Hi, my name is Steve and I'm an addict. To Diet Coke that is. It's been 5 years since my last drink.
This is a case study in brand allegiance rather than a study of addiction. Arguably as you'll see I was addicted to the brand, not the drink as such. But I get ahead of myself.
I was a loyal Diet Coke drinker for many years. I enjoyed the taste, and it was a nice little jolt of caffeine when I wanted it. In fact I was able to nail the timing on the rush I'd get. You might say after years I was a familiar and true client. I wouldn't drink Pepsi/Diet Pepsi as I could tell the taste difference from 50 paces and I didn't enjoy it. In fact if I was in one of Pepsi's restaurant chains where Diet Coke wasn't an option, I'd go without rather than suffer through a bad imitation.
As I moved around the globe for my work, my Diet Coke was beside me, trustworthy and dependable. I was a happy guy with my Diet Coke relationship. And then something happened. Something awful.
I was living in Hong Kong at the time, and for reasons no doubt to appeal to the local 6million people there, Coke changed the recipe of Diet Coke locally. They had a few variations on the market at the time too - my optional favourite was lemon Diet Coke (trust me, it's good). Anyway, the nice folks at Coca-Cola changed to a sweeter Diet Coke, and I didn't like it. They didn't change all variations though, and I was able to enjoy my Diet Coke with lemon flavouring for 2-3 months after they switched the traditional one. So what did I do when they changed, when they broke their promise to me about what it would taste like, how it would satisfy my cravings..?
I kept buying it. I'd sip it, cringe and throw it away. But the next day I'd buy another. This went on for a while - I was addicted
You see I had so conditioned myself to reaching for the red & silver can that my Diet Coke relationship meant more to me than just the taste. But I hated it now. I wouldn't / couldn't drink it. I reveled in any business trips to other parts of the world where I could secretly sip my mistress (Only Hong Kong changed the formula to my knowledge). But all this simply postponed the inevitable. The break-up that was writing on the wall. I had to stop.
Eventually after some months, I stopped buying & drinking Diet Coke as I was betrayed by it. I now live where I can easily access it - the same old great taste that I'm sure I'd enjoy still today. But I don't. I don't dare go near the stuff as the brand broke it's promise to me, and betrayed our special relationship. I won't buy it again on principle. (I'd still never buy Pepsi products either though, and I can't quite rationalize that ether).
My Diet Coke tale is a rich one in lessons I think - about brand loyalty, about conditioning and about addiction. While I still have high regards for the brand, I won't touch it any longer. Which is odd. Sometimes to this day I still feel the urge to get the comfort of buying one - knowing I have a go-to choice or a friend I can count on.
I know Coca-Cola's lost a truly loyal customer in this mess, and I'm still searching for something tasty at every lunch.
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