Coke vs Pepsi
Flavored beverages did not come into existence the time cola drinks were invented, they have been around since the human kind discovered the various uses of water. Centuries have since passed the human race has been working hard in order to create the tastiest and most thirst quenching drink in the world. These unrelenting efforts seem to have paid their rewards in the late 18th century when the two industry rivals and leaders invented the cola drinks. The two (Coca-Cola and Pepsi) have emerged to be the most recognizable soft drinks not only in developed countries, but also in developing countries. Coke was the first one to be invented by a pharmacist in Atlanta, in 1886, while Pepsi was created in by another pharmacist 12 years later in North Carolina in 1898. Since their invention, the two brands have been rivals in the soft drink industry for a long time. Over the year, both brands have undergone various growth and developments to expand their product portfolios to include snacks, a variety of drinks and apparels to gain a competitive edge in the market. Besides their rivalry, they both have a longstanding reputation in the industry. At the time of their invention, both brands took the market by surprise, people rushed to their neighborhoods to quench their thirst with these tastiest beverages. Both men and women, young and old wanted to have a taste of these new tasty treats but one questions unanswered up to the present. This question has been the major source of rivalry between the brands and base for the single debate that has been raging for more than 2 centuries in the souls and hearts of fans, Coke or Pepsi?
The deviations of the same formula that is used in both brands have been reinvented a couple of times establishing their individual fan base. Besides Coke having an upper hand in the industry, thanks to the best soda drink worldwide award that it holds, Pepsi has its die-hard fans where I belong, Coke has its own lovers who I can describe as unusual minorities who were born without reasoning capabilities and malfunctioning taste functions. In order to support my thumb up for Pepsi, I will join the likes of Steven Mallas and Dan. Steven Mallas once said “But I will give Pepsi this much … its soda, simply put, seems a little smoother, a lot sweeter, and it does not have an aftertaste. There is something about Coke’s flagship beverage that causes a strange taste to linger after it has been downed.” On the other hand, Dan said, “Coke is too carbonated and Pepsi tastes smoother.” Based on these assumptions, for the sake of answering the question that has been in the hearts of many human beings, the analysis of these two brands should be objective and unbiased. However, the debate between these two brands’ fans will continue to rage on provided that the existing differences will continue to exist.
No single soul from both developed and developing countries does not know Coke, but the question is, what exactly is Coke? The same old story we used to hear that the secret recipe for Coke is only known by two people and each of them knows half of the recipe still rages on. This false claims has been depicted in advertisements and is what that has given Coke the popularity it enjoys. This assumption might be more incorrect because the same claims assert that these two people are the ones who invented it. Honestly, there is no way people from the 1880s could be alive today. However, it is not a bad thing because it has been a gold for advertising executives. What ensuing debates and conversations after an advertisement means a lot for the advertising company. If the fans continue talking about an advertisement for a while, the advertiser gets rewarded for a well job done. Although the various advertisements covers a wide range of techniques, the consumers do not care much about them as they do about the product being advertised. Although the two brands maintain almost the same line-ups, what they have is just the same but provided in different versions. Coke has Powerade, which comes in various flavors like Cherry Lime, Apple and Fruit Punch while Pepsi has Gatorade, which is available in Cascade Crash, Strawberry Ice and Fierce Berry. Based on these assumptions, the only difference lies in external naming of the products. Pepsi tends to have an upper hand over Coke in the battle of sports drink due to its cleverness, raunchiness and outlandish naming which attracts more customers than the brand does. However, besides the advantages that these brands offer, there are various health issues associated with these brands.
Another source of rivalry between the two brands stems from their advertising techniques. The benefits of advertising cannot be underestimated in any organization regardless of the industry. Coke’s logo is very common among consumers from both sides and both drinkers and tasters associate with it. Various studies have demonstrated this fact with most of them asserting that when the drinkers and tasters are asked to taste blindly, they do not have any preference. However, when they are shown the company logos before drinking the brands, Coke’s label had a huge impact due to its popularity. Based on this, people find Coke’s classic advertisements appealing than Pepsi’s which has changed its label a couple of times. Pepsi’s decisions to change the logos throughout the years makes people not to feel have such a connection like Coke. The same studies on the advertisement techniques utilized by both companies demonstrate that Coke’s advertisements are more attractive than those of Pepsi because they are somehow persuasive. However, people who has an edge of spotting a difference in taste have asserted that there is no difference between the two, but in how the brands market their products. People seeing a lively face of a beautiful woman in a beach drinking a coke, gives them a feeling of happiness which is appealing to all people regardless of age and gender.
It is undisputable that Coke is a reputable soft drink brand due to the false claims that it is being associated with such as smiling faces and the notion that its recipe is only known by two people. The debate of Coke or Pepsi is a good example of quintessential rivalry like that of a boy vs girl that has existed since their creation and is not likely to end soon.
References
- Alex. 2004. Museum of hoaxes. Coke vs. Pepsi. Retrieved from http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/weblog/comments/1448/
- Mallas, S. “Battle of the Brands: Coke vs. Pepsi,” BloggingStocks. http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/05/battle-of-the- brands-coke-vs-pepsi/
- Mikkelson, D. P. (2009). Snopes. Cokelore. Retrieved http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/cokelore.asp
- The Coca-Cola Company. Product Descriptions. Retrieved from http://www.virtualvender.coca-cola.com/ft/index.jsp?brand_id=313
- Watsonville vending. Pepsi Products. Retrieved from http://www.watsonvillevending.com/PDF/pepsi.pdf