For the launch of Coca-Cola’s latest soda innovation, the company decided it needed a new route to market — although rarely has that been taken more literally.
To celebrate the national debut of Coca-Cola with Coffee and the new Coca-Cola with Coffee Zero Sugar, starting today, select residents of Coffee County, Georgia, will be invited to opt-in to have orders of both products delivered via drone through a partnership with Walmart and delivery service DroneUp.
The drone delivery is available exclusively to consumers who signed up to receive updates on Coca-Cola with Coffee when its U.S. launch was announced in July and who live in a single-family residence within a one-mile radius of the designated Walmart Supercenter in Coffee County. The delivery period begins tomorrow, Tuesday, and closes the following day at 5 p.m. EST. Each delivery contains one Coca-Cola with Coffee and one Coca-Cola with Coffee Zero Sugar.
Coca-Cola with Coffee is available in Dark Blend, Vanilla and Caramel flavors, while Coca-Cola with Coffee Zero Sugar comes in sold in Dark Blend and Vanilla. Each flavor contains 69 mg of caffeine per 12 oz. sleek can. The suggested retail price is around $2.32 per unit.
First piloted in 2018 in Japan and announced for U.S. launch last July, the beverage giant’s latest attempt at a coffee-based soda (remember Blak?) is backed by the company’s internal research: more than 50% of Coca-Cola drinkers and coffee enthusiasts enjoy both beverages on a regular basis. The product slots in alongside growing portfolios for both Coke’s energy drinks (including Coca-Cola Energy) and coffee beverages, represented by brands Dunkin’, McCafe and Honest, along with Costa Coffee.
“Many people are often torn between reaching for a soft drink or a coffee at 3 p.m. at work, at school or on the go,” said Brandan Strickland, brand director, Coca-Cola Trademark, in a press release. “Now, you don’t need to leave Coca-Cola to get your coffee fix.”
Though the company’s franchised bottling network remains one of its biggest assets, Coca-Cola has been open to exploring alternative distribution strategies for certain brands within its portfolio. The company is an investor in text-based ordering platform Iris Nova, and in December 2019 introduced the Coca-Cola Insiders Club, which offers subscribers a monthly package of three beverages, including some yet to be released, and gift swag. Club members were among the first U.S. consumers to try Coca-Cola with Coffee last year.
Today’s announcement marks the company’s first move into drone delivery, according to a spokesperson.
“We’re focusing our innovation efforts on doing what Coca-Cola has always stood for and does best – which is to deliver emotional and functional uplift – in bigger, bolder, more differentiated ways,” said Strickland. “Coca-Cola with Coffee is a true hybrid innovation that provides the perfect solution for that mid-afternoon pick-me-up we all want, especially in today’s work-from-home environment. We’re fulfilling this need state and occasion in a uniquely Coca-Cola way.”
As usual, Coke will find itself facing off against an old rival as it enters the coffee soda space: Pepsi Cafe, available in Original and Vanilla flavors, was announced in December 2019.