As far as Europe’s food quality goes, it’s skyscrapers above the rest of the western world in that there are no GMO’s allowed. The trend is catching on in the US and in the UK, but not fast enough. Large companies looking to control the world’s food source are being exposed and lobbied against. A similar wave of awareness is happening in the beverage world which may have started when weight loss shows appeared on television. As consumers (particularly Millenials) are becoming more knowledgeable and raising children, the demand for the sugar-ladened carbonated beverages is not the same as it used to be despite Coca-Cola’s best efforts. Confusion has surrounded its branding in Europe. A surprising 50% of the UK had no idea Coke Zero was a no calorie, no sugar option. So to regain their footing world-wide here is what Coca-Cola is proposing to do. (Read the full article from Business Insider here.)
To complement the new cans and bottles, Coke says its lower and no sugar/calorie variants will now be presented in the final frames of all its TV ads in Great Britain. And its 2015 media investment in the low/no sugar/calorie products will be doubled compared with last year.
In Great Britain, the idea is to meet an internally-set objective for 50% of its sales to come from the lower and no calorie range by 2020.
Coke is often heavily criticized by health campaigners for obesity issues that come with consuming lots of sugary drinks, but in the Great Britain market the company has been running a heap of initiatives to promote healthy living. Last year, for example, it launched a £20m anti-obesity drive which included offering free fitness classes, as part of a separate goal to get 1 million people in the region more active by 2020.
Where’s the US initiative to make people aware of obesity that its drinks can cause? Responsible marketing, such as beer companies encouraging no drinking and driving, needs to happen more these days. But then again, I’d be cautious when Coke jumps on board to make people healthy–what does that mean the company is actually selling you in their cans? Can soda/Coke/pop ever really be a healthy drink?
In an effort to be upfront with consumers, the ingredients will be listed clearly on the front of the cans so the health-conscious don’t have to go scouring for it. But there’s always an monetary angle with big companies like Coca-Cola, it will be interesting to see what their next move is on the international stage in order to keep their market hold.
What do you think? Can a company like Coke promote healthy living and still sell obesity-in-a-can effectively?
