How is cola different from pepsi? Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola: composition, reviews, prices

PepsiCo has begun a global rebranding. (about 1.2 billion dollars). For the first time in more than a century, the company is radically changing its symbol - a red and blue circle divided by a wavy line - and renaming several of its products. Sostav.ru has already looked at Pepsi advertising campaigns and its connection with sports. Now the main milestones in the development of the main visual component of the company - its logo - will be touched upon.

It all started in the 1890s. An American pharmacist from South Carolina, Caleb Bradham, creates a recipe for a carbonated drink and calls it “Brad’s drink.” The first “renaming” followed quite quickly, on August 28, 1898, the brand was renamed Pepsi-Cola. Caleb paid 100 for the name dollars, buying it from another failed businessman. According to one version, the name is borrowed from the name of the stomach disease - dyspepsia, according to another - from the name of the component - pepsin. In the same year, Bradham's neighbor created the first graphic symbol of the drink. Today this logo looks quite good. sloppy and unreadable, but in those days it was quite consistent with general standards.

Then, in 1905 and 1906, two more restylings followed, caused by the development of the brand and its popularization. The logos acquired smoother, lighter forms - the capital images merged into one and presented a completely modern, recognizable image. The 1906 version featured the slogan "The Original Pure Food Drink". Minor changes occurred in the logo in 1940. In 1941, another company symbol appeared - a red and blue circle divided by a white wavy stripe - a tribute to American military power. In 1950, this was consolidated in the new logo. And in 1962, Pepsi for the first time abandoned the spelling combined with the word Cola; the brand name was spelled out in capital letters - thus, the company identified itself from its sworn competitor - Coca-Cola. The use of red and capitalization were common features of these companies throughout the first half of the 20th century. Pepsi decided to abandon such graphics first. It must be said that at that time Pepsi began to cooperate with the BBDO agency and radically changed its promotion strategy. The Pepsi Generation advertising campaign was one of the most global and long-lasting in the history of mankind.

Throughout subsequent years, PepsiCo continues to adjust its logos to meet the needs of the times, moving the brand name out of the circle, stylistically changing the spelling and deepening the colors. In 1991, Pepsi introduced slanted italics and a red stripe following the logo, symbolizing the brand's desire to reach new heights. Later, in 1998, during the celebration of the company's 100th anniversary, Pepsi again "tuned" its logo, creating a three-dimensional model of its ball, placing it on a dark blue background. This logo has been the trademark until now. By the way, Coca-Cola, unlike its main competitor, never radically changed the logo, but only “restylized” the very first spelling.

This rebranding will seem to be the most dramatic in the entire history of the company. It will affect, in addition to the global symbol, most of its products. The decision to abandon static images for all types of Pepsi looks innovative. The changes, first of all, will affect both the graphic component - the company logo and several of its brands (Pepsi, Mountain Dew and Sierra Mist), and several other products, as well as naming. So, Mountain Dew will be renamed "Mtn Dew", and Diet Pepsi Max will henceforth be called simply Pepsi Max. The company's iconic global logo, a red and blue circle divided by a white wavy stripe, will be redesigned as a "smiley face" while the company's signature colors remain the same. The new logo is presented in several “fun” versions, each of which denotes one of the company’s products: a discreet smile is the logo of the entire brand, a grin is Diet Pepsi, laughter is Pepsi Max. This is the story of one of the most “designer-active” brands on our planet.

The Pepsi drink is now familiar to everyone and there is no need to explain what it is. There have been many scandals and discussions around it - this is the eternal war with Coca-Cola, and waves of controversy that regularly appear in society about how harmful or beneficial this drink is. And yet, a large number of people in all countries of the world drink it.

The Pepsi brand is one of the few that have shown what real success means. And success is exactly what all businessmen want to achieve, isn’t it? Therefore, let's plunge into the history of the creation and formation of the great business giant - Pepsi Co.

