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NEW YORK » Coca-Cola’s newest drink won’t come in a bottle or a can. And people will only need a squirt or two to quench their thirst.
The world’s largest beverage company is introducing its Dasani Drops in coming weeks, which can be squeezed into water for some on-the-spot fruity flavor. And Coca-Cola is betting that there’s big potential for growth.
"I think there’s an opportunity beyond just flavored waters," said John Roddey, vice president of Coca-Cola’s water, tea and coffee business in North America.
Although there are no set plans yet, Roddey says the next logical category for liquid drops would be tea. That’s because drinks with higher sugar content are harder to turn into a liquid concentrate.
The Coca-Cola Co. isn’t the first to come out with flavor drops. The category was pioneered by Kraft Food Inc.’s MiO, which was introduced in March of last year and has quickly spawned copycats, including by supermarkets that sell store-brand versions.
The drops are popular because they come in small, portable containers that can be easily tucked into a purse or even back pocket.
And unlike powdered drink packets, people can decide how much or little they want to squirt into their water.
