If you live in the Northeast, you call it soda. If you reside in the Midwest, it’s pop. From the South? You call all carbonated beverages coke. No matter what you call it, your carbonated beverage fix probably comes from either Coca-Cola or Pepsi or one of the many variations of those classic brands.
At Beverage Universe, Coke and Pepsi are among our top sellers and repeat customers regularly place recurring orders for their favorite cola. Whether you enjoy it from a fountain at your favorite restaurant or as a mixer in your go-to cocktail, you’ve probably consumed one of these brands in the past few days. In fact, according to a Gallup poll of more than 1,000 adults, almost half of all Americans consume at least one carbonated beverage every day.
Which brand do you reach for? It is one the greatest rivalries of all time: Coke vs. Pepsi. Heck, the so-called Cola Wars are even mentioned in the lyrics of Billy Joel’s No. 1 hit “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” This competition isn’t new; the Coke vs. Pepsi rivalry has been going on since the late 1800s, and it is here to stay. That’s a lot of fizzy drinks.
Every American has their preference, and most are unwilling to switch to the other brand. So which one is the real Cola War victor? Let’s take an in-depth look at the Coke vs. Pepsi rivalry to see which storied American brand comes out on top. Here is our very own Coke vs. Pepsi case study comparison.
Coke vs. Pepsi: Taste Test Comparison
Coke
The formula for Coke is a closely held secret, known only to a select few at The Coca-Cola Co. Coke fans like the flavors of vanilla and cinnamon present in this popular soft drink, although the top-secret formula remains stored in a vault at the Coke headquarters in Atlanta. While Pepsi is favored for its sweet taste, many who want to drink a whole can or bottle choose Coke because they find the sweetness of Pepsi overpowering over the long haul.
Pepsi
In these cola wars, Pepsi does seem to have an advantage in taste, thanks to the marketing campaign called The Pepsi Challenge. This blind Coke vs. Pepsi taste test has been around since the 1970s and repeatedly concluded that Pepsi is the preferred drink over Coke when put to a blind taste test. Don’t believe it? Some, including “Blink” author Malcolm Gladwell, attribute Pepsi’s victory to the fact that it is the sweeter of the two beverages, and Americans have a notorious sweet tooth.
Winner: Pepsi, thanks to its sweeter taste.
Coke vs. Pepsi: Comparison of the Brand Reach
Coke
Coke and McDonalds celebrate their 60th anniversary together this year. How did this marriage come to be? In 1955, McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc called Coca-Cola to ask to sell the soda in his stores, which had yet to expand across the United States. Coca-Cola sent out an executive to learn about the store and found Kroc hosing down the parking lot at the burger joint. The two executives shook hands that day and cemented a relationship that has helped both companies expand, even internationally, over the years. Now, McDonalds is Coke’s biggest restaurant client.
It doesn’t get any bigger than McDonalds, but Coke is also sold at Burger King, Sonic, Chipotle, Cracker Barrel, Domino’s and TGI Fridays, among other popular chains.
Pepsi
Pepsi is sold in many popular fast food restaurants, like Taco Bell, Arby’s, Panera, Quinzos, Papa Johns and KFC. It has a longstanding international presence, as Pepsi was the first American consumer product to be produced and sold in the former Soviet Union. However, it is hard to compete with the Golden Arches.
Winner: The longstanding McDonald’s and Coke relationship definitely tips the scales in favor of Coke.
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Coke vs. Pepsi: Who Has More Flavor Options?
Coke
According to the Coca-Cola company website, here are the flavors of Coke available: Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Caffeine-Free Coke, Diet Caffeine-Free Coke, Cherry Coke, Black Cherry Vanilla Coke, Cherry Zero Coke, Coke Zero, Caffeine-Free Coke Zero, Diet Black Cherry Vanilla Coke, Diet Coke with Lime, Diet Coke with Splenda, Vanilla Coke Zero and Vanilla Coke.
