Blak
I have been down and out with a terrible cold for several days, and I am now stepping lightly back into the blogosphere. And when I say lightly, I mean lightly. I would like to discuss the serious topic of caffienated beverages.
Not since the two guys collided on the corner, getting one's chocolate in one's peanut butter, and vice versa, have two such disparate tastes come together in one product. Yes, two of my favorites, Coca-Cola and Coffee, are together at last in Coca-Cola Blak. I don't know what I was expecting, but upon taking my first sip, my initial thought was, "what a rip-off - it tastes just like Coke". But then about two seconds later, it was as though I was sucking on a coffee bean. And I mean that in a good way. The perfect blend of Coke and Coffee, IMHO. That is the good news.
The bad news is that Coca-Cola is marketing this as a foo-foo coffee drink for the suburban and exurban elite, and not as a soft drink for the masses. The best price I have seen is about $4.48 (and as high as $6.49) for a 4-pack of 8-oz. bottles, or $1.12 per tiny bottle. or about 14 cents per ounce. Compare that to your average $3.49 Fridge Pack, and we are looking at nearly a 600% price differential. (I will leave the math for you - extra credit).
I have a B.A. in Economics, so I have a firm grasp on the concept of selling a product for more than it costs to produce it. But I cannot believe that the coffee extract (the difference between Coca-Cola Classic and Coca-Cola Blak) inflates the cost of production by 600%.
Note to Coca-Cola marketing execs - maybe you could use Eight O'Clock Coffee (#1 in Consumer Reports taste tests) instead of Starbucks Black Apron Rwandan (just guessing), and slam it in a 12-can Fridge Pack, and I'm all over it. Or leave it at $1.12 per 8-oz. bottle, and you have another New Coke on your hands. And neither of us wants that, do we?
Not since the two guys collided on the corner, getting one's chocolate in one's peanut butter, and vice versa, have two such disparate tastes come together in one product. Yes, two of my favorites, Coca-Cola and Coffee, are together at last in Coca-Cola Blak. I don't know what I was expecting, but upon taking my first sip, my initial thought was, "what a rip-off - it tastes just like Coke". But then about two seconds later, it was as though I was sucking on a coffee bean. And I mean that in a good way. The perfect blend of Coke and Coffee, IMHO. That is the good news.
The bad news is that Coca-Cola is marketing this as a foo-foo coffee drink for the suburban and exurban elite, and not as a soft drink for the masses. The best price I have seen is about $4.48 (and as high as $6.49) for a 4-pack of 8-oz. bottles, or $1.12 per tiny bottle. or about 14 cents per ounce. Compare that to your average $3.49 Fridge Pack, and we are looking at nearly a 600% price differential. (I will leave the math for you - extra credit).
I have a B.A. in Economics, so I have a firm grasp on the concept of selling a product for more than it costs to produce it. But I cannot believe that the coffee extract (the difference between Coca-Cola Classic and Coca-Cola Blak) inflates the cost of production by 600%.
Note to Coca-Cola marketing execs - maybe you could use Eight O'Clock Coffee (#1 in Consumer Reports taste tests) instead of Starbucks Black Apron Rwandan (just guessing), and slam it in a 12-can Fridge Pack, and I'm all over it. Or leave it at $1.12 per 8-oz. bottle, and you have another New Coke on your hands. And neither of us wants that, do we?
posted by wilsonte | 8:41 PM
3 Comments:
You tell 'em Tom!
I'll have to give this Blak a chance...but maybe only one by the sound of the price.
Tom, I need and crave another entry.
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