Although, they did not resort to arson over it.
But, the evidence was there all along that this new formula was going to fail -- the company just ignored it, possibly because its executives were too busy with the other kind of coke. It was the 1980s, after all.
Most people remember New Coke as tasting terrible. This wasn't actually true. In fact, when they tested it in focus groups, people preferred the new flavor. But, when participants were asked if they would still like it if that flavor replaced the original Coca-Cola, about 12 percent of people didn't just say no, they actually got angry.
That's the problem with being really successful at what you do. Coke wasn't just a drink people bought because they were thirsty. It was a mega-brand; it went beyond a drink to being associated with childhood memories and classic ad campaigns where Don Draper made the whole world sing that song. Coca-Cola was so ingrained in people's lives that they almost didn't notice it anymore. So, when faced with the idea that this part of their lives might change, even if they liked the new taste, they took it personally. And those 12 percent of people, while not enough to tank New Coke on their own, put enough peer pressure on the people in their focus groups that they skewed more negatively.
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