Pepsi
The Beverage Finder at PepsiCo’s website is very helpful in finding the variations of Pepsi. There is: Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Caffeine-Free Pepsi, Pepsi with Real Sugar, Vanilla Pepsi with Real Sugar, Wild Cherry Pepsi with Real Sugar, Pepsi MAX, Pepsi Max Cherry Blast, Pepsi NEXT, Pepsi One, Pepsi True, Wild Cherry Pepsi, Diet Caffeine-Free Pepsi, Diet Pepsi Lime, Diet Pepsi Vanilla and Diet Pepsi Wild Cherry. There is something for everyone in Pepsi’s beverage selection.
Winner: Pepsi offers more flavor options to thirsty customers, so Pepsi wins in this category.
Coke vs. Pepsi: Which Excels in Sales and Market Share?
Coke
Soft drinks are a huge market in the United States, and competition for market share is tough. Remember that half of Americans drink a carbonated beverage every day. Coke represents about 42 percent of the soft drink market. Across the globe every day, 1.7 billion servings of Coke products are consumed. That’s a lot of smiles.
Pepsi
Pepsi accounts for about 30 percent of the soft drink market, so it does not command the market share that Coke does. However, all is not lost for Pepsi shareholders. Just last fall, Pepsi shares hit an all-time high, thanks in large part to the demand for the product in emerging markets. Pepsi stock rose 14 percent in 2014, while Coke stock rose 7 percent.
Winner: Coke commands more of the soft drink market than Pepsi, making Coke the winner.
Coke vs. Pepsi: Comparison of Celebrity Endorsements
Coke
The current Queen of Pop, Taylor Swift, has been featured recently in ads for Diet Coke. She went so far as to become a crazy cat lady in one recent ad. Taylor Swift’s endorsement is a smart move by the company, which traditionally depends on its fun and furry polar bears and jolly Santa Clauses at Christmastime and its Olympic sponsorship to attract customers. Just last year, Coke launched the Share a Coke campaign, printing everyday names like Adam and Lauren on its bottles. So step aside, superstars; Coke personalizes its bottles to the average man or woman – at least, if you have a common name.
Celebrity endorsements also occur when a product is placed into a movie or TV show. Perhaps you noticed the Coke cups in front of the judges on “American Idol” or noticed the ads for Coke in part of the drugstore display in the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Beyond endorsements in commercials, these product placements also play an important part in promotion for Coca-Cola.
Pepsi
In the 1980s and 1990s, Pepsi was endorsed by the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson, who claimed Pepsi as the choice of a new generation. Later in the 1990s, the popular girl power group The Spice Girls sold Pepsi as Generation Next, followed by Ricky Martin and Janet Jackson. In the new millennium, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige and Justin Timberlake all endorsed Pepsi in commercial advertising. Rapper Nicki Minaj was featured in Pepsi ads in 2011. In 2013, Pepsi released a Super Bowl commercial featuring Beyoncé.
Pepsi will not be outdone in the product placement category, either. The soft drink giant has been and continues to be the sponsor of the Super Bowl Halftime Show, which is seen by more than 100 million people every year. Who can forget the social commentary on product sponsorship in the movie “Wayne’s World?” The segment, which poked fun at corporate sponsorships while endorsing corporate sponsors, featured Pepsi.
Winner: Pepsi has partnered for decades with some of the world’s most famous entertainers, so it wins in this category.
Coke vs. Pepsi: Comparison As a Mixer for Cocktails
Coke
Jack and Coke. Rum and Coke. Two of the go-to mixed drinks are made with Coca-Cola. The Cuba Libre, a highball cocktail of rum, lime and Coca-Cola, has been around since the turn of the 20thcentury. Coke mixed with amaretto is a sweet choice, and the famous Long Island Iced Tea contains a bit of Coke to taste.
Pepsi
Oftentimes Pepsi is substituted for Coke in basic mixed drinks – like a rum and Pepsi instead of a rum and Coke – but there aren’t many traditional cocktails that contain Pepsi as an ingredient.
Winner: Coke is an ingredient in a classic cocktail and go-to bar favorites, so Coke wins. Cheers!
