A Little Feedback

Whew! Crazy past few weeks have sadly stolen me away from my blogging adventure. (Though still not sure whether I am trekking steadfastly to the summit or slogging away in the jungle, becoming breakfast for a world of cyber-mosquitos.)

Regardless, I've been trying to keep a pulse on the feedback from the new Coke Zero. From what I can tell - very supportive. I even managed to convince my boyfriend to try it, and he liked it so much he finished the entire can! Amazing really, since he refuses to even go near my other diet soft drink selections. So the few I have spoken with all seem to like it a great deal (incredibly scientific research I've done here, isn't it?).

However, Zero is not without its opponents. As this article from the Boston Herald's Beth Teitell succinctly puts it, "Note to Coca-Cola Innovators: Can It." She notes:

"In case you've been too busy following Saddam's breakfast menu to pay attention to such domestic matters, there's now a Diet Coke sweetened with Splenda, and a Coca-Cola Zero. That's a diet cola sweetened with both aspartame and acesulfame potassium - and desperate to shed its "diet" stigma... And who knows what other versions will have metastasized by the time this paper hits newsstands today? Diet Coke with fiber?"

Teitell does note that the Coke spokesperson she spoke with about the topic said that the new products are in response to what consumers have said they would like to see on the shelves (more variety and options), and that these new products aren't a replacement of everyone's old favorites, but rather a complimentary addition to the diet market.

She goes on to point out that "A poll on the MSNBC.com Web site shows that most people actually believe there are too many Coke and Pepsi choices [on the market]. By midday yesterday the numbers were running 54 to 44 percent..."

So what does this all mean? Variety is the spice of life... but too much variety is chaos? I guess a large number of options can be overwhelming. I was shopping for new socks recently, and with all the crew cuts, ankle socks, colors, cool max, wool socks, synthetic blends -- YIKES. But sometimes having a lot of choices isn't a bad thing. Girls know this everytime we stare into a closet full of clothes and can find NOTHING to wear.

So I say here's to diet soft drink choices - Zero, Diet, One, Two and all the rest. At least it helps us keep our math straight.