Creation of a drink and entry into the market

The creator of the Pepsi drink is pharmacist Caleb Bradham, who lived in North Carolina. Caleb had his own small business - a pharmacy. In his spare time, he loved to experiment with ingredients and dreamed of creating his own soft drink that would conquer the whole world. And in 1898 he succeeded, although Caleb himself did not even suspect it at the time. He didn’t think about the name of the new drink for a long time and called it simply “Brad’s drink.” The pharmacist added sparkling water, sugar, vanilla and kola nuts to his "Brad's Drink." The drink began to be sold in some stores and pharmacies and was positioned as a way to strengthen the body, improve digestion and lift mood.

However, Caleb Bradham quickly stopped liking this name. He wanted to put the very essence of the drink's recipe into it, so the product was renamed Pepsi-Cola - due to the ingredients used pepsin and cola. The success of the drink with the new name became stunning, and Caleb made the clear decision to open his own production company. This is how Pepsi Co. was born.

In the year the company was founded, the first advertisement for the drink was released. “The Pepsi-Cola drink strengthens the body and refreshes the mind! Do you want to get rid of neurosis, melancholy or migraine? Pepsi-Cola will help with this too!” - approximately these words sounded in the very first advertisement for the drink in the print edition of the New Bern Sun Journal.

Revealing the secret of the recipe

In the 1920s, the American sugar market was experiencing difficult times, partly to blame for this was the First World War. Since sugar is one of the basic components of Pepsi-Cola, the company also found itself in decline, and almost on the verge of bankruptcy. To somehow save the situation, Caleb Bradham decided to reveal to the world the secret of preparing the drink, thinking that proving that it does not contain any substances harmful to health could increase sales. As it turned out, the drink contains 12 components, including petitgrain oil, cinnamon oil, nutmeg oil, lime juice, phosphoric acid, burnt sugar and others.

Reforms that brought success

Around the same time, the company was incorporated nationally and became known as the National Pepsi-Cola Company. However, it did not remain state-owned for long. After a while, the company was bought by the head of the Loft Inc. corporation. Charles Guth. The “national” prefix had to be removed again, but this had absolutely no effect on the success of the production and sales of the drink. Quite the contrary – with the new management, the company’s development began more rapidly.

During the Great Depression, many businesses were in panic and horror at what was happening. This depression simply erased many from the market. Pepsi-Cola Company also suffered, but fortunately, not so dramatically. Prices for products had to be significantly reduced. A standard bottle of Pepsi-Cola cost only five cents, while similar products from major competitors sold for two or even three times as much. With such a price, people began to buy the drink more actively, and this helped the company avoid going bankrupt during that difficult period.

During World War II, the Pepsi-Cola Company decided to use the tricolor crown symbol in its symbolism, thus showing its support for American soldiers. This move was not ignored by consumers - they began to treat the drink more loyally.

Pepsi-Cola is the first foreign product that began to be sold freely in the territory of the (now former) USSR. This happened in the early 1970s. The head of the corporation at that time was Donald Kendal, and he personally paid a visit to the capital of the Soviet Union to negotiate the introduction of the Pepsi-Cola drink to the Soviet market. The negotiations were carried out successfully. There were practically no foreign products on the Soviet market, and the appearance of the American drink created a real marketing explosion, which benefited Pepsi-Cola Co.

The mid-1980s were Pepsi-Cola's most successful years. Sales then surprised even the corporation's chief marketers. At the same time, Pepsi-Cola acquired the popular beverage brand Seven Up. According to ratings from various print publications, Pepsi-Cola became the most respected by consumers and the most popular company in the world.

