Latest news with #Coca-ColaClassic
Forbes
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
HBO Max Is Back: When Brands Retreat To Their Original Names
HBO Max is reverting to its original branding after two years as "Max" Warner Bros. Discovery just announced what at least a few branding experts saw coming: the streaming service known as Max is reverting to its previous name, HBO Max. This is the fifth name change for the company's streaming service, having cycled through HBO Go (2008), HBO Now (2015), HBO Max (2020), Max (2023), and now HBO Max again (2025). The company's reasoning for the original change from HBO Max to just "Max" seemed logical enough at the time. In 2023, executives worried that the HBO brand – long associated with premium adult content – might not be the right anchor for a general entertainment streaming service that included reality shows from Discovery's portfolio. They feared these shows might "water down" the prestigious HBO brand. According to the New York Times, the reality was simpler than marketing theory. Subscribers paying $17 monthly for Max were primarily watching HBO content like The White Lotus and The Last of Us, along with new movies and documentaries – not the Discovery reality show catalog. "It really is a reaction to being in the marketplace for two years, evaluating what's working and really leaning into that," Casey Bloys, HBO content chairman, explained. In other words, the HBO brand continued to be the real draw for subscribers. The 2023 rebrand to "Max" had mainly caused confusion among both industry insiders and consumers. People wondered if HBO was being phased out or diminished, the opposite of what the company intended. This reversal highlights a crucial lesson many brands learn the hard way: sometimes your established brand equity is more valuable than you realize. Warner Bros. Discovery isn't the first major company to retreat to a previous brand identity after a failed rebrand. In fact, they're joining a distinguished club of brand "boomerangs" – companies that tried new names only to return to their roots: Coca-Cola (1985): In what's often called the biggest marketing blunder of the 20th century, Coca-Cola abandoned its classic formula and branding for "New Coke." After just 79 days of consumer protests and backlash, the company brought back the original as "Coca-Cola Classic." The lesson? Don't mess with a brand that's deeply embedded in consumer hearts and memories. Tribune Publishing → tronc → Tribune Publishing (2016-2018): The venerable newspaper company bizarrely rebranded itself as "tronc" (with a lowercase 't', short for "Tribune Online Content") in 2016. The rebrand became an immediate laughingstock, described by critics as out-of-touch corporate jargon. After two painful years, the company dropped the silly name and restored its respected Tribune Publishing identity. SurveyMonkey → Momentive → SurveyMonkey (2021-2023): The online survey provider rebranded as "Momentive" in 2021 to appear more enterprise-ready and shed its playful image. After two years, they discovered their brand recognition was too strong to abandon. The Momentive name only caused confusion, and the company reverted to SurveyMonkey in 2023, admitting the original name had more customer recognition and trust. Warner Bros. Discovery's struggle to find the right identity for its streaming service reflects a larger challenge many traditional companies face: how to transition cherished legacy brands into the modern era without losing what made them special. The HBO brand has exceptional value – it stands for quality, prestige, and innovation. Removing it from the service name diluted that value rather than expanding the service's appeal. What Warner Bros. Discovery now seems to understand is that HBO isn't just a content provider within their streaming service. Rather, it's the primary reason people subscribe. What can marketing leaders learn from this latest brand reversal? Bloys summed up the challenge well, noting that the transition to streaming has been tricky for many cable companies. HBO "and a bunch of other companies are trying to navigate that," he said, before adding hopefully, "That said, I do hope this is the last time we have a conversation about the naming of the service." Don't we all.
