Some sodas connect with people like few other products. Some people consume their favorite drink several times a day.
That's a drink-specific tendency because eating your favorite cuisine every day would definitely get boring. However, people happily drink multiple Diet Cokes, Sprites, or their favorite sodas daily.
A habit like that gets ritualized. Like coffee in the morning, it's part of your day. When Coca-Cola (KO), PepsiCo, or other beverage companies cut a popular flavor, it hurts.
It may not affect most consumers because firms don't often remove popular flavors, but ardent fans feel it intensely.
Tab was a popular brand that had been overtaken by other diet Coca-Cola varieties, thus those efforts garnered national attention. Tab has grassroots support from others.
In 2018, Stephanie Johnson and other ginger ale aficionados started the Save Northern Neck Ginger Ale Facebook Group after noting it was harder to locate in stores.
The group has been lobbying Virginia's congressional delegation to bring back the drink and has a petition online.
The Northern Neck Foundation promotes cultural and historical icons like Northern Neck Ginger Ale via stewardship, leadership, and community engagement.