Sergio Zyman
Sergio Zyman | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 30, 1945 Mexico City, Mexico |
| Occupation | Marketing professional |
| Known for | Introduction of New Coke, launch of Diet Coke, Fruitopia, Surge, "Coke Is It" advertising campaign |
Sergio Zyman (born July 30, 1945) is a marketing professional originally from Mexico, recognized for both the unsuccessful introduction of New Coke and notable achievements such as launching Diet Coke, Fruitopia, Surge, and the "Coke Is It" advertising campaign.
Early life and education
Born into a Mexican Jewish household in Mexico City, Zyman pursued executive education at institutions including Harvard University and graduate programs in London, Paris, and Jerusalem. Despite this extensive training, he does not possess a formal graduate degree or MBA.
Career
Throughout his professional journey, Zyman held significant positions at Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Procter & Gamble, before establishing the Zyman Group. He played a pivotal role in launching Diet Coke in 1982 and was instrumental in creating Fruitopia in 1994.
Following his departure from Coca-Cola, Zyman founded the consulting company Zyman Group, which was acquired by the Canadian advertising conglomerate MDC Partners Inc. for approximately $60 million in April 2005. Scott Miller from McCann Erickson succeeded him as Chairman. The Zyman Group has since been dissolved. Zyman also held a board position at Upstream Worldwide, the parent organization of uSell.com, though he is no longer affiliated with them. Additionally, he provided marketing consultancy services to JC Penney, leaving after an unsuccessful attempt to reposition the brand.
New Coke
In a 1995 Fortune Magazine feature, New Coke was labeled the most significant marketing failure since Ford’s Edsel. Introduced to combat a two-decade decline in market share against Pepsi, New Coke was a reformulated version of the classic Coca-Cola flavor. However, intense consumer opposition led to the reinstatement of the original recipe after only 77 days. As head of U.S. marketing at the time, Zyman directed Project Kansas in 1984 with the objective of replacing the nearly century-old formula with New Coke. A major misstep was not maintaining availability of the original formula alongside New Coke.
Published works
Zyman has written four books on marketing and advertising, including:
- The End of Advertising as We Know It (co-authored with Armin Brott), John Wiley & Sons, 2002
- The End of Marketing as We Know It