(Atlanta) Snacks in North America are becoming spicier and Coca-Cola wants to follow this trend.
On Wednesday, the Atlanta-based soft drink giant introduced Coca-Cola Spiced, the first new permanent offering in three years in North America. Coca-Cola Spiced and Coca-Cola Spiced Zero Sugar go on sale in Canada and the United States on February 19.
Coca-Cola Spiced doesn’t have much heat. The main flavor drinkers will notice is a hint of raspberry. Coca-Cola doesn’t name the spices it added, because it jealously protects its recipes, but they taste like amped-up versions of the spices in regular Coke.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Shakir Moin, head of North American marketing for Coca-Cola, noted that the quantity of spicy products has increased because consumers’ taste palettes have evolved. Coca-Cola says it realized this could be an opportunity in soft drinks.
Coke has been exploring ways to get younger drinkers excited about its signature cola. In 2022, the company launched Coca-Cola Creations, a series of eight limited-edition Coca-Cola flavors in colorful cans and bottles. Coca-Cola added notes of coconut, strawberry, watermelon and other flavors to the drinks.
The final example, Coca-Cola Happy Tears, contains salt and mineral flavors. It will be sold only via TikTok on February 17 in the United States and Great Britain.
Shakir Moin explained that customer research for Coca-Cola Creations contributed to the development of Coca-Cola Spiced.
It usually takes Coca-Cola at least a year to develop a new drink, he said, but Coca-Cola Spiced took just seven weeks. Shakir Moin pointed out that consumers are moving faster and the company must be faster than the market.