Ben Gilbert

And the answer is... You need a win.

A, you need a win.

B, it is so clear that diet is going to be a gigantic market, and that's the way the world is going.

And we're just holding ourselves back from competing with our best foot forward by not using our big brand.

So David, do you know about how they announced Diet Coke?

I thought I was going to get you.

Of course I do.

I'd be surprised if any listeners know, but listeners, you are going to delight in learning this with us.

In July of 1982.

Diet Coke was announced on stage with the Rockettes performing to celebrate the new beverage.

And the way they market it is not apologetic.

The campaign is just for the taste of it.

They are full on marketing that this tastes great and it also happens to have no calories.

And so the question is, if you're Coca-Cola, what do you do here?

Yep.

What they decided to do was, after 99 years with the same formula, carefully building a brand around that logo, the taste, the secret formula, and defining this cultural object to the world, stupidity struck.

There's Coke Zero.

There's Diet Coke.

But who cares?

The base.