Soda. Most importantly, Coke and Pepsi. The essential beverage for Americans. From Pepsi at the movies to Coca-Cola or Coke at the mall, it is everywhere today. Almost 63 percent of all Americans drink a soda once a day. That is a staggering number, but which famous soda do people actually prefer, Pepsi or Coke?
Coke was invented in 1886 by Dr. John Pemberton, and it was first created as a patent medicine. It was sold for $0.05 a bottle. It gained popularity throughout the 1890s to eventually become America’s most famous fountain drink. Pepsi was created in 1898, which started the famous rivalry, as both brands competed on price, distribution and marketing ideas. One of the most famous advertisements was by Pepsi, it launched its marketing campaign called “Pepsi Challenge” where consumers on the street took a blind test of Coke and Pepsi and preferred Pepsi.
“I prefer Coke over Pepsi. I like the taste of Coke better because I drink it more,” said Freshman Henry Wu, who also stated that Coke is the more common drink.
However, the drink itself is just the tip of the iceberg. The Coca-Cola Company bought Sprite in 1961, and Sprite is one of the most popular drinks in the world today. To respond, Pepsi released Starry, a pop drink similar in taste and even color to Sprite. When Starry was released in 2023, people could immediately tell it was aimed as an answer to Coca-Cola’s famous drink. In fact, we can see this trend throughout the different drinks the two companies own. Coca-Cola acquired Powerade in 1987, while Pepsi acquired Gatorade in 2001. Going on, Coke has owned Fanta since 1960, and similarly Pepsi has owned Mountain Dew since 1964. We can see that the rivalry goes beyond the actual Coke and Pepsi drinks, spilling into the companies’ marketing plots.
The Coca-Cola Company is valued at $303.20 billion dollars today, ranking at the 32nd most valued company in the world, while Pepsi is valued at $231.56 billion dollars and ranked 48th in the world.
Freshman Emma Wang said,” I don’t really drink soda, but when I do at restaurants I prefer Coke as it goes better with whatever food I’m eating, especially fast-food.”
Meanwhile, Freshman Steven Quevedo stated, “I like Pepsi better as the taste of it tastes more natural than Coke. I think it also goes better with fast-food.”
Coke however, is the more famous and popular drink among fast-food restaurants.
Most restaurants today are split between Coke and Pepsi fountains, but Coke is served in a wider variety of restaurants compared to Pepsi. Coke and other Coca-Cola drinks are served in McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Domino’s Pizza And In-N-Out Burger. On the other side, Pepsi is mainly served in Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut and Papa Johns. Wherever you go to have dinner at a fast food restaurant, Coke or Pepsi is definitely present as a choice for you.
In conclusion, Pepsi and Coke are pretty similar, but the taste is up to the drinkers themselves and what they think of it.
