On November 7th of 2019, the Coca Cola corporation announced that in March 2020 it will launch a new flavored seltzer brand called “AHA.” The company considers it a “little caffeinated pick-me-up,” with unusual yet inviting flavor pairs.

With its vibrant packaging and fresh marketing, AHA will come in eight sodium and calorie-free flavors, a few being Orange + Grapefruit, Apple + Ginger and Blueberry + Pomegranate. Two of the eight flavors ⎯ Citrus Green Tea and Black Cherry + Coffee ⎯ will contain 30mg of caffeine. Stores will offer multi-pack 12-fl-oz cans or individual 16-fl-oz cans.

“When shoppers browse the sparkling water aisle,” began Julie Siwemuke, “they’re looking for interesting and approachable flavors that offer a refreshing treat. They’re also drawn to fun, colorful brands with personality.” Coca Cola hopes that their interesting and approachable flavors will entice those who don’t usually prefer sparkling water, and keep those who do coming back for more. Currently, sparkling water happens to be one of the largest markets in the water business, holding more promise than popular sodas.

“Mainstream flavored sparkling water is a segment we know we must double-down on. AHA is our big-bet brand in this big-bet category,” said Celina Li, Vice President of Water at the Coca-Cola Company North America, in response to this new worldly preference.

AHA shows great promise. Despite the retail sales for sparkling water being significantly lower than carbonated soft drinks, there’s huge room for growth. Soda sales are gradually declining, and sparkling water brands like Spindrift have been facing impressive increases in sales up to triple their usual amount. Coca Cola is not failing to notice this, and judging by this new release, plans to benefit from it.

Coca-Cola is using this new brand to appeal to customers’ sudden interest in carbonated water for relaxation and refreshment. The Company plans to take aim at LaCroix, a weakening sparkling water brand and Bubly, Pepsi’s successful sparkling water line. They anticipate that the growing sales and popularity for sparkling water won’t be slowing down anytime soon and hope to recruit new fans.

To also appeal to former, more critical fans, alongside the release of AHA, Coca Cola has announced a new goal to commit $100 million to accelerating recycling by 2030.

“The company is working on an initiative to recycle every single-use package,” the President of the stills business unit for Coca-Cola North America said.

Want to learn more about AHA? Visit the Coca Cola Company website where they go into detail about their upcoming sparkling drink! https://www.coca-colacompany.com/news/aha-adds-to-coke-sparkling-water-portfolio