Blue Cola ?

[KurtNYC]

Soft drinks are one of the most profitable products. Mark up is huge - 2 cents worth of corn syrup and fizzy water sells for $1+ per 2 liter container or ~$3 per six-pack. Coke and Pepsi spend a fortune on advertising and sponsorships partly because they can and partly because they have to keep up their battle with each other.

So what if a new soft drink came on to the market. One that tastes just like the other 2 but used significantly all of its profits to advance progressive causes? The cans and 2-liter labels would be covered with information about the issue of the month or progressive politics. Or it could be a little lower key, like a series that honors "great Americans" (meaning 'great progressive Americans').

Similar to the ads of Kenneth Cole, the ads could talk very little about the product (since we all know what soda is) and very much about issues and causes. And like Working Assets credit cards, consumers could vote with their dollars to advance the causes they value.

I know lots of families who spend $10 to $50 a week on soft drinks. With an option like Blue Cola they could be advancing progressive causes without having to spend additional money to do so.

Thoughts?

[madeline_con]

1. Are you looking for investors?

I'm a little strapped right now, but I can put an ad on my site for free. :)

[Orrex]

2. Local brand?

Save-A-Lot stocks a brand of soda called, of all things, Bubba Cola. I believe that one permutation of the brand is called "Bubba Blue."

Beyond that, your idea sounds good in principle. Which means that it would be attacked mercilessly by entrenched corporate interests, of course.

[KurtNYC]

5. I left out part of Coke/Pepsi's overhead

which is distribution. They have fleets of trucks and people who go into groceries to stock the shelves.

But I do like the idea of a product that:

-most people already buy
-has a fairly high mark-up
-advertises heavily

If I can think of something (doesn't have to be soda) that could be ordered over the internet and mailed that would kill off the distribution issues.

[Mojambo]

3. I think it's a fabulous idea n/t

[firefox]

4. Drink water and donate your money

I do not believe in promoting consumption of sugar water and I say that as a sugar addict.

Buying anything is not going to be the solution. As a matter of fact, not buying is the best solution. Our political situation is an economic war launched on us by the wealthy. If every person opposed to the war in Iraq stopped all but essential spending, then we would get somewhere. The Indians killed their babies and themselves to keep from being slaves to the Europeans. It seems like people these days could at least restrain their spending in a collective effort instead of living with the modern form of slavery where labor is cheap and capital is rewarded.

Your idea is fine, but people would still not act collectively.