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Success/Failure in the Soft drink’s field

This report presents two new products in the Soft drink’s field. New Coke on the one hand and Red Bull on the other hand. These two different cases are study to analyse how market research together with research and development can influence success or failure of a product.

1) The case of New Coke failure
Academics in the marketing research field (e.g Veryzer, 2003;Harel and Prahalad, 1994) have shown for many years that gaining valuable insight from consumer about a new product is really difficult and can lead to misleading information. The case of Coca Cola Company and the launch of the New coke emphasize this idea.
Introduction
Coca Cola is not only the world’s most famous drink, it’s the symbol and the muse of all Americans, a part of the American dream in can. With nearly 1,6 billion Coca-Cola drinks sold every single day, it is the world’s most recognized brand. "When I die, I want to be buried in a coffin in the shape of a bottle of Coca-Cola" or "the two most important things in my life are God and Coca-Cola." These two quotations resume the state of mind of Americans when Coca Cola Company decided to launch his New Coke in April 1985. ”Indeed, for twenty years the market share of Coca cola drink had steadily declined. In 1984 Coca Cola lost one percent of its market share, while Pepsi-Cola continued his progress.” In spite of aggressive marketing, advertising, universal distribution, nothing move the goalposts. With the launch of New Coke Roberto Goizueta Chairman and President of Coca cola company decided to transform the formula of the Coca Cola drink and to” buy the world a new Coke” (Goizueta, 1985). The aim of this change was to counter Pepsi, the main rival of Coca cola.” Indeed, people no longer appreciated the Coca Cola bite. They preferred the sweeter taste of Pepsi.” (Pendergrast, 2000) The launch of New Coke turned to be a nightmare; it