YumSugar

Coke Testing 100-Flavor Soda Fountains

YumSugar — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:00:39 -0700

Good news for you soda fountain lovers: Coca-Cola plans to introduce a machine that dispenses 100 flavors.

The new unit, which will reportedly have a beta launch in early 2009, will remain the same size as an eight-valve soda machine by using highly concentrated ingredients to store more beverages. According to the company, switching in a new drink for the 100-flavor units will be "as easy as changing a print cartridge."

This could take an indecisive fountain drinker's soda-mixing habits to the extreme, or it could have zero impact on a diehard Diet Coke drinker. What do you think of this technology? Is it cool, or does it make a mundane thing unnecessarily complicated?

Source

I'll Take An Anything Please

YumSugar — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 04:11:19 -0700

What if I offered you a soda, but I couldn't tell you what kind it was, would you still want it? Singapore based beverage company Out of the Box is hoping that you will. Banking on customer apathy, they've recently launched two new brands of soda, Anything and Whatever. The Anything soda is carbonated and comes in Cola with Lemon, Apple, Fizz Up, Cloudy Lemon and Root Beer. The Whatever soda is non-carbonated and comes in Ice Lemon Tea, Peach Tea, Jasmine Green Tea, White Grape Tea, Apple Tea and Chrysanthemum Tea. The big catch is that you won't know which Anything or Whatever you're getting until you open the can.

So what will ya have? Anything or Whatever?

Source: Trend Hunter

OpenSource Cola - Make Your Own!

YumSugar — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 00:11:18 -0800

You've heard the phrase "open source" before, haven't you? If so, then you know it usually relates to software (where the source code is "open" to everyone to see and make changes to). Well, some folks got together and decided to start a soda company called OpenCola. And guess what, the "source" (or in this case the recipe) is open to the public.

Sadly, the company is now defunct (it was originally meant to be a promotional product for computer trade shows), but the recipes and instructions are available to anyone who wants to try his or her own hand at making soda.

Download the pdf "Source Code" (aka brewing instructions) and see what you come up with.

Source: Everything Else

Italy's Fashion Houses Pay Tribute to Coca-Cola

YumSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:50:53 -0700

Milan's 2010 Spring Fashion Week just came to a close, and in addition to revealing their latest collections, Italy's premiere fashion houses also partnered with Coca-Cola to raise funds for earthquake victims in Abruzzo, Italy.

Female designers Donatella Versace, Alberta Ferretti, Angela Missoni, Anna Molinari for Blumarine, Veronica Etro, Silvia Venturini for Fendi, Consuelo Castiglioni for Marni, and Rossella Jardini for Moschino dressed up Coca-Cola Light's trademark clear bottle for sale at an auction during Milan's "Tribute to Fashion" show.

I like them all, but my hands-down favorite is the iconic woven Missoni design, followed closely by the Moschino milk parody and Blumarine's flirty fruit pattern. To see each bottle, read more.

Roberto Cavalli Coca-Cola Light Bottles: Love It or Hate It?

partysugar — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 04:00:27 -0700

I'm a huge fan of the Italian designer Roberto Cavalli, so imagine my surprise when I heard he was designing Coca-Cola Light bottles! The limited-edition bottles, which come in three seductive, feminine styles, will be sold in Italy from September to December. While my favorite is the leopard print bottle, I would love to get my hands on any of the animal printed designs. What do you think?

Coca-Cola Aims For First Carbon-Neutral Olympic Sponsorship

YumSugar — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:15:31 -0800

When the Vancouver Games commence next Friday, Coca-Cola is aiming for its own gold medal of sorts: its first zero-waste, carbon-neutral Olympics sponsorship. The beverage giant hopes to take sustainable event planning to a new level with drink bottles made from 30 percent plant-based materials, delivered by hybrid cars and electric carts to cafés decked out in furniture that's made from pine-beetle-salvaged wood.

Staff uniforms and welcome bags will be made out of recycled bottles, coolers will be equipped with clean technology, and the company is purchasing carbon offsets to compensate for air travel and on-site transportation. I got my first glimpse into event sustainability at last year's SF Chefs. Food. Wine., but doing so at Olympic proportions takes another level of commitment entirely. I hope other food and beverage sponsors take note. Are you surprised by Coca-Cola's commitment to sustainability?

Coca-Cola Holiday Ornament Bottles: Love Them or Hate Them?

YumSugar — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:00:26 -0800

Just in the nick of tree-trimming time, Coca-Cola has released a limited supply of 13.5-ounce bottles ($3), spherically shaped to mimic a Christmas ornament. The plastic bottles are decked out with the cola's iconic holiday images, such as the Coca-Cola Polar Bear.

Coca-Cola Drinks Back on Shelves at Costco

YumSugar — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:00:01 -0800

This holiday season, Costco shoppers can breathe a collective sigh of relief: Coca-Cola products will be back on shelves Monday. Last month, after a surprisingly public pricing squabble with the world's largest soft drink maker, the wholesale club stopped ordering Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Dasani, VitaminWater, Fresca, Odwalla, and all other Coca-Cola beverages from stores nationwide.

"Our sign that we had in stores everywhere basically said it all - 'Until we can provide our members with these products at competitive prices and provide our members with value, we are not prepared to sell it,'" Costco CFO Richard Galanti said. "We're now going to sell it."

Considering Costco's market influence, I knew there would be a quick resolution, and I'm glad it has come in time for most of the month's holiday parties. Are you excited to hear that Coke will be back on Costco shelves?

Source: Flickr User paulswansen

Costco No Longer Carrying Coca-Cola Products

YumSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:15:25 -0800

If you weren't able to locate a case of Coke on your last trip to Costco, don't worry - you aren't going crazy. Yesterday, the wholesale club confirmed that it is no longer carrying Coca-Cola products in stores nationwide.

The Washington-based wholesaler is currently in the middle of a dispute with the Coca-Cola Co. Although neither would comment on the matter further, the world's largest soft drink maker said that it was involved in "ongoing negotiations" with the store.

Considering Costco is the fifth largest general retailer in the United States, I'm predicting a resolution soon. But in the meantime, customers will simply have to shop elsewhere to get their Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Dasani, VitaminWater, Fresca, Minute Maid, and Odwalla fills (among others). Will you be forced to stock up on soft drinks elsewhere?

Coca-Cola Brings Vault Drink Head to Head With Mtn Dew

YumSugar — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 07:50:45 -0700

Beverage titan Coca-Cola, eager to improve flat sales of carbonated beverage Vault, is hoping to win over consumers with a campaign that employs a tried-and-true tactic: free drinks.

Although Pepsi-owned (and recently renamed) Mtn Dew carries as much as 80 percent of the market share for citrus soda, Coca-Cola's three-year-old citrus cooler Vault, with four percent of the market share, has fizzled with customers. Hoping to turn the tides for Vault, Coca-Cola will soon begin its "Don't Dew It" campaign.

In an attempt to convert Mtn Dew die-hards into Vault fanatics, the company will be giving away coupons for free 16-ounce, 20-ounce, or 24-ounce Vault drinks when customers purchase a 20-ounce Mtn Dew.

During the economic downturn, consumer coupon use has skyrocketed. Like other recent promotions, industry experts anticipate that the "Vault Taste Challenge," will see a huge participation rate from consumers. Of course, for Coca-Cola, it will come at a price - that of at least a couple million dollars.

Although I think this campaign will be successful, I'm skeptical of Coca-Cola snagging a significant portion of Mtn Dew's market share. I used to be a huge Mtn Dew fan, and Surge, Mellow Yellow, and the others just didn't do it for me. Do you think it will prove to be lucrative?

Source