In April 1985, Coca-Cola launched their brand-new product, New Coke, in response to the competition from sugar-free soft drinks.
Before rolling out this Coke, the Coca-Cola Company conducted thorough market research and blind taste tests, asking consumers to sample Coca-Cola and its competitor Pepsi-Cola without packaging. They discovered that consumers preferred the sweeter taste of Pepsi-Cola.
Based on market research and blind taste tests, the Coca-Cola Company decided to reformulate their Coca-Cola, and in April, launched the all-new cola with a new taste, new packaging, and new labeling.
However, following the launch, confident Coca-Cola, relying on statistical science, was met with enormous backlash. The reaction to the new Coke in American society was extremely negative, especially in the traditional southern regions, where a professor from the University of Mississippi said, "Changing the Coke formula is an invasion of tradition."
