Failed Products - Essay Example

The following 3 examples illustrate companies that recalled failed products; New coke-this product was launched by Coca-Cola in the mid-1980s flopped greatly and is taunted as the best example of brand missteps and product flops. It was introduced in the market in an effort to assist the soda company beat the competition during the notorious “cola wars”. However, it turned out to be annoying to consumers. This product flopped because of the nasty way in which it was introduced which made regular drinkers of Coke look as if they mattered less to the company and thus a boycott was initiated. This product was abandoned just a few weeks after its launch and the initial version was resurrected with a new name; Classic Coke” (Robert, 1995).

The second product that flopped is Crystal Pepsi which was launched in the 1990s as clear cola. This brand lacked lemon/lime flavor, unlike the rest of other clear carbonated drinks. It also lacked the usual cola flavor. In spite of a costly media blitz, Crystal Pepsi failed to catch on and Pepsi incurred millions of dollars guessing at straws and never recovered fully. This was a big blunder that their competitors learned from; never change a color that is acceptable to your consumers.

Lastly, Ben-Gay Aspirin is another example of product failure. Thus having a famous name behind a product that is new does not guarantee success-at times it can be an obstacle if the brand is closely tied to one image or product. Ben-Gay is famous for its exceptionally strong smell and its pain-reducing balm’s burning/warming sensation on its getting in touch with the skin. However, this wasn’t an excellent fit for the Ben-Gay aspirin launch by Pfizer decades ago. Whereas the products were related in that both were designed for pain relief, consumers could not get a taste for swallowing a tablet with a brand they related to a burning sensation. Ben-Gay erred in attaching a popular name to something entirely out of character. They should have used a different brand name (Michael, 2009).