"Star" advertisements

Pepsi-Cola is the only company in the world that has attracted so many celebrities to create its commercials. In 1980, the king of pop of all times, Michael Jackson, starred in a Pepsi commercial. In subsequent years, singer Tina Turner, Gloria Estefan, and singer Lionel Ricci took part in the creation of advertising. Already in the 2000s, sensational advertising appeared with the participation of such world-famous stars as Britney Spears, Beoince, Pink and Enrique Iglesias. Britney Spears received the largest fee in the history of commercial advertising for this shoot - $94 million. Rock band Papa Roach, singer Fergie, model Aishwarya Rai, athletes Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi also collaborated with Pepsi-Cola Company. No other company in the world can boast of such a large number of stars who have contributed to its formation and development.

Indra Nooyi

By 1994, thanks to her success, Indra Nooyi was simply a tasty morsel for many headhunters. And one of them made her an offer that she could not refuse - the post of vice president at Pepsi Co. And already in 2001, Indra took the post of chief president and financial director of the corporation. And as objective data show, Indra Nooyi ended up at Pepsi Co for a reason. It was she who initiated many reforms within the company, which subsequently brought Pepsi Co success. Since she began serving as CFO, the company's revenue has grown an average of 72%, and net income has nearly doubled.

Battle of two "stakes"

The war between Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola is perhaps one of the most “eternal” and most discussed. And this war has been going on for more than a hundred years. Such fierce competition is understandable, because the drinks have a lot in common. They were both created by pharmacists, both were initially positioned as a “medicinal strengthening agent”, both have almost the same composition and taste, and they appeared almost at the same time (Coca-Cola was 12 years earlier than Pepsi-Cola). Throughout their existence and to this day, the two giants have competed with each other in various aspects of their activities: in the brand logo, in pricing policy, in improving the recipe, in conquering new territories, in advertising campaigns.

So-called “blind tests” were carried out, when the experiment participants were offered two drinks without any identifying features, after tasting which they chose the one they liked best. Over the years, both companies have become winners of such tests. It is interesting that in studies conducted by Pepsi Co itself, this particular drink was the winner, and in those conducted on the initiative of the Coca-Cola Company, Coca-Cola came out the winner. There is nothing to say here; in war, all means are good.

And although Pepsi-Cola is now sold in every store, and you can often meet fans of this particular drink, Coca-Cola still does not completely give up its leadership position to Pepsi. Why is this happening? Firstly, Coca-Cola appeared earlier, although not by much. During this time, it had already managed to conquer the market, and Pepsi had to win it back, which was not always successful. Secondly, Coca-Cola is the most recognizable brand all over the world, and this is no longer a discovery for anyone. According to global research, brand awareness is as much as 98 (!) percent. Coca-Cola is a true symbol of America, and there cannot be two symbolic drinks. Many experts believe that Coca-Cola is much more creative and interesting in its advertising. It has always focused on classics and eternal values ​​and successfully uses this, while Pepsi-Cola gravitates more towards something new, youthful. Both strategies could have been winning, however, in this particular situation, Coca-Cola emerged as the winner. However, the battle is not over yet. Who knows, maybe in time everything will change?

How PepsiCo Corporation entered the USSR market. How many different cunning and manipulative combinations were played out for just one thing, the introduction of the American way of life into the consciousness of Soviet citizens.

In 1953, Nixon was elected vice president, and after some time, Pepsi's business began to improve. In 1959, the first ever US National Exhibition opened in Moscow. And it was Nixon who was supposed to represent the American government there. Kendall (the head of PepsiCo Corporation) was quick to seize the opportunity.

“In the evening,” Kendall recalled, “on the eve of the opening of the exhibition, there was dinner at the embassy. The ambassador at the time was Tommy Thompson. I admitted to Nixon that I had big problems at home and said: “I need Pepsi to be in Khrushchev’s hands, otherwise I’ll be in trouble.” Nixon replied, "Don't worry, I'll take him to your kiosk."


