focus group for this about six months ago..., Scott Paterson , Thu, 17 Jun 2004 23:26:02

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