News

Meet the Brands: Coca-Cola Original Taste

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18/01/2024

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At Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, we serve 2 million customers across 30 countries. Our success is built on the power of our brands. In this new series, we are shining a light on our much-loved drinks that millions around the world enjoy every day.

First up, we have one of the world’s favourite soft drinks – Coca-Cola Original Taste.

HISTORY

1886 1919 1920s 1929 1931 1953 1982 2005

1886

Coca-Cola was created in 1886 by an Atlantan pharmacist called John Pemberton, after he brewed a caramel-flavoured liquid and mixed it with sparkling water. He sampled it with customers and then put it on sale at his pharmacy.

1920s

The Coca-Cola Company signed contracts with 23 bottlers in Spain in 1920 and distribution began in 1926. Distribution also began in Belgium and Germany in 1929.

1931

The Coca-Cola Company set up operations in four additional European territories, including opening a bottling plant in the Netherlands.

1982

Diet Coke launches in New York City – the first extension of the Coca-Cola trademark brand.

1919

Europe welcomes the first Coca-Cola bottling plants to Paris and Bordeaux in France.

1929

In 1929, the classic bell shaped Coca-Cola glass bottle made its first appearance.

1953

The Coca-Cola Company partnered with the Daurella family to create the first bottling plant in Barcelona, Spain.

2005

Coca-Cola Zero Sugar makes its debut in the US, launching in Europe one year later.

1886

Coca-Cola was created in 1886 by an Atlantan pharmacist called John Pemberton, after he brewed a caramel-flavoured liquid and mixed it with sparkling water. He sampled it with customers and then put it on sale at his pharmacy.

1919

Europe welcomes the first Coca-Cola bottling plants to Paris and Bordeaux in France.

1920s

The Coca-Cola Company signed contracts with 23 bottlers in Spain in 1920 and distribution began in 1926. Distribution also began in Belgium and Germany in 1929.

1929

In 1929, the classic bell shaped Coca-Cola glass bottle made its first appearance.

1931

The Coca-Cola Company set up operations in four additional European territories, including opening a bottling plant in the Netherlands.

1953

The Coca-Cola Company partnered with the Daurella family to create the first bottling plant in Barcelona, Spain.

1982

Diet Coke launches in New York City – the first extension of the Coca-Cola trademark brand.

2005

Coca-Cola Zero Sugar makes its debut in the US, launching in Europe one year later.

Did you know?

In Spain, Coca-Cola Original Taste is mixed with red wine to create a local favourite, Calimocho.

COCA-COLA ORIGINAL TASTE TODAY

coca cola sfeerbeeld 7 horizontaal

Today, Coca-Cola Original Taste is one of our most popular products1. It is particularly popular in Belgium and France2. Across our API region, it is referred to as Coke Classic or Coke Regular.

On average, in 2022, more than half of households in our CCEP markets in Europe bought a Coca-Cola Original Taste2. In  Australia and New Zealand, both Coca-Cola Classic/Regular and Lights, have a large majority share of market3.

It comes in a variety of pack formats, from a 150ml mini can and a 200ml glass bottle, to a large 2.25 litre PET bottle. This is to cater for different moments and locations that consumers can enjoy it. It’s also enjoyed across a variety of occasions from accompanying evening meals to hydrating during the day. You can find some example pack formats below.

EXAMPLE PACK FORMATS

500ML PET BOTTLE

250ML CAN

200ML GLASS BOTTLE

330ML CAN

250ML GLASS BOTTLE

1.25L PET BOTTLE

1L GLASS BOTTLE

250ML PET BOTTLE

150ML CAN

375ML PET BOTTLE

1L PET BOTTLE

1.5L PET BOTTLE

2L PET BOTTLE

2.25L PET BOTTLE

PRODUCTION & PACKAGING 

Sugar beets

We have 81 production facilities across our markets, and over 90% of the drinks we sell are produced in the country in which they are consumed. This includes Coca-Cola Original Taste. For example, the sugar in the Coca-Cola Original Taste produced in the Netherlands comes from Dutch sugar beets supplied by the Cousun Beet Company.

In addition to innovations in local production, we also continue to innovate on packaging. In Europe we achieved our 50% rPET target across all products including Coca-Cola Original Taste, four years early. We have also set an ambition to use 50% recycled plastic in API by 2025. The latest market to switch to 100% rPET was Indonesia earlier this year.

attached caps

To increase recycling rates and reduce waste, attached caps were launched across the Coca-Cola Original Taste range in 2022. They help consumers dispose of packaging the right way and recycle the entire bottle. They are now in all CCEP’s European markets. And in Germany, in line with our ambition to eliminate packaging waste, we have launched 1-litre refillable glass bottles across many of our products, starting with Coca-Cola Original Taste in 2019.

INNOVATION

MtB CCOT Coca Cola OT Cherry 9

DIET COKE & COCA-COLA ZERO SUGAR

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In order to provide consumers with more choice, in 1982 Diet Coke was created, followed by Coca-Cola Zero Sugar in 2005. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar has the same taste as Coca-Cola Original Taste, but without the sugar. Diet Coke (known in some markets as Coca-Cola Light) also has no sugar, but has a different blend of flavours, giving it a lighter taste.

In recent years, more and more consumers have been buying Coca-Cola Zero Sugar6. For example in Europe, 40% buy both the regular and Zero Sugar variants7.

Coca-Cola Original Taste is one of the world's most loved brands. Nearly anywhere you travel you will always find a place to enjoy a Coke, even in the most remote places where you may least expect it.

Even though Coca-Cola Original Taste has been around for so long, the brand continues to innovate and evolve to keep up with the evolving needs of its consumers, customers and shoppers. Coca-Cola Original Taste is timely and timeless at the same time.

Joost Dijkstra

CCEP Associate Director Portfolio & Innovation

At CCEP we support our Away From Home customers in ensuring they serve Coca-Cola in way that customers most enjoy. Watch the below video from our GB market to understand what the "perfect serve" is for our Coca-Cola products in GB.

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CCEP Investor deck 2022: Volume mix and country channel mix is based on internal reports in unit cases; FY 2022; CCEP annual volume in million unit cases (muc); rounded. A unit case is equivalent to ~5.678 litres

2Europanel Take Home Purchase Panel, FY December 2020-2022. Penetration = average % of shoppers buying coca cola original taste is around 66% in Blx & France = higher vs other markets.

3NZ: Nielsen Scan-Track, Total Measured Market, MAT to 15/10/23, AUS: IRI Aztec Scan, Australia excl. Campbells/Aldi, MAT to 15 October 2023

5Nielsen IQ GTC Home channel FY 2022

6GfK Harmonized statements 2021 & 2022 EU

7Europanel. MAT Q4 2022