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Coca-Cola announced plans to discontinue a new flavor, Coca-Cola Spiced, just seven months after its debut.
The planned phase-out was particularly a surprise because Spiced marked the brand’s first described “permanent” alternative launch to classic Coke in the U.S. in three years.
“We're always looking at what our customers like and adjusting our range of products,” Coke said in a media statement. “As part of this strategy, we're planning to phase out Coca-Cola Spiced to introduce an exciting new flavor in 2025.”
Launched at a livestream media event in New York and with a splashy ad campaign in February, Coke described Spiced — aimed at younger consumers — as having a “classic taste of Coca-Cola with refreshing bursts of raspberry and a curated blend of warm spiced flavors.”
One challenge, assumed by several reports, was the name, with critics of the flavor arguing that the “spice” was minimal and that the artificial raspberry flavor was overwhelming. At the time of the drink’s launch, Coke indicated that Spiced was a direct response to consumers showing strong interest in spice in their beverages and raspberry soft drinks.
A Reddit review around the time of Spiced’s launch ran negative, with many indicating the flavor was too sweet. One commenter wrote, “Reminds me of a cherry cough drop. Did not enjoy.”
Spiced was also developed in just seven weeks, significantly less than the year it typically takes Coke to create a new beverage. Shakir Moin, president of marketing at Coca-Cola North America, told the Associated Press in February, “Consumers are moving faster. The market is moving forward faster. We’ve got to be faster than the speed of the market.”
Coke has released 11 limited-edition flavors since its Creations platform, also aimed at younger consumers, debuted in 2022. Twists on its regular and diet formulas included some ambiguously flavored limited-time Cokes, including “Dreamworld,” “Starlight” and “Byte,” as well as a new Oreo-flavor soda and marshmallow-tinted cola in partnership with Swedish DJ Marshmello.
Duane Sanford, editor of Beverage Digest, told CNN that Spiced “might have been lost in the shuffle” of those limited-time offerings.
Spiced’s quick exit could also reflect Coca-Cola’s quicker reassessment of its portfolio in recent years. In addition to Spiced, Coke confirmed on social media that it was ending production of Coke Cherry Vanilla and Diet Coke with Splenda. Coke said it discontinued Cherry Vanilla, which launched in 2020, “due to consumers' taste preferences and lifestyles constantly changing. As a Total Beverage Company, we are always searching for ways to evolve our product portfolio to bring consumers the beverages they want.”
In 2020, Coke eliminated about 200 of its beverage brands, including Tab, Zico, and Odwalla, to focus on brands with stronger growth potential.
Finally, Coke faces an increasingly crowded beverage market as younger drinkers shift their preferences away from sugary sodas to sparkling waters, hydration, and other healthier alternatives. Newer competition has arrived from entrants including Olipop, Poppi, and Culture Pop. Coke itself has found its strongest growth in Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, its Topo Chico water line, and BodyArmor while recently entering the alcohol category with Topo Chico Hard Seltzer.