Nestlé stands behind Nestea brand, blames Coke for neglect
The CEO of Nestlé Waters USA blamed Coca-Cola for mismanaging the Nestea brand and treating it like a line extension of soft drinks. Speaking at a recent investor seminar, Tim Brown affirmed Nestlé's commitment to Nestea and highlighted past failings by Coca-Cola, a former production and distribution partner, to treat Nestea as a tea, not a soft drink brand. Nestea has been performing poorly against its competitors in the US and was pulled from the Chinese market earlier this year because of lackluster performance. In response, it has recently undergone a reformulation, shedding 40% of the calories in the process. The products also benefited from a revamp of packaging, graphics and advertising.