New York (CNN) � Coke has a problem: People are increasingly seeking out water, seltzer and other flavored drinks and treating the 137-year-old soda as, well, a treat.
To counteract the trend, Coca-Cola over the past few years has experimented with to persuade customers to try Coke again. But its latest flavor, Coca-Cola Spiced, is its first permanent addition in a while. It’s part of Coke’s attempt to cater to tastes changing along with America’s demographics.
Coca-Cola announced the new Spiced flavor Wednesday, saying it blends the traditional Coke flavor with raspberry and spiced flavors. It will be available both in full sugar and zero-sugar varieties when it hits store shelves in the US and Canada in the coming weeks.
Coke is feeling competition from smaller brands that produce punchier and fruit-inspired flavors, like Olipop and Poppi, that have � attention.
“Growth in sales of flavored sodas has generally outpaced cola for years, which is helped by a growing multicultural population,� said Duane Stanford, editor and publisher of Beverage Digest.
Traditional Coke, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Diet Coke sales grew by just 1% in North America in 2022, the most recent year for which the company has provided full sales data. That was outpaced by 3% growth in sparkling water and juice brands. In other regions, traditional Coke sales growth was outmatched by water, tea, sports drinks and coffee.
A rare new permanent addition
Coke doesn’t often add to its lineup: Spiced joins just a few other flavors it always sells, including its flagship flavor, cherry and vanilla.
Spiced was selected because it’s “all about being on category trend and responsive to our consumer preferences,� who are , Sue Lynne Cha, Coke’s vice president of marketing for North America, told CNN.
Coke’s research found that an “increase in consumer willingness to try a spiced beverage� and that raspberry was selected more than 5 million times on its Freestyle drink machines in 2022, which the company “often uses for inspiration� for new flavors, she said.
“Consumers are looking for more bold flavors and more complex flavor profiles. That’s a trend we started to see in food, but also in beverage and we though that was a unique space for us to play in,� she said, adding that there’s been of a “desire of discovery� with people wanting to try something new.
“It appears Coca-Cola is looking to splice that trend onto its flagship with hopes of getting young consumers to consider the entire franchise,� he told CNN.
Coca-Cola Spiced goes on sale February 19 in both cans and bottles in various sizes at most national retailers.
This story has been updated with additional context
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