Coca-Cola rebrands products in Germany amid US image crisis – DW – 09/08/2025
www.dw.com
As the global reputation of US brands slips, some US firms are turning to unusual marketing strategies. Coca-Cola, for instance, is now promoting itself as a "German product."
      • Trail@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        1 天前

        Yeah, I have also switched to a local one here in greece, tastes better and does not have an aftertaste.

  • Pofski@lemmy.worldEnglish
    16·
    1 天前

    It looks like they’re emphasizing local sourcing to distance themselves from U.S. associations, but that misses the real issue. The problem is not whether the ingredients are local, it is that Coca-Cola is still a U.S. company. The same applies to brands like Heinz, Tesla, and others. Their identity is tied to their origin, not where they source materials.

    • verdi@feddit.orgEnglish
      10·
      2 天前

      The amount of sugar they put on it is what should be illegal. Motherfuckers are co-responsible for an entire generation of obesity and we’re left holding the bag as tax payers.

      • rumschlumpel@feddit.orgEnglish
        15·
        2 天前

        It’s kinda hard to find out where Coca Cola is actually made. Coke for the German market is for sure bottled in Germany, but the Coke syrup which is the base for it (which Coca Cola is very cagey about) isn’t necessarily made there. I assume it’s made somewhere in Europe because according to a brief web search it’s made in about 4 places in the world and Europe is a big market, but there isn’t really a reason to assume that the European syrup plant is in Germany, insted of Spain, Netherlands etc. - certainly possible, but not at all certain.

        But TBH, even if it was all made in Germany, it’s still kinda bullshit. Maybe not in a legally actionable way, but Coke is not that popular in Germany and the inventors and standard ingredients (other than water and beet sugar) have no connection to Germany whatsoever. The Coca Cola product that deserves to be called “the German drink” is Fanta, and I assume Coca Cola isn’t quite ready yet to use Fanta’s Nazi heritage as a selling point.

      • Kami@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        10·
        2 天前

        Simply because people should know exactly what they are buying and from who, without having to make a web search at the supermarket for every single product they want to buy (which sometimes is not even that easy because corporations are allowed to be pretty shady and you have to dig further than a simple search of the product/brand name)

        • remon@ani.socialEnglish
          3·
          2 天前

          So what are you proposing exactly? Should the be forced to put a “invented in USA” after the “made in Germany”? I really don’t see the point.

          • jenesaisquoi@feddit.orgEnglish
            8·
            2 天前

            Just because there isn’t an obvious single-sentence solution to a problem doesn’t mean there isn’t a problem

            • remon@ani.socialEnglish
              2·
              2 天前

              Solution to what problem, though?

              It’s made in Germany (and that’s not even relevant) and is subject to German and EU food safety standards.

                • remon@ani.socialEnglish
                  4·
                  2 天前

                  Except there is nothing misleading about claiming a product is “made in Germany” when it is in fact made in Germany.

          • Kami@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
            3·
            1 天前

            I wonder why you are so triggered, but ok.

            In my country they are, for example, allowed to state that their product is made here even if it is ONLY processed and packaged here.

            Assuming this is the same situation (and I’d be very surprised if it isn’t), “product of Germany” is false and should not be allowed.

            • Tabloid@feddit.orgEnglish
              1·
              1 天前

              It’s not correct in this case. Which is also easily researchable on the internet.

              Coca-Cola in Germany is bottled in many different plants locally, by the biggest Coca-Cola bottling company worldwide. It is a british company licensing the use of the brand and name from the US Coca-Cola company, but a separate entity.

                • Tabloid@feddit.orgEnglish
                  1·
                  1 天前

                  That is something different from processed and packaged, which you talked about in your first comment.

                  Of course not, most ingredients however will be EU produced/processed and then processed into the final drinks in Germany.

                  But aside from pure agricultural product, almost no product would be “product of Germany” if using no imports would be the requirement to use that lable.

          • Kissaki@feddit.orgEnglish
            1·
            1 天前

            Standardized product labeling:

            • Brand: coca cola, US
            • Recipe market: Europe
            • Material source: x and Germany
            • Packaged (bottled): Germany

            🤔

  • chris@l.roofo.ccEnglish
    52·
    2 天前

    I switched to Vita Cola and now I don’t even like Coca cola anymore. Just doesn’t feel refreshing anymore. And it’s cheaper.

  • Venus_Ziegenfalle@feddit.orgEnglish
    20·
    2 天前

    They could try naming it Koker Koler and offering it in 1 liter mugs. I’d still prefer cheaper regional alternatives but it would be funny.

  • CosmoNova@lemmy.worldEnglish
    33·
    2 天前

    i’ve noticed Coke, fanta and monster have been on sale in stores at least twice as often as any other beverage brand this summer. Often at a 50% discount and they had a huge Star Wars collaboration out of nowhere. I still didn‘t buy any of it. I bought European brands. Coke posing as „the german drink“ does bring back some memories though. Mostly bad memories.

    • rumschlumpel@feddit.orgEnglish
      22·
      2 天前

      Coke posing as „the german drink“ does bring back some memories though. Mostly bad memories.

      Would have been even worse, a lot more truthful and also funnier if they did that with Fanta.

    • TanteRegenbogen@feddit.orgEnglish
      2·
      1 天前

      I only buy monster for my younger brother and only when it is on sale. I wished he’d drink a European brand energy drink such as Gönrgy.