Coke Is Now Making Milk That’s ‘Better’ For You
Yes, that’s right. Coke has announced they will be rolling out a new milk that’s nutritionally better for you than traditional milk over the next several weeks. And of course, like most food items that are marketed as ‘good for you,’ it’s going to come at a price that reflects that claim. More than the cost of a whole gallon of organic milk, the 52 ounce bottle of Fairlife will cost on average $4.59. Major retailers including Wal-Mart, Target, Kroger and Safeway have agreed to carry it and Coca-Cola’s Minute Maid team plans to make it available wherever milk is sold.
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What makes Fairlife milk worth so much? Coca-Cola said that it goes through a filtration process that’s made the same way as skim milk. Filters are used to separate the various components in milk. Then, more of the favorable components are added, while the less desirable ones are kept out.
The result is a lactose-free product that has 50% more protein, 30% more calcium and 50% less sugar than regular milk. With the ongoing decline in milk consumption, Coca-Cola is hoping this will generate enough interest to drive the milk market back up.
While there is no question that just putting the name Coca-Cola and milk in the same sentence seems more like an oxymoron when it comes to a nutritional product, Coca-Cola is banking on the fact that Americans will be open to trying something new. Coca-Cola is taking a huge risk that consumers are willing to pay so much more for their product but are hopeful and confident in their current strategy.
They started this last summer with some commercials in Minneapolis and Denver that some feared would be deemed more sexist than intended. The ads, featuring women wearing nothing but milk splashes in the shape of dresses, were “made to be disruptive in order to grab attention” says Fairlife CEO and former Coke executive Steve Jones. He also noted that moving forward, their marketing strategy will be to focus on the farmers that make the product and the authentic taste of the milk.
Look for the bottles of Fairlife to be on the shelves at retailers near you within the next couple of weeks.
