GoKawiilCoca-Cola's 1985 New Coke launch collapsed despite 200,000 taste tests
An Entrepreneur contributor revisits Coca-Cola's 1985 decision to replace its original formula with New Coke after more than 200,000 blind taste tests showed consumers preferred the sweeter recipe over both original Coke and Pepsi. The company launched New Coke on April 23, 1985, only for the change to fail within weeks despite the extensive research behind it.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The case is used to argue that data validating a decision does not guarantee acceptance from the people affected by it, since taste-test results didn't capture consumers' emotional attachment to the original product. The author suggests leaders should test emotional reaction to a change, not just its measurable merits, and that reversing a flawed decision quickly can preserve trust better than defending it.
- Coca-Cola ran over 200,000 blind taste tests before launching New Coke in 1985.
- The new formula consistently beat both original Coke and Pepsi in testing, but still failed commercially.
- The example illustrates that being 'right' by data isn't the same as being trusted by the people a decision affects.
Source: entrepreneur.com — Saahil Mehta, 2026-09-23
Published there as: “Why the Most Well-Tested Product Decision in Corporate History Still Failed Within Weeks”
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