Since Coke Zero was first introduced in 2005, the Coca-Cola Company (Coke) has been involved in domestic and international efforts to acquire rights over the English word “zero.” The fight over the term “zero” may seem trivial at first glance, but Coke Zero currently makes up 3% of the $168 billion soda industry. Though Diet Coke remains the top-selling diet cola with 4.8% share of the soda market, global sales of Coke Zero rose 6% while Diet Coke fell 6% in 2015. This large success is essentially because men tend to avoid drinks labeled “diet” but not drinks labeled “zero.” Realizing that men could not “bridge the gender gap image-wise without a new brand and product just for them,” the black-canned cola was specially marketed to this demographic.
Though Coke Zero has been a market success, Coke’s trademark battle has been largely unsuccessful. Coke has argued that their creative marketing campaign has made the term “zero” distinctive. However, in Canada and the United Kingdom, regulators have rejected Coke’s trademark applications.