- Some may say Coke is late to the coffee party, Brandan Strickland, the brand director for Coca-Cola, says the launch timing, after two years of development, is intentional, and that the resulting product will stand out in a crowded field.
- "We wanted to do it in a way that was true to Coca-Cola," he says of the drink's creation. "This is unlike any other option out here in the marketplace."
- Tasters say, "Sips like a Coke, finishes like a coffee."
- Strickland offers the idea that it's something people will reach for in the dreaded "3 o'clock slump," that moment in the afternoon, he says, when consumers might debate whether they want a Coke or a coffee. The pick-me-up factor is real; a 12-ounce can contains 69 mg of caffeine, twice that of regular Coke, though still far lower than the 130 mg a similarly size cup of Starbucks offers.
- The product comes in dark blend, vanilla and Carmel flavors and is made with Brazilian coffee.
- Look for Coca-Cola with coffee hitting grocery shelves this week.
Melissa Forman in the MorningFull Bio