Legendary photo. Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev, Richard Nixon and Kliment Efremovich Voroshilov. The role of the bartender is performed personally by the head of PepsiCo, Donald Kendell.
At the opening of the exhibition, Nixon fulfilled his promise. I told Khrushchev that I had Pepsi, which we brought from the United States, and Pepsi, made here in Moscow, and invited him to try both, expressing confidence that we could make Pepsi here no worse than in the United States. States. Khrushchev tried both and declared: “Moscow Pepsi-Cola is much better than the one made in New York.” And he began to offer Moscow Pepsi to those around him with the words: “Here is a good Pepsi-Cola.” The press, of course, went crazy. Our advertising slogan at that time was “Be more sociable, Pepsi will help!” The photographs were distributed all over the world. The newspapers featured front-page photographs of Khrushchev serving Pepsi-Cola, and the caption under the photograph read: “Khrushchev wants to be sociable.”
But this was not enough.


“I,” Kendall recalled, “came to Russia in 1970 to meet with Kosygin, who was then prime minister. He talked about the five-year plan and shook our hands. Tommy Thompson, who was ambassador here in 1959, told me: “If you want to deal with them, you have to forget about direct monetary transactions. Barter only." And he also said: “The Russians are beside themselves over Smirnov vodka. Smirnoff looks like a Russian product and is bottled in Hartford, Connecticut. We need to offer them Pepsi in exchange for Russian vodka.”
Shaking Kosygin’s hand, I introduced myself, saying that I was Donald Kendall from Pepsi-Cola, he remarked: “Oh, you are the same person who wants to trade with us in exchange for our vodka.” And I realized that Dobrynin had announced our plans. I had a briefcase with me containing a can of Pepsi. I took it out and handed it to Kosygin. Of course, everyone immediately began to say that Kendall had come to push his Pepsi. And inside the can there was actually a receiver. I turned it on and it was tuned to Moscow radio, to Kosygin's surprise. The effect was amazing.
This evening we went to a reception. Some official warned me: “In five minutes he will approach you.” Approaching, Kosygin said: “We want to trade with you, your Pepsi for our vodka, liter for liter.” I had already had a drink, felt at ease and replied: “I can understand why you are not the Minister of Commerce. Liter per liter! We are, of course, ready to give liter for liter.” Kosygin remarked: “I’m talking about your concentrate, liter per liter.” And then it dawned on me what he meant.” Early 1980s /"Kommersant"/
For reference.
Pepsi is made from concentrate. The concentrate comes from the USA in 19-liter plastic canisters. This canister was diluted for 1000 liters of syrup. Syrup - with another 5000 liters of water. Total - 6000 liters of Pepsi. Or 18,181 0.33 liter glass bottles.


Early 1980s Pepsi Cola branded kiosk in the USSR
In the spring of 1974, the first - and for the next 24 years the only one for 1/6 of the land - workshop for the production of a foreign drink opened in Novorossiysk. Only here could Pepsi be purchased calmly, without any queues, right on the street. Priced at 45 kopecks, versus 15 kopeck lemonade. Drain the bottle from the neck. And return it back, returning your legal 10 kopecks “per container”.


May 31, 1974 PepsiCo Board of Directors at the opening of a plant in Novorossiysk
The grand opening of the Pepsi-Cola production workshop took place on May 31, 1974. The employees of Trust No. 12 coped with the task of the party, ensuring turnkey delivery of the facility in less than 11 months. The record that Donald Kendell spoke of was broken. By the way, he personally came to the ceremony and brought with him the entire board of directors of PepsiCo, which included representatives of the largest American corporations: General Motors, IBM, Chase and others. In the book of honored guests, Kendell left a note: “The plant is the most beautiful and, of course, one of the most modern plants in the world.”
For reference. At the time of the negotiations with the Americans, there was no talk about Novorossiysk. The city did not even have its own water supply. Fresh water was delivered by tankers from Tuapse. In the early 1970s, construction was underway in Novorossiysk. They laid the Troitsky water pipeline - from artesian wells through the mountains.


