YumSugar

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

Yum's March Must Haves

partysugar — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 12:50:04 -0800

Can you believe March is already here? With it comes longer days, the arrival of Spring, and St. Patrick's Day! Oh not to mention all the wonderful fresh produce - asparagus, artichokes, spring onions - that will be popping up in farmers markets very soon. To ensure that you make the most of March, I've rounded up the items I can't live without this month. To find out what they are, start clicking.

View Slideshow ›

Dr Pepper Celebrates Guns N' Roses Release With Free Sodas

YumSugar — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:00:18 -0800

Update: Dr Pepper is extending its promotional offer through 6 p.m. EST on Monday, Nov. 24.

Earlier this year, Dr Pepper announced that it would be giving a free soda to "everyone in America" Guns N' Roses album Chinese Democracy, 17 years in the works, arrived anytime in 2008. This Sunday, Nov. 23, the agonizing wait will finally be over, and the people will have their Chinese Democracy - as well as a free Dr Pepper.

Dr Pepper has been behind the efforts of lead singer Axl Rose from the beginning. “We never thought this day would come," said Tony Jacobs, Dr Pepper's vice president of marketing, "but now that it's here, all we can say is: The Dr Pepper's on us."

To find out how you can get free Dr Pepper, read more.

On Nov. 23, visit Dr Pepper and register online to receive a coupon for one free 20-ounce Dr Pepper. You will receive the voucher, redeemable wherever Dr Pepper is sold, within 4 to 6 weeks.

Will you be redeeming your free soda? Do you commend Dr Pepper for its cool promotion, or think that it's another silly marketing ploy?

Source

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?

Taste Test: Thomas Kemper's Cane Sugar Soda

partysugar — Tue, 13 May 2008 13:15:09 -0700

In what's become a growing trend among soda manufacturers, Thomas Kemper has recently reformulated their soda recipes and updated packaging. Instead of using high-fructose corn syrup, the new beverages are naturally sweetened with pure cane sugar.

I tasted three - Black Cherry, Root Beer, and Ginger Ale - of the company's five sodas and was pleasantly surprised by the results. All of the sodas were refreshing with typical flavors that one would expect from a craft, bottled soda company. To find out how each one tasted, read more.

The root beer, with its vanilla-marshmallow smell and clear, classic taste, was my favorite. It was everything you want from a root beer - sweet and comforting. My least favorite was the black cherry. It had a strong artificial smell with a too-syrupy taste that reminded me of cough medicine. The fresh, clean, crisp ginger ale was my co-tester's favorite. They described it as a quality ginger ale that was "really good" with strong ginger flavor.

How about you? Have you tried the new Thomas Kemper formula? Did you notice a difference? Are you excited soda companies are eliminated the high-fructose corn syrup?

Beer Can Wrap: Love It or Hate It?

YumSugar — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 03:01:31 -0700

Want to get drunk in public? Or perhaps you want to hide the fact that you're drinking diet soda? If you're interested in doing either of those things then check out these Beer Can Wraps ($5.89 for 4). These vinyl wraps go around cans so you can hide whatever it is you're drinking. So what do you think? Would you ever use these wraps?

Do You Drink Carbonated and Caffeinated?

partysugar — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 01:31:33 -0800

I still have no clue who comes up with these crazy food holidays, but I have a feeling FitSugar will NOT be celebrating today. Why? Because it's National Carbonated Beverage with Caffeine Day! To celebrate, I've put together a little quiz that will test your knowledge on some of America's favorite soft drinks.

Source

Take the quiz

SodaStream Soda Maker: Worth Gushing About?

YumSugar — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:00:12 -0700

I have a confession to make: if I didn't worry about what my friends and family would say to me, I'd probably drink soda all day, every day - I love it that much. So when I got my hands on SodaStream's Soda Maker, a SkyMall-like contraption that claims to "turn tap water into sparkling water in three seconds," I knew I'd be in for some fizzy fun.According to Soda-Club, the company behind the machine, the SodaStream is more convenient (since you make soda instantly at home) than buying soda, less troublesome (no need to lug soda bottles), healthier (no high-fructose corn syrup), economically sensible, and better for the environment. Did the soda maker stand up to its claims? Find out when you read more.

I received a starter kit ($99.99) with a Fountain Jet Home Soda Maker, a 110-liter carbonator, two carbonating bottles, and an assortment of diet soda flavors and sparkling water essences. Following instructions, I assembled the machine, which requires no electricity, in under 10 minutes. To make soda, you fill a carbonating bottle with water, screw it into the machine, press a button four times to create fizz, and pour in some flavoring.

The soda machine is certainly easy to use, less troublesome to transport, and better for the environment. After the initial cost for the machine, a cup of soda will set you back less than $0.10. As far as taste, however, this is no match for store-bought soda.

The pop flavors (which included diet cola, diet grapefruit, diet cranberry-raspberry, and diet root beer) taste artificial with an odd aftertaste, and the bubbles aren't as fine or long-lasting as canned or bottled soda. "It's like Italian soda meets Crystal Light," a friend lamented. The flavored fruit essence drops taste even less natural. The soda bottles, despite being BPA-free, aren't dishwasher-safe.

If you're a heavy club soda drinker, or frequently make Italian sodas with traditional syrups, then this machine would actually be a good investment for you. But if you're a regular canned Coke drinker, the soda system's syrupy flavors won't likely be the replacement you're hoping for. Have you ever tried SodaStream? Did you come to the same conclusions about it?

View 16 Photos ›

Would You Eat This Tofurky and Gravy Soda?

YumSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:15:15 -0800

To commemorate the upcoming holiday, wacky beverage company Jones Soda Co. is rolling out an unusual seasonal flavor: Tofurky and Gravy soda. The item, based on the famous vegetarian turkey substitute Tofurky, is not only vegan, but it's also sugar-free. Right now, it's included in a limited-edition gift pack for $12.

Source

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