throopw@rtp47.UUCP (Wayne Throop) (07/20/85)
The theories of "why Coke (the company) did it" are getting wilder and wilder. I will suggest a simpler reason. Coke (the company) very likely ran blindfold-style taste tests, and found that a significant majority liked the "new" formula better than the "old" formula. Coke said to it's corporate self "Aha! We really got something here, let's change the formula!" When they switched, they found that people don't care how the crud tastes, since they are emotionally committed to liking the old stuff. (The new stuff isn't Coke, and I like Coke, so I must not like the new stuff, by Finagle!) Coke (the corporation) was probably quite surprised to find that the same (statistically speaking) people who loved "new coke" in taste tests rejected it when they actually made the change. I would bet that, in blindfold taste-tests most of you folks clamoring for the "good old coke" would be unable to tell the difference. For a more concrete example, given a lineup of unlabeled Pepsi, Classic Coke, New Coke, RC, Shasta Cola (and maybe a few more for yucks), I suspect that (far) fewer than half of you could pick out the Classic Coke by taste alone. (I make this claim because I recall an newspaper article a few years back reporting the results of just such a test, which found that most people simply can't distinguish reliably among Cola brands by taste alone.) As far as looking for motivations for things in general, you must remember "never attribute to malice what can be explained by stupidity". -- Wayne Throop at Data General, RTP, NC <the-known-world>!mcnc!rti-sel!rtp47!throopw
westerm@ecn-aa.UUCP (Westerman) (07/24/85)
In article <94@rtp47.UUCP> throopw@rtp47.UUCP (Wayne Throop) writes: > >I would bet that, in blindfold taste-tests most of you folks clamoring >for the "good old coke" would be unable to tell the difference. For a >more concrete example, given a lineup of unlabeled Pepsi, Classic Coke, >New Coke, RC, Shasta Cola (and maybe a few more for yucks), I suspect >that (far) fewer than half of you could pick out the Classic Coke by >taste alone. > Until a couple of years ago I was a die-hard Coke drinker (gee, that sounds like a confession at a AA meeting!) and would refuse a Pepsi out-of-hand. Then I took the "Pepsi taste test" and (what else?) chose Pepsi as my favorite. I still drink and prefer Coke but I'm no longer FANATIC about it. My suggestion to all you die-hard Coke drinkers out there: Take the taste test (you're going to have to find some old Coke first). You may be suprised by the results. Whom: Rick Westerman Phone: +1-317-494-8344 UUCP: {decvax, ihnp4, seismo, ucbvax}!pur-ee!westerm USPS: Ag Data Network, Purdue University, West Lafayette IN 47907 P.S. My criterion for what soda to drink these days is: 1) Is it a cola? 2) Is it non-diet? (I hate Nutra-Sweet) 3) Is it on sale? If all other factors are equal, then I choose Coke over the others.
purtell@reed.UUCP (Lady Godiva) (07/27/85)
In article <52@ecn-aa.UUCP> westerm@aa.UUCP (Westerman) writes: >My suggestion to all you die-hard Coke drinkers out there: Take the >taste test (you're going to have to find some old Coke first). You >may be suprised by the results. I did, back before the days of new Coke. I picked Coke. I wasn't surprised. cheers - elizabeth g. purtell (Lady Godiva)
chris@t12tst.UUCP (Christopher Paull) (08/02/85)
When Pepsi first announced their "Pepsi challange", some friends and I did accept. Our results were just the opposite as theirs. 3/2 people prefered coke to pepsi. Makes you wonder where Pepsi gets their numbers from??? ______________________________________________________________________ "Life, liberty and the happiness of pursuit." ---------------------------
jonu@tekchips.UUCP (Jon Udell) (08/05/85)
In article <490@t12tst.UUCP> chris@t12tst.UUCP (Christopher Paull) writes: > > When Pepsi first announced their "Pepsi challange", some friends and > I did accept. Our results were just the opposite as theirs. 