Dive Brief:
- Coca-Cola's citrus-flavored, caffeinated Surge soda, which was popular in the 90s, has officially returned to store shelves in 23 states.
- Surge initially began its comeback via Amazon online sales beginning last year.
- Coca-Cola brought back Surge after a massive social media campaign, called "The Surge Movement," was coordinated with a billboard set up near Coca-Cola's Atlanta headquarters in 2013, which urged Surge's return to retailers.
Dive Insight:
It's no mystery that consumers have an undeniable impact on food and beverage companies, particularly when it comes to fluctuations in consumer preferences, various trends, and ultimately through purchasing decisions.
As social media grows as an increasingly popular channel of communication for companies and consumers, these types of direct campaigns may become more frequent, and food and beverage companies will at least take notice, if not action.
Consumers who don't want to wait for Surge to come to their homestate can still find 12-packs of 16-ounce cans on Amazon for $14.