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Hottest Products of 2007: Coca-Cola shakes up Coke Zero

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This post is part of our Hottest Products of 2007 feature. Also check out our other Hottest Products of 2007 posts and let us know which product you think is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Coke ZeroAmidst the blizzard of new, reformulated, ginseng-and-caffeine-enhanced, electrolyte-balanced, energy-providing drinks flooding the grocery store shelves is one new hit product that thrives for one simple reason -- it tastes better than its competitors. For Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO), Coke Zero, meant to emulate the taste of original Coke instead of the flavor of Diet Coke, has been a home run.

First launched in 2005, the brand did not catch fire until the company recast the brand this year with an edgier image. The ad campaign by Caren Pasquale Seckler Crispin Porter Bogusky, in which supposed Coke executives tried to sue Coke Zero for "taste infringement" appealed to a younger demographic. Other keys to the brand were the introduction of its black can and the removal of the word "diet," a term that young males do not respond to.



While core Coke brands are losing market share (Coke Classic, for example, was down 0.3% in 2006), Zero's sales are up 34% from the same time last year. Overall, the drink has already grabbed 1.3% of the U.S. carbonated drink market. Zero's quick acceptance has helped buoy the company's prospects, making it a worthy selection as one the Hottest (and coolest) Products of 2007.

If you've had some experience with this product, let us know about it. Or if you know of something else that you think is one of the Hottest Products of 2007, feel free to tell us about that as well.

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Last updated: July 05, 2009: 03:27 PM

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