Bruce Horovitz

USA TODAY

Never underestimate the power of social media -- even for a soft drink that hasn't been sold for a dozen years.

Coca-Cola (KO) is bringing back a blast from the past -- it's Mountain Dew-like, highly-caffeinated citrus soda, Surge -- which it has begun to sell online only via Amazon.com. Early demand was so high on Monday that the product temporarily sold out twice on Amazon, says Coca-Cola spokesman Scott Williamson.

Surge, which had an edgy brand attitude like Mountain Dew, but which failed to give its maker, PepsiCo (PEP), much real rivalry, will try it again with 12 packs of the 16-ounce citrus beverage fetching $14, plus shipping. Orders over $35 get free shipping.

The cans still feature the brand's original retro design that looks like a red sun burst. It marks the first re-introduction of a discontinued Coca-Cola brand due to popular demand -- and on an e-commerce site, says Wendy Clark, president of Sparkling & Strategic Marketing at Coke.

It was the enthusiasm of tens of thousands of Surge fans, speaking out on social media, that brought back the drink, says Clark, in a statement. "Future plans for the brand will depend on the excitement exhibited by fans across the country."

The move by Coke combines three compelling marketing strategies by the beverage behemoth. First, it shows that Coke executives still believe there's some room for growth in the citrus sector, even though overall carbonated soft drink sales have been falling. At the same time, Coke is testing online sales as a possible new revenue generator -- or, at least, a place to test market a product. The move also shows that even the world's biggest soft drink maker is willing -- if not eager -- to listen to consumers on social media.

Not only are consumers asking for it, says John Sicher, publisher of Beverage Digest, an industry trade publication, but "bringing it back will create favorable buzz about Coke on social media." Citrus soft drinks account for about 11% of U.S. carbonated beverage sales volume, and Pepsi's Mountain Dew brand (including Diet Mountain Dew) overwhelms the segment with about an 85% share, Sicher says.

Mountain Dew officials declined to comment.

That social media push began with a group dubbed The Surge Movement, which has attracted more than 130,000 Facebook followers even as it pushed for the return of Surge.

Organizers of The Surge Movement were ecstatic on Monday, even posting a "Surge is Back" announcement and video on their Facebook page.

One of those organizers, Sean Sheridan, says he pushed for its return because Surge was his favorite soda way back when it was first available. "I identified with it in a way I'd never really done with other brands," he says, in an email. His group raised and spent $7,229 on Facebook advertising and obtaining the www.surgemovement.org domain name.

Now, the 31-year-old Dallas resident, who works in the IT department for a local school district, says, "I can't wait to have that familiar, green can back in my refrigerator."

For Coca-Cola, the next several months will be a time to listen, wait and watch. "This will be a great learning experience for us and a refreshing opportunity for fans," says Clark.

If there's a sudden surge of Surge purchases online, who knows, maybe it will show up on grocery store shelves, but there are no plans for that right now, says Coca-Cola Williamson.

Even then, much of the early social media response on Monday morning was over the high price.

"Glad it is back," said Derek Downing, in a post on the Surge Movement Facebook page. "But holy hell, close to $50 after shipping costs."