September 8, 1974 What Leonid Brezhnev talked about with the girl on the soda bottling line remains a mystery
The second opening of the Pepsi-Cola workshop happened in the early autumn of the same year.
“On September 7 we waited at the Brezhnev plant,” recalls Dmitry Kusmartsev. - The tables were set, everyone was dressed up. But then they call the director and say: “Military sailors intercepted Leonid Ilyich on the way.” The next morning a visit was made again at 10:00. And now Brezhnev has definitely arrived. He was very easy to communicate with. He walked through the workshops, looked carefully at everything, laughed with the workers, and then whispered something with the girl who was standing on the bottling line. When they came out into the air, I found myself not far from him. And suddenly I saw Leonid Ilyich stop and fall silent, and then tears appeared in his eyes. He said quietly: “It must be, how many guys have I lost in this place.” At that time, nothing had been built around the plant except the plant - even the old craters were clearly visible. /magazine "Spetsstroy"/
For reference. In 1982, the apparatus of the CPSU Central Committee prepared a certificate about the work of PepsiCo in the USSR. She testified that in 1973–1981. 1.9 million deciliters of Stolichnaya vodka worth $25 million were shipped to the United States. At the same time, during the same period, the Pepsi-Cola drink produced 32.3 million deciliters and 303.3 million rubles were earned from its sale (taking into account the exchange rate - 139.3 million rubles more). Thus, Kosygin’s formula “exchange liter for liter” actually turned out to be a difference of 1 to 17.
Today PepsiCo is the owner of such brands as Lay's®, Pepsi®, Lipton Ice Tea®, Aqua Minerale®, Adrenaline Rush®, Fruit Garden, Domik v Derevne, Chudo, Agusha, Cheetos® , “HrusTeam”, Mirinda®, 7 Up®, “Ya”, J7®, “Favorite”, “Jolly Milkman”, Bio Max®, “Imunele”, “Russian Gift”, “Miracle Berry”, “Essentuki” , “Springs of Russia” and “Zdrivers”.

$1.2 billion for the latest rebrand, including $1 million for the logo.

Bookmarks

Some time ago, while gathering my thoughts to write this material, I posted this picture on my Facebook page, in order to conduct a small survey of public opinion among my subscribers about the perception of Pepsi logos. Of course, such a sample is not at all representative, but it showed a rare unanimity on social networks on this issue and fueled my desire to write about it.

The vast majority chose the “classic” logo options for my generation that the company used between 1973 and 1991, although the 1962 logo is essentially the same. Moreover, I, of course, expected that such a choice would be made by my peers, however, to my surprise, the same choice was mostly made by those who are much younger, although everyone knows that “the new generation chooses Pepsi.”

To start things off, here are a few interesting facts about Pepsi that you might not know:

Pepsi was originally called Brad's drink until it was renamed Pepsi-Cola in August 1898.

Pepsi-Cola hits the spot, 12 full ounces, that’s a lot, Twice as much for a nickel too, Pepsi-Cola is the Drink for you!

In the mid-1980s, Pepsi made history in the advertising industry when it used pop stars to promote its brand. The most significant performer of that time, Michael Jackson, starred in the brand's advertising.

Pepsi cola is one of the most famous drink brands all over the world. The Pepsi logo is one of the most recognizable logos around the world. However, it would be incorrect to say that the logo became popular or recognizable due to the popularity of the drink. Quite the contrary, Pepsi packaging design has contributed greatly to the success of the brand at various stages of its life. Logo design is what helps attract people's attention to the drink.

However, the Pepsi logo we see today has changed countless times. It all started when company founder Caleb D. Bradham created the initial design that would later become famous. The brand lived with this design until 1940, when the company first made changes to the design of its logo.

Here are some highlights of the evolution of the Pepsi logo

1898-1940 Use of curly fonts in the logo.

The history of the Pepsi logo began in 1898 in direct competition with the brand of competitors Coca Cola. Between 1898 and the 1940s, Pepsi developed a logo based on a red curly font that was similar to the Coca Cola logo.

