Business Notes Beverages

In the bubbly battle of Coke vs. Coke, the outcome is turning out to be no contest. A red-faced Coca-Cola conceded last week that its original soft drink, which the company tried to bury in April only to revive as Classic Coke in July, is outselling New Coke, the drink's would-be successor. Industry insiders said that Classic Coke led New Coke 6 to 1 in some areas.

Coca-Cola, which last week reported third-quarter profits of $196 million, up 12% from a year ago, was far from ready to call New Coke a goof or to yank the heavily promoted product from the market. The company claims that the combination of New and Classic Coke has made the world's leading soft drink more popular than ever. It also pointed out that New Coke is outselling Classic Coke 2 to 1 in Canada and as much as 10 to 1 in Puerto Rico, the only places outside the continental U.S. where it is currently available.

One question remains for consumers suffering from an acute case of Coca- Cola confusion: Do Cherry Coke, diet Coke and caffeine-free Coke have the New or the Classic formula? The answer to that is neither. Each drink has a separate recipe of its own.