II. Vocabulary in context

The change was no small decision by Coca-Cola. For 99 years, the Coke formula had stayed the same. Yet, beginning in the 1970s, the company started losing market share to its biggest rival, Pepsi. By 1984, sales of Coke and Pepsi were almost even.

In response to these disturbing trends, Coca-Cola developed a new, sweeter formula. It held almost 200,000 taste tests, with mostly positive results. On April 23, 1985, the new formula hit the market. Many people liked the taste, but a growing number of consumers were upset that "their" Coca-Cola had been changed. Thousands of people wrote angry letters and telephoned the company, demanding that the original for­mula be brought back. In songs, TV shows, newspapers, and magazines, people expressed their unhappiness with New Coke. In the meantime, Pepsi took over as the top soft drink in the country. What happened? In blind taste tests, people preferred the new formula. What Coca-Cola did not consider was how strongly people were attached to the original taste and brand. Millions of consumers grew up drinking Coke, and they had fond memories of sharing the drink with friends and family members. In short, the original Coke was an important part of their lives, and people had an emotional attachment to the drink.

On July 10, less than three months after the release of New Coke, Coca-Cola admitted defeatand started selling the original formula (now called "Coca-Cola Classic") once again. Consumers were thrilled that such a large company had bowed to their wishes. They were also excited to have the old Coke back. Coca-Cola Classic quickly rose to the top spot in the "cola wars" of the 1980s. And so, even though New Coke was a terrible disaster, it actually strengthened people's loyalty to the Coca-Cola brand. This was one case where admitting a mistake was clearly the best thing to do.