In 1906, the Pepsi logo underwent a design change to include additional text. The logo typography, however, remained more or less the same. For the first time, the logo received a spherical shape.

The spherical shape continues to be part of the design to this day. One of the reasons for the spherical shape of the logo design was that the company wanted to place The Original Pure Food Drink slogan in the design.

In the 1940s, Pepsi returned to a rectangular shape for its logo. The Pepsi Cola letters were included in a rectangular shape that had a completely white background.

In 1945, Pepsi adapted its bottle cap logo and painted it in patriotic colors to show support for the US military. The logo included the slogan Bigger Drink, Better Taste. An excellent slogan, by the way, considering that at that time you could buy Pepsi in a bottle twice as large as Coca-Cola for the same price.

Decade of the 1960s.

In the 1960s, the logo underwent even greater changes. For the first time, the new design features a serrated bottle cap. The colors continued to be blue and red and the background color was completely white.

Within a decade, the company launched the Pepsi Generation campaign. It was in 1960 that the word “Cola” disappeared from the logo. Pepsi never used the word again in the drink's logo.

Minimalist 1970s design.

The following decade, the 1970s, was a time when radical changes were taking place throughout the world. This influenced the design of the Pepsi logo. In 1971, sensing that people preferred modernity and new technology, the company felt it necessary to develop a minimalist logo design to make it look cleaner and cleaner.

Pepsi designers said goodbye to the white background. Instead, white was used to highlight the rectangular and spherical borders of the logo. Blue and red dominated the color scheme. The word Pepsi was written in the box with some changes made to the font.

In 1987, Pepsi slightly updated the logo, changing the color blue.

100 years of Pepsi. 1990s.

In 1991, Pepsi redesigned its logo, minimizing the spherical shape and placing it in the lower right corner. The word Pepsi was written in bold, uppercase font. Red and blue continued to dominate the Pepsi logo, with a return to white as the background color.

In 1998, the company celebrated its 100th anniversary. To commemorate the anniversary, the company made some changes to its logo design to give it a three-dimensional look. For the first time, the background changed from white to blue, and white was used in the font.

Modern Pepsi Globe logo

Today's Pepsi Globe logo has a design similar to a smiley face. It retains the colors from 1998, but there have been changes to the style and font. According to the designers, the logo should symbolize the globe.

So we see that Pepsi often makes changes to its logo design. And although this article is specifically about Pepsi, it is not possible to discuss Pepsi in isolation from Coca Cola.

War count

The "Cola Wars" have been raging for over 100 years, and the debate over whether Coca Cola is better than Pepsi or vice versa is older than the October Revolution. People have different tastes and it is not possible to find what is actually better.

I want to look at the question of why Coca Cola is superior to Pepsi in the market, in the context of which drink sells more. In 2011, Coca Cola's sales were $28 billion, and Pepsi's were only $12 billion, today the ratio is about the same, it's just that exact data for 2011 was easier to find.

And perhaps part of the reason is their branding, or rather constant rebranding. I am aware that “rebranding” is not just about changing the logo, because a brand is more than just a logo, although the logo is indeed part of its identity. A brand is essentially a promise of tangible and intangible value for the client - it is a kind of trust agreement.

For over 100 years, Coca Cola has used the same logo, a curly font that everyone around the world recognizes. Despite some changes in the background, it was essentially the same logo. Pepsi, on the other hand, started with a logo very similar to Coca Cola's. Over the years, the Pepsi logo has evolved and changed with the times. The 1970s version of the Pepsi logo was extremely successful, and it was during this time that the company had its most successful advertising with BBDO However, they moved on, changing the logo and following trends, perhaps making a branding mistake.

Look at this:

If you ask someone to describe the Coca Cola logo, you will most likely get an answer along the lines of “those red letters.” And if you ask someone to describe the Pepsi logo, you'll probably get a different version depending on what it was like when they remember it most.

