One would note that most of my blog entries are heartfelt white papers on deep business issues from my 47 years\u2019 experience as a Big Four CPA, management accountant, CFO of a NYSE-traded group of manufacturing companies and, for the past 19 years, a part-time CFO.\u00a0 Reading other blogs, I realize that blogs can also address more universal concerns.\u00a0 So, here is one that has me shaking my head in amazement every time I drink a Coke Zero.<\/p>\n
I recently saw a Coke commercial there the food and drink conglomerate tries to establish the perception that Coke Zero tastes exactly like real Coke.\u00a0 Give me a break!<\/p>\n
I was raised on Coca-Cola in Iowa in the 1950s and 1960s.\u00a0 My teeth rotted away like plutonium rods in a Japanese power house.\u00a0 I had all of my teeth drilled out by a \u201cnew, high-speed drill\u201d marketed by a new dentist in town when I was 11-13 years old.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t stand brushing my teeth (a chalk on the chalkboard thing), and God was forced to work a miracle, by freezing an electric toothbrush (not in a box but fairly new and complete with charger) deep under water in a rut in the alley where I played, just so I could start brushing.\u00a0 I dug that brush out of the ice and used it for years and years.\u00a0 I just last week replaced my Sonicare that burned out after one year, but I digress!\u00a0 I knew and loved Coke and considered myself a Coca-Cola connoisseur (also of root beer \u2013 Frostie was the best but only available when on my dad\u2019s truck route when we stopped in Lake Park, IA).\u00a0 A&W was good, but only when Amanda Gruis brought it in frozen mugs to the car at the A&W stand in Sioux City, IA \u2013 that\u2019s a whole different blog (under a pen name, ‘cuz she was “hot”).<\/p>\n
I put up with the New Coke \/ Classic Coke thing.\u00a0 McDonald\u2019s still used the New Coke formula for some time, I\u2019m convinced, or at least they use stainless steel containers instead of plastic bags, and I liked it better than Classic Coke.\u00a0 No big deal\u2026 filter the water and air better, lower the syrup content, make more money\u2026 but that was fine.<\/p>\n
What was interesting was Coke\u2019s attempt at diet cola \u2013 Tab.\u00a0 Well, Tab was an acquired taste but once acquired it was great.\u00a0 The lower PH of Tab would sometimes upset my stomach, but I had discovered pizza by then so it was of no material consequence.\u00a0 I liked Tab as a new flavor of soft drink.\u00a0 It tasted nothing like Coke, and everybody knew it.\u00a0 I still run across Tab from time to time and pay an outrageous price to pick up a few bottles.\u00a0 Unless, that is, the store has Sidral Mundet (red apple only, please, learned in my days acquiring a business in Guadalajara) soda; if you see a six pack of Tab sitting in with the Sidral at the store \u2013 that was me changing my mind.<\/p>\n
Diet Coke finally got it right as it is Coke with different sweetener (and more salt).\u00a0 Why did it take so long?!\u00a0 I don\u2019t drink Diet Coke, but it is what it says it is.<\/p>\n
Now for the rant!\u00a0 In an attempt to change perception, and therefore reality, the marketing people (the lowest form of human slime?) in Atlanta have had the audacity to claim that Coke Zero tastes ANYTHING like Coca-Cola.\u00a0 Restated more clearly, \u201cHey, Mr. Seckler, Coke Zero does not taste ANYTHING like regular Coke.\u201d\u00a0 It is merely a slightly reformulated Tab with a more effective Ace-K sweetener.\u00a0 When the Borat-style ads showed up with two idiots using cardboard cutouts to demonstrate\u2026 I forget what\u2026, we should have turned the TV off, picked up a Coca-Cola (bottled only, please) and started reading a book!<\/p>\n
Coke should market Coke Zero by saying something like, \u201cTry it, you might like it\u201d, \u201cOld farts that don\u2019t like Diet Coke should drink Coke Zero\u201d or even \u201cDrink a stronger, bolder cola\u201d as the black cans try to imply.\u00a0 Flying pigs are popular so that will be used soon, I suspect.\u00a0 If your target market is old men, and the NFL is going to be a no-show, don\u2019t forget that boobs sell!\u00a0 Where is Amanda Gruis when you need her?!<\/p>\n
But Coke Zero tastes like Coke?\u00a0 Give me a break!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
One would note that most of my blog entries are heartfelt white papers on deep business issues from my 47 years\u2019 experience as a Big Four CPA, management accountant, CFO of a NYSE-traded group of manufacturing companies and, for the past 19 years, a part-time CFO.\u00a0 Reading other blogs, I realize that blogs can also…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[33,32],"class_list":["post-1770","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-coke","tag-lighter-side"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n