Coca-Cola is ditching Coke Zero and will launch Coca-Cola Zero Sugar this summer in a £10m marketing campaign
Coca-Cola will launch its latest sugar-free offering this summer to replace Coke Zero, after a consumer poll showed 50 per cent of people did not know Coke Zero contained no sugar.
Coke Zero's replacement, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, will be launched this summer with a £10m marketing campaign to highlight that the drink is a low sugar alternative to its traditional, red-canned fizz.
Currently, 43 per cent of the drinks giant's Coke products sold in the UK are low sugar (Diet Coke) or no sugar brands, although sugar-free food and beverage alternatives have taken on new momentum since George Osborne's sugar tax was a surprise feature of last month's Budget.
As well as a new name, many consumers will also be breathing a sigh of relief as Coca-Cola Zero Sugar apparently also "tastes more like coke and looks more like Coke" than the original Coke Zero, which was launched in 2006. The new cans, which will still have a black background, will also include the Coca-Cola signature red disc.
Coca-Cola previously launched a lower calorie version in 2014, named Coca-Cola Life, which had 89 calories per can and used natural rather than artificial sweeteners.
Jon Woods, Coca-Cola Great Britain general manager, said:
For years we have offered people a choice – every brand we sell has a great tasting no sugar version. Since 2012 our commercial strategy has focused on accelerating the growth of our no sugar options.
We know that millions of people love the taste of Coca-Cola and have been working to refine the recipe of Coca-Cola Zero to match the taste of the original, but without sugar. It’s the biggest investment we’ve made in a new product launch for a decade and will give people the great taste of Coca-Cola Classic but without the sugar.