Taste the Difference?

What's the difference between Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero? 
Inquiring minds want to know.

Earlier this month, after Flannista asked for a Diet Coke, a US Airways flight attendant informed her that the flight had run out of Diet Coke and now had only Coca-Cola Zero on board.

FLANNISTA:   What's the difference between Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero?

ATTENDANT:  Diet Coke is Coca-Cola with no calories and Coca-Cola Zero is Coca-Cola with zero calories.

FLANNISTA:   Do you realize that you just said that one has "no" calories and the other has "zero" calories?

ATTENDANT:  That's right.

FLANNISTA:   One has "no" calories and the other has "zero" . . . what's the difference?

ATTENDANT:  When the plane flies to the Caribbean, we stock more Coca-Cola Zero.

FLANNISTA:   So "zero" calories opposed to "no" calories gives the Coke more of a "tropical" tang?

ATTENDANT:  That's what I hear.  Would you like to try it?

Flannista did try the Coca-Cola Zero, and didn't taste anything like coconut or pineapple or suntan lotion. But her delicate taste buds did indeed detect a subtle difference.  Curious, she went to the official Coca-Cola website and learned that Coca-Cola Zero is sweetened with aspartame and acesulfame potassium (ace-k).  Further that the only chemical difference between Coca-Cola Zero and Diet Coke is that Coca-Cola Zero has about half the aspartame but more ace-k.

All along the difference had been on the tip of Flannista's tongue: the respective amounts of aspartame and acesulfame potassium! 

Enough of this hard-to-swallow b.s.  Further investigation revealed that these two Coke drinks are essentially the same, but one is named Coca-Cola Zero because the word "zero" appeals to men more than the word, "diet."  Adding the "zero" brand ensures that Diet Coke brand appeals to both genders.

Any other theories out there in the sassosphere?  Any sista and mista prefer Coca-Cola Zero to Diet Coke?  Why?  What about that "men-and-the-word-zero" marketing strategy . . . work for you?

TOMORROW:  LAST-FRIDAY-OF-THE-MONTH OPEN MIC!!!

Comments

[Chrysosistah]

Hey - can't believe I'm first to comment, with all the early birds out there. I won't consume aspartame, so I've never tried these diet sodas. It's fully-leaded for me - that is, until they figure out how to use the stevia plant for sweetener ;-)

[Flannista]

Hey, Chryso . . . it makes my day when someone beats me to the sass. Thanks much. A couple of questions:

1) Why won't you consume aspartame (and given my hypochondria tendencies, I'm a little afraid to ask)?

2) What in the hell is "the stevia plant"? Something grown by Stevie Wonder, Stevie Nicks?

I had to look it up. Here's the Wiki link for others in the sassosphere:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia

Please note this paragraph from the article:

"In 2007, The Coca-Cola Company announced plans to obtain approval for rebiana [the trade name for a product containing "stevia"] for use as a food additive within the United States by 2009, as well as plans to market rebiana-sweetened products in 12 countries that allow stevia's use as a food additive. In May 2008, Coke and Cargill announced the availability of Truvia, a consumer brand of Rebiana that became a permitted food additive in December 2008. Coca-Cola announced intentions to release stevia-sweetened beverages in late December 2008."

So apparently, the Great-and-Powerful Coca-Cola Company is on top of stevia.

All that aside, any opinion about Coca-Cola's "zero" and "diet" marketing strategy for Diet Coke to appeal to both men and women?

[babysis]

All marketing strategies regarding diet drinks are lost on me. Dr. Pepper or Coke Classic are my only choices. I enjoy many of the Coca Cola advertisements because they are creative or funny and I do collect and redeem My Coke Rewards points.

I love that you notice this kind of stuff, and I have to assume it's researched heavily by those seeking a profit. Which means companies are spending money to make money. What you call b.s. may be good for the economy after all.

[Matissta]

I won't drink diet sodas because they "taste" artificial to me. Yes, I have SUCH a sophisticated palette! ;-) If you can't pronounce the ingredients, I don't want to drink it. If I do drink soda, and it's rare, I drink the real thing. But then again, I also use butter rather than margarine.

I kind of buy the marketing strategy. I don't know any man who drinks "diet" soda. Using the word "zero" is just semantics, but I think it'll work.

[Flannista]

But Matissta -- WHY do you think it'll work? How is it that a man finds the word "zero" better than "diet"? How does that appeal to testosterone more?

babysis, I noticed a special link to "My Coke Rewards" points when I visit the official Coca-Cola website, but had no idea what they were. What are they, how do they work and what have you gotten for your point redemption?

Does anyone have a comment on my exchange with the US Airways flight attendant?

[Matissta]

Because men don't "diet." "Zero" makes it sound like you're taking care of yourself; maintaining your weight. "Diet" makes it sound like you NEED to lose weight. Women always think they could lose a few pounds, men don't. It's as simple as that.

[Flannista]

Like you weigh "zero" rather than you have "zero" smarts? That's why men like it?

So what would be the reasoning behind?:

Caffeine Free Diet Coke
Diet Coke Plus
Diet Coke with Lime
Diet Cherry Coke
Diet Black Cherry Vanilla Coke
Coca-Cola C2
Coca-Cola Classic
Coca-Cola with Lime
Coca-Cola Blak (coffee flavored)
Cherry Coke
Cherry Coke Zero
Vanilla Coke
Caffeine Free Coca-Cola Classic

Coke is what coke is, right? Or 'tis what 'tis, as Carolyn would say. Or fizz what fizz.

I don't drink much soda -- only when I fly. I occasionally stock Diet Dr. Pepper in my frig, but my diet drink of choice is Diet Snapple. Good enough for Tina Fey. Good enough for me.

[Chrysosistah]

Taking a mental health break - Flannista, won't consume aspartame because I remember too well (yep, my memory does work from time-to-time) when it was debuted in the early '80's. It was intended only for cold uses, as it breaks down quickly when heated. I just don't trust that Monsanto is looking out for me as much as their bottom line.

[PEACEsista]

Hi, I've got the afternoon off from the retreat to play, so thought I'd first stop by to play at the Sassista's house.

My sons stopped drinking soda (or pop) in high school ... then I stopped, too. It wasn't really a conscious thing, but I lost my taste for it. Judging from the responses here, others have stopped drinking it too. I think that is they main reason that the marketers have to keep busy. They are losing their market and they are trying to reformulate and re-brand to lure us back or to seduce new customers. It won't work for me. If I want something fizzy, I usually have a sparkling water or a seltzer water.

Flann, I think if you google aspartame, you are likely to find the objections to it. For some it's just the taste, but I think I remember it being cited as a contributing factor in some neurological/brain problems in humans. Others fear cancers, because in the past other fake sweetners were removed from the market as unsafe and potentially cancer-causing.

Well, I'm off to the card store. I'll miss you there, while I laugh my ass off and it won't be nearly as fun without you.

[Jerseysista]

Zero has it over diet. Just think of the male marketing associations:

Zoom, zing, zip, zeal, zap, ZERO!

Dawg, down, low , bad, ZERO!

Cool, smooth, ice, slick, ZERO!

Macho, Rambo, jumbo, ZERO!

[Flannista]

Jersey . . . that's just fizzin' inspired.

Remind me again . . . why are you a lawyer and NOT a creative director or ARTIST or POET or . . . (theologian)?

Thanks for a comment I actually might lift for my next round of ad copy for corporate America!