Panda Cola (History, Flavors & Marketing)

There is Cola and then there is Panda Cola. Forget all the sugars and added syrups of traditional cola. We all know these are bad for us. Panda Cola brings us a whole different type of cola that is designed from the minerals of the earth. It’s more natural and yet still oh so tasty. 

Keep reading to learn all there is to know about Panda Cola.

History

Panda Cola is an incredibly unique product, and as such, it’s challenging to find a lot of information to share. There just simply isn’t that much out there and their own website is pretty limited as well. 

This requires to just dig a little bit deeper to try to find out as much as possible about the company. This unique cola is really not a cola at all. However, it is somewhat like a flavored seltzer and it’s a great replacement if you like the bubblies but want something healthier. 

Panda Cola really doesn’t have anything else out there exactly like it, although there are certainly some who try. This drink is made 100% from mineral water, harvested from underground and not processed in any way to purify thanks to the source. Then, they add some flavoring, but it’s primarily all-natural fruit juice that flavors the drink. 

While this is labeled as a Cola, it’s actually caffeine-free. However, it’s still quite refreshing. This Panda Cola drink is not to be confused with the Panda Cola vaping products that are out there. 

Panda Cola has been in the market for quite a few years. At one time, their packaging was a little odd and this turned a lot of customers away. Back in 2014, they went through a rebranding process where the namesake panda was made into an interactive, cuddly panda. 

In addition, the brand did a lot of work to create encouraging messaging and ensure that all of their label claims were open and honest. It’s stunning how much of a difference these little changes made. It made the brand far more noticeable and desirable to moms all over the globe. 

These panda drinks are nothing new, but they got a new face lift and a new reputation to boot. 

Another thing to note is that at one time these drinks did have quite a few artificial things in them, especially artificial colors. While there are still some additives, they turned their focus to use as much natural flavoring and ingredients as possible, without taking away from the refreshing concepts. 

Now, Panda Cola has no added sugar, no artificial flavors, and no artificial colors either. They used a contract with a company known as Robot Food to help make these changes known to the world and start marketing on a totally different scale. They had a lot to offer with their change of more natural additives. 

This drink turned into natural flavors and 50% fruit juice, which made it a great choice for those who wanted a more health-conscious approach. In partnering with Robot Food, their goal was to make Panda a leading choice in healthy and nutritious drinks for kids. 

This is where the tagline “refreshingly fruity fun” came from. They used the history of the brand, paired with these changes, to make a name for themselves in a whole new realm and it worked. 

They went from an everyday cola persona to a refreshing fruit juice with some bubbly. Kids and parents both loved the new look, the change in formulas, and the reset of the brand as a whole. These changes brough significant growth to the brand, particularly in the first year. 

The Panda Cola Difference

All too often the world hands kids juices that claim to be nutritious but are loaded with sugars and artificial additives. But Panda Cola’s entire stance after their 2014 makeover was to not be like the rest of the world. They wanted to be kid-friendly and provide a product kids could get excited over. 

But they wanted to do it without the negative health factors of your traditional cola. 

They always used natural spring mineral water, but with their change, they upped the ante. The base of the drink remains 100% natural mineral spring water. Since it’s directly from a natural spring, it doesn’t have to be treated or processed in any way, and that alone makes a huge difference. 

Paired with sparkling water, they use 50% all-natural fruit juice and no added sugars. These details make this drink officially 99% less sugar than any comparable product out there. And did we mention there is no caffeine either? 

The natural spring water is also flavored with real fruits for a majority of the flavors. This combination of natural fruits and reliable fruit juices loads the water with rich minerals that bring even more benefits to the health of the drink. 

In addition, these drinks are considered school compliant while also falling under the soft drink category thanks to their fizzy nature. One drink provides your child a full fruit serving for their day. 

Panda Cola takes steps to remain compliant with Appetite for Life, Food for Life, and Schools Food Trust and it’s been a hit. 

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Flavors

We know that Panda Cola doesn’t use artificial additives for their flavors. But how do they create flavors that kids will actually love? 

We’re going to take a deeper look at each of their four flavor choices. These are their flavor options. 

• Grape 
• Cherry 
• Orange
• Berry

Grape

Grape can be a challenging flavor to master, even for pros like Panda Cola. However, it’s quickly become one of their top flavors through the years. It’s the perfect blend of fizz and light, refreshing grape. This is perhaps where they are set apart in grape flavors. 

They use green grapes mostly so the flavor isn’t fake and it’s not overwhelming. Instead, it’s just simple, light and sweet. Kids and adults seem to really like this flavor. 

Cherry 

Cherry is another flavor that’s hard to master, but perhaps it’s because too many companies are trying too hard. What ends up happening is a syrupy flavor that resembles cough medicine to so many. 

But that’s not the case with this one. Again, the flavor is light and refreshing, with just the right amount of cherry incorporated to give you something sweet. This is one of their sweetest flavors and it’s reminiscent of cherry cola, but without the cola. 

Orange

Stop digging into drinks like Sunny Delight that are loaded with added sugars. This orange Panda Cola will taste like orange soda or an orange juice, with bubblies and fizz to perfect it. They use some orange fruit juice, but it is mostly flavored with natural oranges to reach the perfect taste. 

There are some other fruit flavors mixed in to boost the orange, but it’s citrusy and refreshing. 

Berry

Last, but not least, you will find the berry flavor to be another top choice. This is the fan favorite around the world. It’s made with strawberries mostly, and some other light berry flavors too. 

The strawberry flavors all come from 100% real strawberries. While it’s called berries, the flavors are almost all strawberry on this one. That’s going to be your primary taste. 

Conclusion

Panda Cola is certainly a treat for the books. It has all of the sweet tastes and fizzy expectations of a cola, but that’s where the similarities end. It’s natural, it’s loaded with minerals, and it’s completely refreshing. 

The natural flavors and the fizzy mineral water make a stellar combination that you’re going to want to try.