Coke vs. Pepsi: Social Media Stars
Coke
Coke has more than 92 million fans on Facebook and more than 2.8 million followers on Twitter. Beyond the numbers, Coke has used its social media channels to spread cheer, posting a holiday video featuring a practical joke and giveaways just two days before Christmas. The Share a Coke campaign was tailor made for social media, encouraging customers to take photos with friends and their Cokes and use the hashtag #shareacoke. Overall, on social media, Coca-Cola conveys its family friendly brand well.
Pepsi
Pepsi has more than 34 million fans on Facebook and almost 2.8 million followers on Twitter. Pepsi’s content is current and lighthearted. For example, as we head towards Super Bowl Sunday, Pepsi released an awesome video featuring Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders. No matter the subject, it makes effective use of tagging other Twitter users and using hashtags.
Winner: While Coke currently has a larger following, Pepsi seems to have a better understanding of engagement on social media. We’ll call this one a tie.
Coke vs. Pepsi: Labels and Logos Throughout the Years
Coke
Compared to Pepsi, Coke’s logo is relatively unchanged. Way back in the day, when Coke was invented in 1886, Coke’s logo was all caps, no script font. The name was even followed by a period:
By the next year, 1887, Coke had adopted the familiar script logo. While it has been tweaked since then, the iconic logo remains greatly unchanged.
However, all was not static at the soft drink giant. Over the years, Coke has incorporated brief taglines into its logo, like “Drink Coca-Cola. Delicious and Refreshing,” “Things go better with Coke” and “Enjoy Coca-Cola.” Equally iconic is the green glass bottle and red bottle cap that has recently been reissued.
Pepsi
Would you believe that this red cursive script was the original logo of Pepsi used in the late 1800s? Kind of reminds you of the Coca-Cola script, doesn’t it?
Pepsi dropped the word cola in its logos from the 1960s to today, although it has reintroduced the old-school look in its Real Sugar varieties. On the rest of its products, Pepsi uses the familiar swooshes within a globe, with some saying it looks like a smile.
Winner: We’ve got to go with that green glass bottle and the familiar red script of Coca-Cola.
Coke vs. Pepsi: Which is Better to Have in the Pantry?
Coke
Have you ever asked a friend what the secret ingredient is to her delicious pot roast, only to find out that it is Coke or Pepsi? Turns out both Coke and Pepsi are used regularly in cooking and baking.
On its corporate website, Coca-Cola features recipes like Coke Fried Chicken, Virginia Peanut Pie with a Coke Reduction and Hanukkah Latkes with a Coca-Cola Applesauce.
Check out our awsome blog post on Hanukkah Drinks for some fun inspiration for celebration this holiday season
Pepsi
A quick survey of popular social media site Pinterest reveals thousands of recipes including Pepsi. From three-ingredient slow cooker barbeque chicken to so-called Skinny Brownies made with a box of brownie mix and a can of Diet Pepsi, there are endless options to cooking with Pepsi. Its sweetness makes it a great secret ingredient.
Winner: Pepsi’s sweetness adds another layer of flavor to recipes, making it the winner to have as a pantry staple. Who said soft drinks were only for drinking?
Coke vs. Pepsi: No Matter Your Favorite, Browse Beverage Universe
Do you agree with our Coca Cola vs. Pepsi case study? At the end of the day, market share and celebrity endorsements will not tell you which drink is your favorite. You’ve simply got to try them for yourself. Not sure which brand or flavor to choose? Our website offers product reviews to help you narrow down the choices. Beverage Universe offers a one-stop shop for all your beverage needs, whether you are on Team Coke, Team Pepsi or prefer tea or spring water.
Cases of your favorite beverages can be delivered to your doorstep, apartment building or office without having to haul them from the grocery or convenience store. Let Beverage Universe stock your company’s refrigerator so you never have to hear a coworker complain about being out of drinks. We can set up repeat orders so that you don’t have to remember to contact us when supplies are running low.
Beyond Coke and Pepsi, Beverage Universe offers many specialty items that are hard to find, like popular coconut beverages, coffees and seltzers. We specialize in some hard-to find-brands, so be sure to contact us with your request.