Coke vs Pepsi

Open Happiness, Refresh Everything

Brian Helton

University of St. Mary

Marketing Management – MGT704

Instructor: Marc Lyncheski

April 14, 2012

There are certain companies that through the use of exceptional marketing programs and well as aggressive business strategies have become recognized the world around. Many of these are part of our everyday life and if not then we see them every day in our comings and goings. Two of these world-wide brands that many of us know are also extremely similar in both product as well as marketing strategy. Those two brands are The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo, Inc. On May 8, 1886, a pharmacist named Dr. John Pemberton carried a jug of Coca-Cola syrup to Jacobs’ Pharmacy in downtown Atlanta, where it was mixed with carbonated water and sold for five cents a glass. (Our Heritage, 2012) Three years later in the summer of 1898 a young pharmacist named Caleb Bradham began experimenting with combinations of spices, juices and syrups, trying to create a refreshing new drink to serve to his customers. His success came in the form of the beverage now known around the world as Pepsi-Cola. (Pepsi Legacy, 2005) And from that day forward the rivalry between Coca-Cola and Pepsi would become legendary. These two beverage companies are competing for the top spot in a massive global market. The cola and carbonated beverage industry reaches to nearly every corner of the planet, and the vast majority of the market share belongs to the two giants Coke and Pepsi. With such a huge market and enormous revenue potential in an industry such as this, it is no wonder that the Coke versus Pepsi competition is so fierce. So how does either of these companies create an advantage over the other? We will compare and contrast the business and marketing strategies of these businesses in order to see which has had the better success.

To start out let us examine the actual beverages...