Why Coca-Cola Won’t Taste The Same In 2099.
We’ve all tasted Coca-Cola before. That bubbly sensation of carbonated soda swirling down our throats, with a distinct sweet fizz.
For many, the taste of Coca-Cola is nostalgic. It’s a drink you’ll find at almost every social event. Parties, restaurants, movie theatres, family gatherings. Coca-Cola is consumed during all these times of fun and happiness.
Coke has always had this distinct taste to it, and it’s a hard taste to describe. You don’t easily comprehend the flavour, you may even find yourself questioning why you enjoy the drink so much. What incredible ingredients are included?, that’s lures me into buying this drink, again and again?
While the taste of Coca-Cola has changed over the years (for several reasons), customers all across the globe, still love this beverage.
But what does the future hold for Coca-Cola?
I’m confident that in the year 2099 Coca-Cola will still be an thriving company, after all it’s been around for over a decade now.
But will Coke taste the same? Will the sweet and refreshing taste of Coke — we all know and love, still be around in 2099?
I’ve got evidence to assume that Coca-Cola is likely to undergo some radical changes to their iconic beverage.
Products change and evolve over time
Products are very similar to humans, they undergo a life cycle. Just like a baby, they’re introduced to the world. They’re new, and it takes time for people to get to know them.
As time passes by, the product slowly evolves. Customers start purchasing the product, the design of the product may start to variate in colour and style, eye-catching advertisements start capturing consumers — which forms a perception of the brand in customers minds.
Changes to a product, are an natural progression. Sometimes these changes are internally caused. The food industry is a great example, executives will restyle the design or alter the taste of a product, in the hope of sparking a new desire among customers for the good.
Coca-Cola has undergone this natural progression. Modifications in bottle designs, logos, and ingredients have occurred during it’s century long life. Many of these changes, have occurred out of external factors. The Coca-Cola logo is a great example.
In 1920 Coca-Cola wanted to imprint their iconic logo onto the top of every bottle they sold. It would make the bottles look more unique and special. But, there was a problem. Competitor brands copied the logo’s style. This confused customers, and more importantly, it no longer made Coca-Cola special. Coca-Cola opted for their last resort, a special shaped bottle.
After working with the innovative mind, Harold Hirsch. Coca-Cola were able to design their iconic, curved glass bottle.
How customers have the power to alter the taste of Coca-Cola:
“The customer is always right”
It’s a saying we’ve all heard before. A business’s priority should be their customers, after all they’re the ones who keep them in business through buying their products. Therefore, customers should always have their voices heard.
Over the last two decades we’ve seen a rise in health conscientious customers, partically among young individuals. The world is currently experiencing the largest amounts of childhood obesity, in history. Over the past three decades, in the US alone, obesity rates have tripled, with 1 in 6 American children being obese.
FanBytes.co.uk, recently conducted a survey looking at individuals of Gen Z’s attitude toward healthy eating. The results were that 72% of respondents stated healthy eating is an integral part of their physical and mental health.
Fanbytes stated that with Gen Z being a “digital generation” they have easy access to healthy food suggestions online. More young people are discovering the cons of unhealthy eating, thanks to the wide range of information that’s available on the internet.
The rise in health conscientiousness and obesity, has already impacted Coca-Cola. Many doctors hold fast-food brands and beverage companies ( like Coca-Cola) responsible for the rise in obesity. Coke is a beverage that shouldn’t be consumed frequently due to it’s high sugar intake, but the drink is highly accessible. Hundreds of businesses in the UK ( and several other countries) sell Coca-Cola to young children.
Coca-Cola has tried to please healthy conscientious consumers. In 2005 Coca-Cola released “Coke Zero”. A zero calorie variant of coke, designed to satisfy customers who wanted Coke, without all the calories.
Almost a decade later Coca-Cola released “Coke life” a supposedly natural variant of Coke, that used stevia as a sweetener instead of cane sugar.
Issues surrounding healthy eating are becoming ever more prominent in today’s society. Coca-Cola has already received pressure from governments surrounding their high sugar levels. In 2018 the British government introduced the sugar tax. A tax that increased the price of drinks with high doses of sugar.
This tax forced Coca-Cola to reduce their quantities of sugar in the UK drinks ( Sprite, Coke, Fanta etc), and did slightly change the taste. If future generations inherit the healthy eating spirit, Coca-Cola could be forced to further adapt their iconic Coke recipe, altering the taste in the process.
Coca-Cola’s Battle Against Climate Change
Coca-Cola’s secret formula has helped has contributed to their century long success. The lifeblood of the formula, is the ingredients.
Currently a major threat posed against Coca-Cola’s ingredients, is Climate Change.
Coca-Cola relies upon Corn syrup for the production of their drinks, in certain parts of the world. Corn syrup is a commodity, that’s future is in peril, as a result of climate change. Climate change has caused unpredictable rainfall patterns, severe droughts have led to yields of corn being lost during the harvest seasons.
This is coupled with the fact that climate change is causing more extreme weather events. Hurricanes, storms, tsunamis etc.
To make matters worse there’s also Coca-Cola’s increasingly high consumption of water. Over the years Coca-Cola has been accused of dehydrating local communities in rural areas of the world. As a result of Coca-Cola’s pursuit of water, in order to produce Coke.
While Coca-Cola has mitigated this issue via partnerships with international aid organisations. If we assume Coca-Cola will continue to expand and grow as a business over the next 7 decades, Coca-Cola could be in trouble.
Water scarcity is on the rise, and Coca-Cola would need to produce more bottles of Coke — which means more water.
There could come a time, where Coca-Cola lessens their quantity of water per bottle. This of course could massively change the taste of Coke.
Nobody Knows Tomorrow:
Although I have listed several reasons as to why I believe Coca-Cola won’t be the same as what it currently is. Nobody knows the future. If Coca-Cola can effectively battle the external pressures and issues, surrounding their production of Coca-Cola. Then it’s perfectly plausible that Coke will taste exactly like it does today.
Nonetheless, this outcome is very unlikely. Changes can occur via internal resolves. The future Coca-Cola executives, are likely to make the bold business decision, of deviating from the current recipe, perhaps changing it to something more profitable or sustainable.
Ultimately, changing the taste.
