It turns out Spiced Coke is not It.
In the latest battle for consumers in the soft drink wars, Coca-Cola said it will phase out its newest flavor, Coca-Cola Spiced, after just six months. But it’s also promising to release an exciting new flavor next year.
“We’re always looking at what our consumers like and adjusting our range of products,” a Coca-Cola spokesperson confirmed to Fast Company. “As part of this strategy, we’re planning to phase out Coca-Cola Spiced to introduce an exciting new flavor in 2025.”
The spiced drink, a mix of classic Coke, with raspberry and spiced flavors, was a bid for younger consumers at a time when people, especially Gen Z, are drinking less soda, opting instead for energy drinks or healthier alternatives like seltzer and flavored water.
“We know consumers are more and more willing to experiment with new and unique flavors,” said Sue Lynne Cha, the company’s vice president of marketing for North America, in a company statement.
Coca-Cola Spiced hit shelves in February 2024, touted as the beverage company’s first “permanent” new drink to launch in North America since 2020. It comes in two varieties: regular and zero sugar.
According to the beverage giant, Coca‑Cola Spiced demonstrated the company’s accelerated approach to consumer-centric innovation, going from idea to shelf in record time.
“Product development for us normally takes about 12 months, but this was done in seven weeks,” said Shakir Moin, chief of marketing for North America, in a statement. “We’re disrupting our ways of working . . . The mindset is that we’re a 137-year-old startup focused on bolder, faster, fewer innovations that delight consumers and create growth for the company.”
While betting on Coca-Cola Spiced might have been a risky move for Coke, its strong second-quarter earnings beat expectations, with net revenue up 2.9%. The beverage giant continues to remain No. 1 in the cola wars over both Pepsi and Dr. Pepper, according to Beverage Digest.