6 ms·

The New Faces of Coke

40 points by newtonapple 11y ago

pauldw 11y ago
Breaking News: The Suit is Back! http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html
AdmiralAsshat 11y ago
One cannot help but wonder if the Soda industry is/will become the Tobacco industry of 50 years ago.
- prsimp 11y ago
  While not limited to the Soda industry, this sentiment is expressed pretty vividly (even comparing testimony, marketing etc.) in the documentary Fed Up[1]. Worth a watch if this sort of thing is interesting to you and currently available on Netflix. [1] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2381335/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2381335/
ecdavis 11y ago
> [...] making herself available as an expert for news outlets. If a story says something negative about artificial sweeteners, Flipse said she might contact the PR agency and ask, “Do you want me to do something about that?” What does "do something" mean? That statement reads like a fairly blatant request for a bribe.
joe5150 11y ago
"When you’re watching your favorite Food Network show and Coca-Cola is used as an ingredient, do you know that Coke is paying the chef? It never occurred to me." Why wouldn't it occur to someone that a brand-name product used on television has been paid for? Especially when every other product used has been conspicuously genericized, labels covered up and whatnot. Also Coca-Cola as a glaze for food doesn't strike me as particularly better or worse than using barbecue sauce or ketchup or anything of the other sugary things we eat every day.
- batbomb 11y ago
  The striking thing is this: virginia willis and 9 others recommended The author actually misspelled the name in the article (it's Willis, not Wills, as it appears in the article) Also, Coke has been around as an ingredient for a long time in BBQ because BBQ sauce has to have... sugar.
  - snappy173 11y ago
    "Also, Coke has been around as an ingredient for a long time in BBQ because BBQ sauce has to have... sugar." and acidity. it's kind of perfect.
    - wonkaWonka 11y ago
      From now on, I shall think of coca-cola forever as a BBQ precursor substance.
      - zappo2938 11y ago
        They have been marinating ribs in coke overnight in places like the Caribbean now for decades. We were doing it in the mid nineties and I always thought it was a traditional recipe. One night in coke, then another night in a Jack Daniels BBQ sauce, makes for some good ribs.
        btgeekboy 11y ago
        I wonder, does the acid in the soda help tenderize the meat? Or is it purely for the flavor.
- ssharp 11y ago
  "Why wouldn't it occur to someone that a brand-name product used on television has been paid for? Especially when every other product used has been conspicuously genericized, labels covered up and whatnot." You're correct on labels but there isn't really a generic version of Coke that tastes the same. It's not unreasonable to think a professional chef would specifically want Coke over another cola.
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
- lionsdan 11y ago
  About 96% of dietitians are women. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17314627 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17314627
jobu 11y ago
There definitely are some shady endorsements happening here, but I really don't see a problem with this one: “Sometimes only the real thing will do when it comes to soda, so I am a big fan of the new Coke mini can! It is real soda classic, but it’s in a cute portion-controlled can that keeps my bubbly treat to only 90 calories!” - Sarah Bedwell I would argue that this is actually the kind of endorsement we should be encouraging. It re-frames a soda as a treat that should be consumed in moderation instead of guzzled from a supersized bucket. Ice cream is worse than soda, but it doesn't get nearly the negative attention because everyone knows it's an unhealthy treat.
- CyberDildonics 11y ago
  The thing is that isn't what happens and Coke knows that. First they can sell the smaller cans for more money for the same amount, which doesn't matter from cost of making it, but does matter to the amount someone will consume. It's the same rationale behind 99% payouts of slot machines in the casino. It just allows someone to play longer. Soda is loaded with sugar and nothing else. It has to be extreme moderation to not have an effect on someone's health (relative to what we think of as normal now). Coke is trying to reframe soda as somehow ok. One way to do that is to have small cans and say 'no problem they cans are obviously tiny'. Someone will buy them and drink as much as they want anyway because what they want isn't to take a long term view of their health, they want a rationalization. That is what Coke is offering and it does happen to be what people want.
  - bad_user 11y ago
    > Coke is trying to reframe soda as somehow ok. The whole industry is continuously doing that for processed foods. It's called nutritionism. Margarine is still around, after provoking cancers and heart disease, isn't it? Now enriched with omega-3.
  - Elepsis 11y ago
    It seems like you're suggesting that people are buying the small cans of Coke based on endorsements like this one, and then chugging three cans in one go to make up for the super-sized drink they'd otherwise have gotten. What exactly is that assumption based on? It's been abundantly demonstrated that smaller servings do help people follow through on efforts to reduce their food intake. I don't see any reason Coke should be different.
neprune 11y ago
When there's strong suspicion you once hired militias to attack and intimidate unions [0] [1], paying off health experts feels a bit tame. It's still interesting to see how they went about it though, pushing the idea that exercise is more important in weight loss than your diet is pretty sneaky (and a patent lie). [0] http://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/jul/24/marketingandpr.colombia http://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/jul/24/marketingandpr.... [1] http://colombiajournal.org/colombia73.htm http://colombiajournal.org/colombia73.htm
Nadya 11y ago
First, a quick aside. I was surprised to see this, way to go Medium! http://i.imgur.com/XwJRGKV.png http://i.imgur.com/XwJRGKV.png Now onto an actual on-topic comment: This comes at no real surprise to me. I'm certain Coke isn't the only soda company to be paying people off. Let alone the only company. It's nice the author researched enough into the people and the not-so-subtle advertising going on; but really... anyone with public outreach is a potential advertiser and if they're mentioning a name-brand product, you'd likely win a bet that they received a donation in some form or another. The problem should be that these sorts of implicit bribes are legal in the first place.
bennettfeely 11y ago
Reading this article made me want to get a glass of Coke from the fridge.
powera 11y ago
This article is basically an ad for a company that makes anti-tobacco and anti-sugar ads as a service. And somebody is paying them for that. Why won't they reveal the truth behind their anti-Coke propaganda? Seriously, there's a difference between lying and product placement. Using Coke as an ingredient in barbecue sauce is completely different than saying "sugar helps me lose weight", and this article doesn't care. It's lazy at best.
knorby 11y ago
I drink a fair amount of diet coke/coke zero, so I've looked into aspartame more than a few times, and I have never come back concerned. I haven't seen a study that points a serious health risk to consuming aspartame found in a consumable amount of diet soda, yet it remains controversial, scary, and evil, as this article indirectly implies. This is a common belief too. So, if the science refutes claims of danger, yet the belief persists, why shouldn't Coke promote its safety? It is one thing if a company is promoting bunk research to get away with something, but I really don't see the problem here.
- wodenokoto 11y ago
  Yeah, the aspen tame thing really got me wondering about the ethics here. It is one of the most attacked substances, yet it appears basically harmless. If we assume it is in fact harmless, then it is actually quite ethical of Coca Cola to spend money defending it.
ninjasforhealth 11y ago
Great convo ya'll, thanks for sharing the article.

