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Coca Cola axe Coke Life in the UK after terrible sales
Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2017 11:49 pm
by KK
Coca-Cola is phasing out its Life brand in the UK less than three years after the troubled product’s launch as new figures show sales are slumping.
Coca-Cola is to axe its Life brand in the UK from June as sales continue to lose their fizz.
Coca-Cola Life, which accounts for just under 1% of the company’s trademark sales, has been dogged by poor performance since launching in 2014. The product is marketed as a more natural alternative to other Coke variants as it is partially sweetened with stevia extract.
During the year to 18 March 2017, Coca-Cola Life’s volume sales fell 73.1% and dropped 74.6% in value terms, according to Nielsen data seen by Marketing Week. By contrast, volume sales for Coca-Cola Zero Sugar rocketed by 81.2% and value sales by 56.6% during the same period.
The company said now was the right time to phase out the Life brand in order to make a clearer distinction between its sugar and sugar-free options. The latter now make up 52% of its UK sales.
I tried it once and then never again. I can't even remember if it was any good or not actually. I didn't buy it because the cut in sugar didn't feel anywhere near drastic enough.
I've stopped with Coca Cola completely as I just find it too sweet, but I can't get on with new Coke Zero either as it's epically bland. Like a poor quality lager (as in the drink larger) it only seems to work when it's served as close to frozen as possible. Of all Zero calorie drinks it's the most flavourless.
I rather liked Pepsi Raw but it wasn't long for this world either. It was also incredibly expensive and came in a smaller can.
Re: Coca Cola axe Coke Life in the UK after terrible sales
Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2017 11:54 pm
by Lagamorph
Good. It was the worst tasting of any Coca Cola product by far.
Don't understand how anyone could even attempt to say it tasted the same as regular Coca Cola unless they had completely strawberry floated tastebuds.
Re: Coca Cola axe Coke Life in the UK after terrible sales
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2017 12:02 am
by KK
Lagamorph wrote:Good. It was the worst tasting of any Coca Cola product by far.
Don't understand how anyone could even attempt to say it tasted the same as regular Coca Cola unless they had completely strawberry floated tastebuds.
Various studies have always claimed people can't tell the difference between Pepsi and Coca Cola so I wouldn't be surprised if some people couldn't tell the difference. I'm sure if you stripped away the branding many people would be quite happy with own brand cokes. I like Diet Coke from Sainsbury's and M&S, though I haven't seen the latter in months.
Re: Coca Cola axe Coke Life in the UK after terrible sales
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2017 12:11 am
by Lagamorph
Who the hell can't tell the difference between Pepsi and Coca Cola? Do these people have no sense of taste whatsoever?
Re: Coca Cola axe Coke Life in the UK after terrible sales
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2017 12:17 am
by KK
I suppose it's regularly served so cold, watered down with ice, and drank with junk food I wouldn't be surprised. If you're only having it sporadically, maybe they blend into one another. I would say the difference between Pepsi Max and Diet Coke compared to Pepsi and Coca Cola is more pronounced though. And Coke Zero because it tastes of nothing.
Re: Coca Cola axe Coke Life in the UK after terrible sales
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2017 12:53 am
by Return_of_the_STAR
I can definitely tell the difference between brands of cola. Also if people couldn't tell the difference between coke life and normal coke then shouldn't coke life sales have been really high as surely you would buy the stuff that's better for you if the taste was the same?
The reality is that coke life didn't taste very nice, I tried it a couple of times and it wasn't as nice as regular coke, for me it had a bit of a bitter taste to it.
I also don't like Coke Zero but I do like Pepsi max. Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi are gooseberry fool.
We all know though that cherry coke is the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be.
Re: Coca Cola axe Coke Life in the UK after terrible sales
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2017 3:34 am
by Garth
Never even tried it.
Re: Coca Cola axe Coke Life in the UK after terrible sales
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2017 6:08 am
by Errkal
Good, it was bloody horrible stuff!
Re: Coca Cola axe Coke Life in the UK after terrible sales
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2017 6:19 am
by Preezy
Better than Diet Coke, but worse than Pepsi Max. I shall not miss this mutant abomination.
