That Time Coca Cola Tried to Sell Bottled Tap Water in the UK and the Hilarity That Ensued

TL;DR

Coca-Cola's attempt to sell its bottled water brand, Dasani, in the UK failed due to controversies surrounding the source of the water and the marketing campaign, leading to financial losses and the withdrawal of the product from the market.

Transcript

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Key Insights

• 💦 Coca-Cola underestimated the importance of transparency and consumer preferences for naturally sourced bottled water in the UK market.
• 💦 The marketing mistakes made by Coca-Cola, such as the controversial slogan and models splashing water, had a significant impact on the public perception of Dasani.
• 💯 The failed launch of Dasani in the UK resulted in financial losses for Coca-Cola, potentially costing them hundreds of millions of dollars.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why did Coca-Cola choose to launch Dasani in the UK?

Coca-Cola saw an opportunity to capitalize on the rising demand for bottled water in the UK, where high-end bottled waters sourced from natural springs were preferred.

Q: What controversies surrounded the marketing campaign for Dasani?

The marketing campaign for Dasani faced backlash when it was revealed that the slogan insinuated the water was filled with semen. Additionally, the campaign featured models splashing Dasani water all over their faces, leading to widespread mockery.

Q: How did Coca-Cola attempt to justify the high price of Dasani?

Coca-Cola claimed that Dasani's purification process, which involved multi-barrier filtration and reverse osmosis, made the water taste better. They also compared the process to techniques used by NASA to purify fluids in spacecraft.

Q: What led to the withdrawal of Dasani from the UK market?

Test results showed that Dasani contained illegal levels of a potential carcinogen called bromate. This, coupled with the controversies and negative publicity, led to the decision to withdraw Dasani from the UK market.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Coca-Cola launched Dasani, a budget bottled water brand, in the UK in 2003, but faced backlash when it was revealed that Dasani was simply filtered tap water.

• The marketing campaign for Dasani faced ridicule and controversy after insinuating that the water contained "spunk," which is slang for semen in the UK.

• Coca-Cola's attempt to justify the high price of Dasani by promoting its purification process backfired when it was discovered that the water contained illegal levels of a potential cancer-causing substance.

• The failed launch of Dasani in the UK cost Coca-Cola millions of pounds in losses and halted plans for expansion in other European markets.