Last week, we discussed how Truly Hard Seltzer had been a marketing sensation as the brand carved a new niche by leveraging cultural trends and using influencers smartly.
In other words, working hard on strengthening relationships with customers.
Now, the soft drink mega-giant, Coca-Cola, announced that it would join the increasingly popular hard seltzer market and enter the alcoholic beverage business. The company plans to start with its first US-available boozy version of its Topo Chico sparkling water.
Coke “is committed to exploring new products in dynamic beverage categories, including hard seltzer,” the company said in a statement.
“Topo Chico Hard Seltzer is an experimental drink inspired by Topo Chico sparkling mineral water, which has been popular with many mixologists.”
Following the success of the Truly Hard Seltzer’s with the 21-34-year-old male and millennial segment – Coca-Cola is likely to become its rival when the alcoholic beverage is released sometime in the U.S. next year.
Interestingly, David Burwick, Boston Beer’s CEO, the owner of Truly Hard Seltzer, used to be the CMO at Pepsi-Cola North America for many years.
According to Burwick, Boston Beer’s comparable shipments increased by over 35% during the last quarter, and Americans spent $3 billion on hard seltzer in U.S. retail stores in the 52 weeks ending July 11.
That’s an increase of 241% from the year-earlier that sheltering-in-place orders could explain. Also, the apparent increase in demand for alcoholic beverages during the pandemic, including beer and seltzers, undoubtedly contribute to this growth.
“People’s taste preferences and lifestyles are changing, so we’re evolving our portfolio to meet those needs,” says Javier Meza, Chief Marketing Officer for The Coca-Cola Company’s sparkling beverage portfolio.
“As a total beverage company, we are constantly listening to consumers and looking for ways to innovate and bring people more of the beverages they want.”
And that’s not all. In January 2021, Coca-Cola will release coffee-flavored Coke in the U.S. offering dark blend, vanilla, and caramel flavors.
Each will have double the caffeine of regular Coke for all those tired folks.
“We think of this as a hybrid category. We’ve got an opportunity to create almost a new sub-category called refreshment coffee,” says Jaideep Kibe, Vice President for Coca-Cola’s trademark.
“As people have been in lockdown or working from home, there’s a real opportunity to get that boost, that little pick-me-up, whether it’s the slump in the afternoon or mid-morning.”
Both are great ways to adapt to what consumers are calling for in the new reality, and show that even the biggest companies are taking real measures to adapt their offering quickly. And if they can stir such huge ships, for sure you can do it, too. Right?