The health scare in Belgium damaged Coke's reputation in the most profound way because a trusted and popular brand (Belgium was one of Coke's biggest market's in terms of per capita consumption was suddenly no longer safe to drink. Any time a consumer good (particularly a food or beverage) suffers from quality problems and provokes a health scare it is a serious problem - consistent quality and safety are such implicit parts of their value proposition that this type of situation affects the brand to its very core.
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