Coke Launches Coca-Cola With Coffee

If soda's just not getting it done for you, Coca-Cola thinks it has just the right answer. Beginning today, the Atlanta-based beverage maker has officially started to roll out Coca-Cola with Coffee, a coffee-infused product first announced last summer. Coke says the drink "sips like a Coke and finishes like a coffee," and should be available at most major retailers immediately.

The beverage will be available in both a regular and Zero Sugar option, resulting in five total flavors for the line. The regular drink comes in Dark Blend, Vanilla, and Caramel while Coca-Cola with Coffee Zero Sugar comes in Dark Blend and Vanilla. They'll be positioned in the "ready-to-drink" coffee (RTD) section of supermarkets as compared to the soda aisle.

"We're focusing our innovation efforts on doing what Coca-Cola has always stood for and does best – which is to deliver emotional and functional uplift – in bigger, bolder, more differentiated ways," Coca-Cola brand director Brandan Strickland said in the launch announcement. "Coca-Cola with Coffee is a true hybrid innovation that provides the perfect solution for that mid-afternoon pick-me-up we all want, especially in today's work-from-home environment. We're fulfilling this need state and occasion in a uniquely Coca-Cola way."

According to data Coke released, over half of all soda drinkers drink both the fizzy drink and coffee, a major driving force behind the development of this product.

"Many people are often torn between reaching for a soft drink or a coffee at 3 p.m. at work, at school or on the go. Now, you don't need to leave Coca-Cola to get your coffee fix," Strickland added. "While other categories including energy drinks have ventured into zero-sugar territory, RTD coffee hasn't because many offerings are dairy-based. So we see this as a major whitespace opportunity."

The product itself has been available internationally for quite some time, having first been introduced in Japan in 2018. The United States will be the company's 50th market to get access to the beverage. Coke applauds its early testing numbers, saying 80-percent of those who tried the drink said they'd buy it again.

"This is a beverage that's truly meant to be tasted," Strickland concluded.