Called ‘Pepsi Next’ the new product is aimed at consumers who are looking to reduce their sugar intake but still want the taste of a full-calorie product.
Such sodas have been tested before by the soft drink giants without success. Back in 2004 two big mid-calorie launches - Coca-Cola’s Coke C2 and PepsiCo’s Pepsi Edge – both failed to take off.
When it was revealed earlier in the year that PepsiCo had filed trademarks for three new mid-calorie cola drinks, Consumer Edge Research analyst Bill Pecoriello was skeptical.
“While interest in trying a mid-calorie version of Coke or Pepsi's flagship brand is high, until we can see that the product can deliver on taste and the company can get the messaging right, we find it difficult to get too excited.”
Pepsi Next is to be trialed in Iowa and Wisconsin from July.