The Sun
05-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Coca-Cola cans recalled over ‘plastic contamination' in 900 cases – two states are affected
COCA-COLA has issued a massive recall involving over 800 items across two states. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent out a critical alert about the beverage being contaminated with plastic. 2 2 The agency issued an alert over the 864 12-packs of Coca-Cola that were sold in two states earlier this month. On Monday, the FDA classified the alert as a Class II recall meaning it is now "a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote." The contaminated packs were made by the Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling, LLC, in Milwaukee, Tennessee, according to the recall. "Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling is voluntarily recalling 864 cases of 12-pack Coca-Cola Classic in 12-oz cans in Illinois and Wisconsin," a company spokesperson told USA Today through email. "The cases are being withdrawn because they did not meet our high-quality standards." "We are taking this voluntary action because nothing is more important to us than providing high-quality products to the people who drink our beverages," they added. Consumers who bought a pack of the popular soda in Illinois or Wisconsin were asked to check for a recall notification from authorities. Those two who purchased the product will be contacted through two or more of the following methods: email, fax, letter, press release, telephone call, or visit. There isn't any specific guidance on how to proceed if a consumer has bought the product already. However, generally, the agency advises consumers to discard the item without consuming it. 'Contaminated' drink recalled over 'toxic substance' inside – 173k bottles were sold at stores like Walmart and Target Coca-Cola did not immediately reply to The U.S. Sun's request for comment. This comes as consumers are dealing with another recall of a very common grocery staple. Customers were cautioned about consuming contaminated tomatoes from two different manufacturers — Williams Farms Repack LLC and Ray & Mascari Inc. The tomatoes were recalled after a possible risk of Salmonella, according to the alert. "Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems," the FDA wrote. "Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain." If Salmonella gets into the bloodstream, there is a chance of contracting more serious illnesses like arterial infections, endocarditis, and arthritis. There have been no reported illnesses relating to Salmonella yet, but consumers who are experiencing symptoms were asked to contact the distributors. In 2025, the FDA issued recall alerts for over 50 food and beverage products. The agency also provides email notifications and updates regarding food, drugs, cosmetics, and medical devices.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Check Your Fridge—Coca-Cola Has Recalled Nearly 900 Soda Cases
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Before you crack open your next can of Coca-Cola, there's yet another food recall you should absolutely know about. According to a report shared by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), select cans of Coca-Cola Original Taste have been voluntarily recalled due to the presence of a foreign object, specifically plastic. The original recall occurred earlier this month and has since been updated to "Class II" by the FDA. The organization states that a Class II recall is one that "may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote." Nearly 900 cases of the sodas, which were available in 12-count packs, were recalled from the states of Illinois and Wisconsin. At this point, no other states are included in the recall. The FDA reports that the recalled sodas were bottled and distributed by Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling, LLC, in Milwaukee. For a list of the affected UPC codes, visit the FDA's site. "Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling is voluntarily recalling 864 cases of 12-pack Coca-Cola Classic in 12-oz cans in Illinois and Wisconsin," a company spokesperson said Wednesday in an emailed statement to USA TODAY. "The cases are being withdrawn because they did not meet our high-quality standards. We are taking this voluntary action because nothing is more important to us than providing high-quality products to the people who drink our beverages." The FDA has not provided specific advice for handling recalled sodas. However, standard procedure is to, of course, not drink them and return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. This latest recall serves as just one of many that have occurred due to the presence of a foreign material. Most recently, an assortment of Stouffer's and Lean Cuisine frozen entrées were recalled due to the possible presence of "wood-like" material. You Might Also Like Can Apple Cider Vinegar Lead to Weight Loss? Bobbi Brown Shares Her Top Face-Transforming Makeup Tips for Women Over 50
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
FDA recalls over 10,000 cans of Coca-Cola bottled in Milwaukee and sold in Wisconsin and Illinois
Over 10,000 cans of Coca-Cola sold in Wisconsin and Illinois have been recalled for possible contamination with a foreign object: plastic. On Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalled 864 12-packs of Coca-Cola sold in the two states earlier this month. The recalled beverages were bottled and distributed by Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling, LLC, in Milwaukee, according to the FDA. Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling initially issued a voluntary recall March 6. "Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling is voluntarily recalling 864 cases of 12-pack Coca-Cola Classic in 12-oz cans in Illinois and Wisconsin," a company spokesperson said in an emailed statement to USA TODAY. "The cases are being withdrawn because they did not meet our high-quality standards. We are taking this voluntary action because nothing is more important to us than providing high-quality products to the people who drink our beverages," the statement continued. The FDA issued a Class II recall for the products. According to the FDA, a Class II recall is "a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote." The FDA did not mention any injuries or illnesses in connection with the recall. The FDA provided the following information about the recalled products: Product description: Coca-Cola Original Taste, 12 fl oz Can UPC: 0 49000-00634 6 12-can pack UPC: 0 49000-02890 4 Date code: SEP2925MDA Time stamp: 1100-1253 USA TODAY reporter Gabe Hauari contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: FDA recalls over 10,000 cans of Coca-Cola sold in Wisconsin, Illinois
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Coca-Cola recall: 10,000 cans in Illinois and Wisconsin at risk of contamination
(WTVO) — More than 10,000 cans of Coca-Cola sold in Illinois and Wisconsin have been recalled due to potential contamination by a foreign object, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The recall affects 12-packs of Coca-Cola with can UPC of 0 49000-00634 6 and case UPC of 0 49000-02890 4. The 864 cases, containing 10,368 cans, were bottled by Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling in Milwaukee. The the products in question could be contaminated by plastic particles. 'Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling is voluntarily recalling 864 cases of 12-pack Coca-Cola Classic in 12-oz cans. The cases are being withdrawn because they did not meet our high-quality standards. We are taking this voluntary action because nothing is more important to us than providing high-quality products to the people who drink our beverages,' the company said in a statement. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