40 points by newtonapple 11y ago

pauldw 11y ago

Breaking News: The Suit is Back! http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html

AdmiralAsshat 11y ago

One cannot help but wonder if the Soda industry is/will become the Tobacco industry of 50 years ago.

prsimp 11y ago
While not limited to the Soda industry, this sentiment is expressed pretty vividly (even comparing testimony, marketing etc.) in the documentary Fed Up[1]. Worth a watch if this sort of thing is interesting to you and currently available on Netflix. [1] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2381335/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2381335/

ecdavis 11y ago

> [...] making herself available as an expert for news outlets. If a story says something negative about artificial sweeteners, Flipse said she might contact the PR agency and ask, “Do you want me to do something about that?” What does "do something" mean? That statement reads like a fairly blatant request for a bribe.

joe5150 11y ago

"When you’re watching your favorite Food Network show and Coca-Cola is used as an ingredient, do you know that Coke is paying the chef? It never occurred to me." Why wouldn't it occur to someone that a brand-name product used on television has been paid for? Especially when every other product used has been conspicuously genericized, labels covered up and whatnot. Also Coca-Cola as a glaze for food doesn't strike me as particularly better or worse than using barbecue sauce or ketchup or anything of the other sugary things we eat every day.

batbomb 11y ago
The striking thing is this: virginia willis and 9 others recommended The author actually misspelled the name in the article (it's Willis, not Wills, as it appears in the article) Also, Coke has been around as an ingredient for a long time in BBQ because BBQ sauce has to have... sugar.
- snappy173 11y ago
  "Also, Coke has been around as an ingredient for a long time in BBQ because BBQ sauce has to have... sugar." and acidity. it's kind of perfect.
  - wonkaWonka 11y ago
    From now on, I shall think of coca-cola forever as a BBQ precursor substance.
    - zappo2938 11y ago
      They have been marinating ribs in coke overnight in places like the Caribbean now for decades. We were doing it in the mid nineties and I always thought it was a traditional recipe. One night in coke, then another night in a Jack Daniels BBQ sauce, makes for some good ribs.
      - btgeekboy 11y ago
        I wonder, does the acid in the soda help tenderize the meat? Or is it purely for the flavor.
ssharp 11y ago
"Why wouldn't it occur to someone that a brand-name product used on television has been paid for? Especially when every other product used has been conspicuously genericized, labels covered up and whatnot." You're correct on labels but there isn't really a generic version of Coke that tastes the same. It's not unreasonable to think a professional chef would specifically want Coke over another cola.

