Shawn's Letter

To Coca-Cola and Whom It May Concern:

I am an avid Coca-Cola customer. There's not a day that goes by when I don't drink at least one or two Coca-Cola drinks and I know that there are millions of people out there just like me. I also know that there thousands, if not millions, that also shared a deep love of Coca-Cola's drink SURGE during short lifetime and would love more than anything to see it return to our store shelves.

I understand that from a business-perspective there are many roadblocks to the resurrection of a product taken out of production for reasons of profit. But what I believe is The Coca-Cola Company's great mistake here is that you are not recognizing the resurgance (no pun intended) of demand for your product and the potential in your hands to take part in a landmark opportunity. There is a market for SURGE around the world and the company should know that but you are choosing to let it be nothing more than demand. Being who you are this is a shock because Coca-Cola has built its reputation on supporting its customers and delivering top-quality products. As far as I am concerned, that reputation ends today as I learned from SaveSURGE.org that despite the Wal-Mart retail chain contacting Coca-Cola about a SURGE comeback because of the great demand in it shown by many, many people, Coca-Cola is still saying no.

The most important thing for Coca-Cola to know right now is that it is letting down its customers. It is letting *me* down. The individual. And for each individual stacked on top of the next one comes a great sum of people that as consumers have made Coca-Cola the #1 soft drink company in the world. That is likely not to change anytime in the forseeable future unless Coca-Cola continues to ignore its other current and future customers as it has ignored devout fans of SURGE. Great companies often lose their power when it is triggered by something else, but it is the small stones that first fall that actually cause the avalanche. I'm not aware of many small or large mistakes by Coca-Cola in a very long time (something that has made the company what it is) but I feel in my heart and know in my mind that this is largest of any of those stones.

Coca-Cola is making a mistake. It...YOU need to realize that before customers start to find their products elsewhere. I know that I will always respect Coca-Cola for the quality and support it has given to me in my short twenty years on this planet. Sadly, however, I will also always remember its first great example of not listening to its customers and providing me with such great disappointment and even slight contempt. The only thing that will keep me interested in Coca-Cola and its products will be the hope that it corrects this mistake to remain the dependant company it has been over the decades.

Sincerely,

Shawn

Back to the Letter Archive