Pepsi-Cola announced yesterday in a press release that it is increasing its production of flavored sodas, attempting to capitalize on the growing market. “We’ve had a lot of success with ‘Pepsi Twist’, our lemon-flavored product, so producing new flavors makes sense for us. We are very proud and excited to announce these new cola products”, said company spokesperson Allison North.
The announcement came after several months of product testing, said North. Children, teenagers, and adults from several demographic areas and economic backgrounds were used by Pepsi to develop and test the new flavors. “We feel very confident that the success in our test markets will translate to the general public”, said North. “If not, I suppose we will have a failed experiment. But it still won’t be as bad as New Coke (was).”
Some flavors will be seasonal offerings. “Pumpkin Pepsi” will be available during September and October to coincide with Halloween. “CranPepsi”, which is cranberry flavored, will be a November release. For the Christmas holiday, Pepsi will make “Mince Meat Pepsi” available. The cola giant hopes that such beverages will become holiday traditions, and that the public will look forward to the releases each year. “I know my family will have CranPepsi at our Thanksgiving table, right next to the stuffing and potatoes”, said North.
Other flavors were designed with different market segments in mind. For the adult cola drinker, there is “MintPepsi”. “You know how Pepsi tastes if you drink it right after you brush your teeth? Imagine being able to enjoy that anytime you want to, but without having to brush your teeth!” said a visibly excited North. For infants and toddlers, there is “PepsiCare”, which combines the taste of cola with the nutrition of baby formula. “Cookie Dough Pepsi” is aimed at older children and depressed, single women. And Pepsi is hoping that “Pepsi Prune” will appeal to older adults, “For flavor as well as results”, said North with a wink. The new Pepsi flavors are expected to hit stores later this month, with the seasonal offerings coming later in the year.
In the meantime, Pepsi engineers will continue to develop new flavors. According to the official press release, “The flavored cola phenomenon will continue, and Pepsi needs to be well positioned to move on new taste trends”. North elaborated for The Blue Brick. “We are currently testing ‘After The Rain Pepsi’. It’s kind of like smelling a fabric softener dryer sheet, and drinking Pepsi at the same time. Another one that we are very excited about that is currently in development is “Movie Theater Popcorn Pepsi. Imagine getting the great taste of Pepsi and buttery popcorn in one swallow. We feel that this product will appeal to moviegoers of all ages”, she said.
Look for aggressive marketing campaigns to correspond with the new flavor launches. Several celebrities will endorse the Pepsi drinks, including Rosie O’Donnell, who will “shot-gun” a “Cookie Dough Pepsi” in an ad that will premiere during the Winter Olympics. |