3/2 > people prefered coke to pepsi. Makes you wonder where Pepsi gets their > numbers from??? How many people took your test? In order to broadcast their taste test commercials, I'm sure that Pepsi had to use a very large sample of the population - adding your results to the test would have only a negligible effect on the results. You can also trust Pepsi's numbers - you can bet that Coke made every effort to verify them. The question is not whether or not more people preferred Pepsi than Coke, but whether such a test is valid. In such tests, people tend to prefer the sweeter drink (Pepsi), while in the long run, this may not be the case. In my opinion, Coke made a major error by claiming that Sprite tastes better than 7-Up - effectively acknowledging that the taste test is valid. Perhaps this was done with the introduction of the new, sweeter Coke in mind. (This still doesn't explain Bill Cosby's adds stating that he likes Coke because it wasn't as sweet as Pepsi.) Anyway, Coke is now eating their words in more ways than one. (And now Bill likes the sweeter taste better!) Jon Udell PS Has anyone tried LIKE, from 7-Up? It's the caffeine-free cola that started the trend. I've never had any trouble getting it before (having lived in Madison, WI - one of its test markets), but I haven't seen it yet here in Oregon. -- --- Jon Udell jonu@tekchips until mid-September -------------------------------------- udell@shasta t.tedium@lotsb
jer@peora.UUCP (J. Eric Roskos) (08/09/85)
> In order to broadcast their taste test commercials, I'm sure that Pepsi had > to use a very large sample of the population ... I don't think this is true, unless the commercials claim a large sample was taken. Consider similar "statistical" claims in commercials: "More doctors recommend the pain reliever in <brand> than any other pain reliever on the market today." (Because <brand> contains aspirin. Even if no doctors recommend <brand>, the claim is still valid.) "More Olympic medalists use <brand> running shoes than any other." (Because <brand> donates them. I'm not sure, however, that this sort of claim is allowed any more.) "Choosy mothers choose <brand>." (Makes no statistical claim at all.) "9 out of 10 dentists surveyed recommend <brand> for their patients who use <generic type>." (The sample size here could be 10; furthermore, all of them could have said, "I don't recommend using <generic type> at all, but I guess if people insist on using it, <brand> would be a good choice.") Awhile back, I asked in here about the relative temperature of the sodas in the Pepsi taste test. This is because, back when the test was going on, a number of people at the college I was attending participated in the test; all of them INSISTED that the Pepsi had ice in it, whereas the Coke was room-temperature. I have never figured out whether this was just a rampant rumor, or the truth in all cases, or just the local people running the taste test trying to improve the results. (You should therefore assume it was a rumor unless you can determine otherwise!) -- Shyy-Anzr: J. Eric Roskos UUCP: ..!{decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!vax135!petsd!peora!jer US Mail: MS 795; Perkin-Elmer SDC; 2486 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32809-7642 "Lbh xabj... jura lbh pybpx gur uhzna enpr jvgu gur fgbcjngpu bs uvfgbel, vg'f n arj erpbeq, rirel gvzr."
effl@ihu1h.UUCP (Leason) (08/16/85)
> In article <490@t12tst.UUCP> chris@t12tst.UUCP (Christopher Paull) writes: > > > > When Pepsi first announced their "Pepsi challange", some friends and > > I did accept. Our results were just the opposite as theirs. 3/2 > > people prefered coke to pepsi. Makes you wonder where Pepsi gets their > > numbers from??? > > How many people took your test? In order to broadcast their taste test > commercials, I'm sure that Pepsi had to use a very large sample of the > population - adding your results to the test would have only a negligible > effect on the results. You can also trust Pepsi's numbers - you can bet > that Coke made every effort to verify them. > > The question is not whether or not more people preferred Pepsi than Coke, > but whether such a test is valid. In such tests, people tend to prefer the > sweeter drink (Pepsi), while in the long run, this may not be the case. > In my opinion, Coke made a major error by claiming that Sprite tastes better > than 7-Up - effectively acknowledging that the taste test is valid. Perhaps > this was done with the introduction of the new, sweeter Coke in mind. > (This still doesn't explain Bill Cosby's adds stating that he likes Coke > because it wasn't as sweet as Pepsi.) Anyway, Coke is now eating their > words in more ways than one. (And now Bill likes the sweeter taste better!) > > > Jon Udell > > > PS Has anyone tried LIKE, from 7-Up? It's the caffeine-free cola that > started the trend. I've never had any trouble getting it before (having > lived in Madison, WI - one of its test markets), but I haven't seen it > yet here in Oregon. > > > > > -- > --- > > > Jon Udell > > jonu@tekchips until mid-September > -------------------------------------- > udell@shasta > t.tedium@lotsb Jon, I've tried LIKE form 7UP. I think it's great...much better than the New Coke and much, much better than Pepsi. Frances Leason