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Examples of "new and improved" products which are/were anything but...

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Mcr Warrior

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Some examples of products which have been "new, improved and/or reformulated" over the years, supposedly as an improvement, but which were anything but...

Coca-Cola's reformulation in 1985 (commonly referred to as "New Coke"). Widely considered as a failure and the original formula was subsequently hastily re-introduced as "Coca-Cola Classic". The company has apparently subsequently denied that New Coke formula had been a marketing ploy to stimulate sales of the original Coca-Cola.

Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate. As most milk chocolate is essentially a combination of fairly simple ingredients, it is widely thought that since the company's takeover in 2009, Cadbury's must have since gone for cheaper ingredients by lowering the amount of cocoa butter and increasing either the amount of sugar or maybe more vegetable fat instead of milk fat to compensate. The result being that it doesn't taste as good as it previously once did.

Any other examples out there of improvements gone wrong... :?:
 
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Geezertronic

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Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate. As most milk chocolate is essentially a combination of fairly simple ingredients, it is widely thought that since the company's takeover in 2009, Cadbury's must have since gone for cheaper ingredients by lowering the amount of cocoa butter and increasing either the amount of sugar or maybe more vegetable fat instead of milk fat to compensate. The result being that it doesn't taste as good as it previously once did.

Galaxy seem to have gone the same way unfortunately with the taste :(
 

LSWR Cavalier

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I like grapefruit juice, but it does burn in the throat a bit, so I was pleased to see 'mild grapefruit juice' in the food store.

Back home I read the very small print: 57% grapefruit juice, 42% apple juice! Grrr %(
 

route101

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Irn Bru and San Pellegrino since the reduced the sugar content.
Certainly notice San Pellegrino has changed. Irn Bru less so.

Some examples of products which have been "new, improved and/or reformulated" over the years, supposedly as an improvement, but which were anything but...

Coca-Cola's reformulation in 1985 (commonly referred to as "New Coke"). Widely considered as a failure and the original formula was subsequently hastily re-introduced as "Coca-Cola Classic". The company has apparently subsequently denied that New Coke formula had been a marketing ploy to stimulate sales of the original Coca-Cola.

Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate. As most milk chocolate is essentially a combination of fairly simple ingredients, it is widely thought that since the company's takeover in 2009, Cadbury's must have since gone for cheaper ingredients by lowering the amount of cocoa butter and increasing either the amount of sugar or maybe more vegetable fat instead of milk fat to compensate. The result being that it doesn't taste as good as it previously once did.

Any other examples out there of improvements gone wrong... :?:
Certainly noticed the change in Cadburys Dairy Milk. Its claggy and oily. What do they make at Bournville now? The Irish Cadburys still tastes like the old.
 

GusB

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Certainly noticed the change in Cadburys Dairy Milk. Its claggy and oily. What do they make at Bournville now? The Irish Cadburys still tastes like the old.
Quite appropriate for a railway forum, I would have thought :D
 

gg1

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Just remembered another food one, Findus Crispy Pancakes.

They disappeared from shops entirely for around a year or so a few years back, then a 'new and improved' version came out which was revolting. The major problem was they completely ignored the "Crispy" part of the name, the new versions being soggy and greasy.
 

61653 HTAFC

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Just remembered another food one, Findus Crispy Pancakes.

They disappeared from shops entirely for around a year or so a few years back, then a 'new and improved' version came out which was revolting. The major problem was they completely ignored the "Crispy" part of the name, the new versions being soggy and greasy.
They didn't get worse, we just got older and gained a more sophisticated palate! ;)
 

Lloyds siding

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Shell launched new 'Formula Shell' petrol in the 1990s. However, a bit like the Persil quoted above, it had a new highly alkaline detergent in the petrol which dissolved exhaust valves, mainly in Vauxhalls, but also some Volvos and Volkswagens.
 

lxfe_mxtterz

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May I put forward the new Stagecoach livery?

Apparently, the new livery makes it "easier to find which bus you need". I don't see how having a messy, unappealing and identical livery (which looks like it should be on the walls of a nursery) on every bus helps with this.

Surely, attractive local branding is what is needed. Take the Coastliner 700, for example - a once informative, pleasing livery now turned into an American school bus with tiny, illegible writing scrawled on the side...
 
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75A

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If I ventured New Labour would anyone comment? :)
New or old, who cares?
All their infighting is comical and makes Bojo's job so much easier.

The 'improved' Ribena with no added sugar, we buy in bulk and ended up tipping 5 bottles down the sink before 'discovering' a supermarkets own brand.
 

RHolmes

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Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate. As most milk chocolate is essentially a combination of fairly simple ingredients, it is widely thought that since the company's takeover in 2009, Cadbury's must have since gone for cheaper ingredients by lowering the amount of cocoa butter and increasing either the amount of sugar or maybe more vegetable fat instead of milk fat to compensate. The result being that it doesn't taste as good as it previously once did.

Caused in part by a global Cocoa shortage which has sent the price of the raw ingredients sky rocketing, and we still face the risk of future shortages of Cocoa. It was either reduce the content or increase the price, and large price increases don’t work well for ‘treat’ products and impulse purchases.
 

pdeaves

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Can I offer almost any software package 'upgrade' that adds features you don't need making everything else slow down. So you need a faster processor/hardware. So the software developers say 'ooh, look at all that processing power' and add new features... etc., ad infinitum.
 

Mcr Warrior

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Can I offer almost any software package 'upgrade' that adds features you don't need making everything else slow down. So you need a faster processor/hardware. So the software developers say 'ooh, look at all that processing power' and add new features... etc., ad infinitum.
Is that essentially the same difference as "bloatware"? :s
 

najaB

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Is that essentially the same difference as "bloatware"? :s
Nah. Bloatware is more where software packages include a bunch of *additional* software or optional features that are turned on by default. So like how in the early 2000s every piece of software would try to install a browser toolbar, or OEMs would install trial versions of a million different packages on new PCs.
 

route101

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May I put forward the new Stagecoach livery?

Apparently, the new livery makes it "easier to find which bus you need". I don't see how having a messy, unappealing and identical livery (which looks like it should be on on the walls of a nursery) on every bus helps with this.

Surely, attractive local branding is what is needed. Take the Coastliner 700, for example - a once informative, pleasing livery now turned into an American school bus with tiny, illegible writing scrawled on the side...
The yellow livery makes them look to me like they’re school buses.
 
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eoff

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  • Nitromors paint stripper
  • KitKat packets
  • Record tools
  • (some) Light bulbs
  • Creme Eggs (quantity and taste)
  • TV (sound quality)
  • Radio (DAB sound quality)
  • Software only available as subscription (Adobe)
 

johnnychips

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Lucozade (sp?) since they reduced the sugar. Mind you, I can still remember when it had a sort of medical value to build up strength and came in a cellophane wrapper. The doctor used to pour it down the sink saying ‘it only feeds the germs’.

Edit: in fact I’m sure its slogan was ‘Lucozade - Aids recovery’ so that shows how long ago that was.
 
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