Re: Coca Cola axe Coke Life in the UK after terrible sales
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2017 7:07 am
by Qikz
Re: Coca Cola axe Coke Life in the UK after terrible sales
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2017 7:26 am
by Moggy
What they should have done is created an advert where Coke Life drinking sexy cool people rise up against the metropolitan elite liberals and take back control of their country. The final shot could be a massive projection onto the Rock of Gibraltar that just says "HANDS OFF OUR LIFE SENOR!".
Re: Coca Cola axe Coke Life in the UK after terrible sales
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2017 8:20 am
by False
I didnt see the point, it still had a shitload of sugar in it. Always just went for diet coke instead if I couldnt get pepsi max.
Re: Coca Cola axe Coke Life in the UK after terrible sales
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2017 12:39 pm
by Jenuall
Tried it once and it was pretty bland, however it was never really available in too many places either so I doubt many will mourn it's passing.
Diet Coke can strawberry float right off though, that drink is truly awful. The number of times I've visited people or been at social events where Diet Coke is offered as the soft drink option: "Oh you like Coke don't you, here you go", handed glass full of liquid gooseberry fool and forced to drink it out of politeness!
Re: Coca Cola axe Coke Life in the UK after terrible sales
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2017 12:50 pm
by Jam-Master Jay
Never tried Coke Life, but if it's anything like Diet Coke or Coke Zero then good riddance.
Re: Coca Cola axe Coke Life in the UK after terrible sales
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2017 3:28 pm
by Ironhide
It all tastes rubbish to me, I stopped drinking most soft drinks years ago and now they all taste far too sweet, even the sugar free ones.
Re: Coca Cola axe Coke Life in the UK after terrible sales
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2017 3:40 pm
by KK
Ironhide wrote:It all tastes rubbish to me, I stopped drinking most soft drinks years ago and now they all taste far too sweet, even the sugar free ones.
When you stop having sugar for a prolonged time it's amazing how your taste buds adjust. You then go back to the same food and it taste ridiculously sweet. The same with salt. I've noticed a few Americans complain about our food when holidaying here when compared to theirs (underseasoned, not sweet enough, portion sizes too small) and you can reverse that too (too sweet, too salty, too big). It's simply what your body ges used to. You will adjust to either scenario.
It would be great to taste Coca Cola with gradually degrading levels of sugar just to see what it tastes like and at what point it becomes undrinkable.
Re: Coca Cola axe Coke Life in the UK after terrible sales
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2017 4:13 pm
by Moggy
KK wrote:It would be great to taste Coca Cola with gradually degrading levels of sugar just to see what it tastes like and at what point it becomes undrinkable.
That would be interesting, I imagine it is utterly foul without any sugar/sweetener.
I'd love to go back in time and try the original Coca Cola that was laced with cocaine.
Re: Coca Cola axe Coke Life in the UK after terrible sales
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2017 4:53 pm
by Return_of_the_STAR
KK wrote:Ironhide wrote:It all tastes rubbish to me, I stopped drinking most soft drinks years ago and now they all taste far too sweet, even the sugar free ones.
When you stop having sugar for a prolonged time it's amazing how your taste buds adjust. You then go back to the same food and it taste ridiculously sweet. The same with salt. I've noticed a few Americans complain about our food when holidaying here when compared to theirs (underseasoned, not sweet enough, portion sizes too small) and you can reverse that too (too sweet, too salty, too big). It's simply what your body ges used to. You will adjust to either scenario.
It would be great to taste Coca Cola with gradually degrading levels of sugar just to see what it tastes like and at what point it becomes undrinkable.
I would actually like to see them attempt this. Just remove a gram of sugar once a year.
Re: Coca Cola axe Coke Life in the UK after terrible sales
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2017 5:29 pm
by 7256930752
I don't think I've even seen Coke Life. Is it sold in cans?
Coke Zero is my favourite, tastes more like normal Coke than diet but doesn't make me feel like I have fur on my teeth.
Re: Coca Cola axe Coke Life in the UK after terrible sales
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2017 5:34 pm
by Squinty
Is this the green one?
That one was strawberry floating nasty.
Edit - it is. Terrible tasting stuff.