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]

lionsdan 11y ago
About 96% of dietitians are women. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17314627 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17314627

jobu 11y ago

There definitely are some shady endorsements happening here, but I really don't see a problem with this one: “Sometimes only the real thing will do when it comes to soda, so I am a big fan of the new Coke mini can! It is real soda classic, but it’s in a cute portion-controlled can that keeps my bubbly treat to only 90 calories!” - Sarah Bedwell I would argue that this is actually the kind of endorsement we should be encouraging. It re-frames a soda as a treat that should be consumed in moderation instead of guzzled from a supersized bucket. Ice cream is worse than soda, but it doesn't get nearly the negative attention because everyone knows it's an unhealthy treat.

CyberDildonics 11y ago
The thing is that isn't what happens and Coke knows that. First they can sell the smaller cans for more money for the same amount, which doesn't matter from cost of making it, but does matter to the amount someone will consume. It's the same rationale behind 99% payouts of slot machines in the casino. It just allows someone to play longer. Soda is loaded with sugar and nothing else. It has to be extreme moderation to not have an effect on someone's health (relative to what we think of as normal now). Coke is trying to reframe soda as somehow ok. One way to do that is to have small cans and say 'no problem they cans are obviously tiny'. Someone will buy them and drink as much as they want anyway because what they want isn't to take a long term view of their health, they want a rationalization. That is what Coke is offering and it does happen to be what people want.
- bad_user 11y ago
  > Coke is trying to reframe soda as somehow ok. The whole industry is continuously doing that for processed foods. It's called nutritionism. Margarine is still around, after provoking cancers and heart disease, isn't it? Now enriched with omega-3.
- Elepsis 11y ago
  It seems like you're suggesting that people are buying the small cans of Coke based on endorsements like this one, and then chugging three cans in one go to make up for the super-sized drink they'd otherwise have gotten. What exactly is that assumption based on? It's been abundantly demonstrated that smaller servings do help people follow through on efforts to reduce their food intake. I don't see any reason Coke should be different.

neprune 11y ago

When there's strong suspicion you once hired militias to attack and intimidate unions [0] [1], paying off health experts feels a bit tame. It's still interesting to see how they went about it though, pushing the idea that exercise is more important in weight loss than your diet is pretty sneaky (and a patent lie). [0] http://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/jul/24/marketingandpr.colombia http://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/jul/24/marketingandpr.... [1] http://colombiajournal.org/colombia73.htm http://colombiajournal.org/colombia73.htm

Nadya 11y ago

First, a quick aside. I was surprised to see this, way to go Medium! http://i.imgur.com/XwJRGKV.png http://i.imgur.com/XwJRGKV.png Now onto an actual on-topic comment: This comes at no real surprise to me. I'm certain Coke isn't the only soda company to be paying people off. Let alone the only company. It's nice the author researched enough into the people and the not-so-subtle advertising going on; but really... anyone with public outreach is a potential advertiser and if they're mentioning a name-brand product, you'd likely win a bet that they received a donation in some form or another. The problem should be that these sorts of implicit bribes are legal in the first place.

bennettfeely 11y ago

Reading this article made me want to get a glass of Coke from the fridge.

powera 11y ago

This article is basically an ad for a company that makes anti-tobacco and anti-sugar ads as a service. And somebody is paying them for that. Why won't they reveal the truth behind their anti-Coke propaganda? Seriously, there's a difference between lying and product placement. Using Coke as an ingredient in barbecue sauce is completely different than saying "sugar helps me lose weight", and this article doesn't care. It's lazy at best.

knorby 11y ago

I drink a fair amount of diet coke/coke zero, so I've looked into aspartame more than a few times, and I have never come back concerned. I haven't seen a study that points a serious health risk to consuming aspartame found in a consumable amount of diet soda, yet it remains controversial, scary, and evil, as this article indirectly implies. This is a common belief too. So, if the science refutes claims of danger, yet the belief persists, why shouldn't Coke promote its safety? It is one thing if a company is promoting bunk research to get away with something, but I really don't see the problem here.

wodenokoto 11y ago
Yeah, the aspen tame thing really got me wondering about the ethics here. It is one of the most attacked substances, yet it appears basically harmless. If we assume it is in fact harmless, then it is actually quite ethical of Coca Cola to spend money defending it.

ninjasforhealth 11y ago

Great convo ya'll, thanks for sharing the article.