Was “Classic” Coke so much better than “New” Coke? It sure was in the real world. Why mess with a good thing? A favorite formulation turned out to be, well, still a favorite in spite of a more modern, “scientific” formulation.

Google creates products that are a lot more complex than a soft drink. When all is said and done, I think the latest-generation product development protocols are going to have to lead to significant shifts in how advertisers interact with online ad platforms like AdWords. In the short term, for example, many of us have preferred “classic” Google AdWords Content Targeting to the newer Site Targeting flavor of content targeting. But that’s probably temporary. In short, sentimentality means little in the face of changing economic trends and the impatient needs of today’s sophisticated online actors. Google ain’t a soft drink.

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