Coca Cola's branding is timeless. It doesn't age and it still looks great. Since Pepsi decided to follow design trends, every few years they had to release an updated logo design.

The latest rebranding cost the company $1.2 billion, the logo alone cost $1 million.

Some people will argue that Pepsi's core imagery is recognizable, and in fact, I don't deny that. However, how is he remembered? Is It A Circle With Pepsi Written in the Middle (1973)? Is this the 1991 version of the logo with the big red tail? Or is it the slanted version from 2008? I feel like the Pepsi logo would have worked better if they had chosen the positioning and logo and stuck with it.

Looking through the history of both companies' soda can changes, the logo changes are even more of an eyesore. The logo on the first Pepsi can is completely different from the logo on the last one.

The evolution of Pepsi cans

The evolution of Coca Cola cans

When looking at the history of Coca Cola cans, their recognizable font-based logo is present throughout, as are their signature colors; red and white.

Of course, it's not just the logo, there are many other areas where Pepsi didn't perform so smoothly. During the 1980s, Pepsi's celebrity strategy faced several problems. The first was a pyrotechnic stunt that left Michael Jackson dependent on painkillers. In 1987, David Bowie (another of Pepsi's famous faces) was accused of sexual assault, causing the company to immediately drop him and the advertising campaign surrounding him.

A number of other marketing mistakes, such as Pepsi's advertising that ridicule rival brand Coca Cola while actually helping Coca Cola, lead to Pepsi forever being a catch-up brand. Pepsi poked fun at Coca-Cola's famous polar bear Santas in what they thought was a hilarious ad campaign that actually helped their rivals.

In May 2012, Brad Jackman, Pepsi's new chief creative officer, was tasked with creating a new global campaign. He spent nine months and more than $5 million to figure out:

Coca Cola is timeless, unlike Pepsi.

Among marketers, it is believed that in this case the product category is associated with a low degree of consumer involvement, it is mainly an impulse purchase with a predominance of very frequent cycles. In such a category, brand recall must be maintained at the highest levels. The reason is that it is quite easy to switch consumers. Even a strict follower may choose a competing brand if the favorite is unavailable or easier to obtain. Consumer loyalty in such categories tends to be fickle. Yes, there will always be a core core of consumers who won't switch, but they tend to be a minority. The key challenge facing brands in such a category is to maintain top-of-mind-recal, protecting core consumers, driving brand engagement and increasing brand loyalty.

There are two ways to do this: the Coca-Cola way and the Pepsi way .

In my opinion, this cannot be discussed in the context of right or wrong. Both options are successful strategies, and both companies are successful in key markets. Pepsi prefers to target young people through design changes. Constantly re-visualize the brand; generate through this high levels of recognition with loud advertising. Coca-Cola, on the other hand, uses its iconic brand status to maintain high recognition. Coca-Cola can afford to do this because they are a leading brand around the world. On the other hand, Pepsi is quite happy with its “non-leader” status, which gives freedom to experiment. This makes Pepsi an adaptive, responsive and modern brand, which in my opinion is better suited to new markets.

And yet, as a specialist and follower of Jack Trout, the Coca-Cola approach is closer to me. Coca Cola has its own message, brand identity and they match the logo; timeless and classic. Pepsi, on the other hand, doesn't have this. They don't have such a strong key “hook” for their brand that attracts people, there is no clear positioning message for advertising. Everything about the Pepsi brand just seems like a bunch of random decisions. Random can be big if done right. However, when randomness is not what you're aiming for, then it's just a term, something that people talk about but don't quite understand how to perceive you or your product.

When comparing Coca-Cola and Pepsi, in my opinion, Coca-Cola's brand strategy looks more consistent.

Coca-Cola clearly understands the value of maintaining its original brand in a classic cultural tradition. Pepsi, on the other hand, changes its logo over time in an attempt to follow popular culture. It's clear that both companies have diametrically opposed views on the word "tradition" when it comes to logo design. Coca-Cola retains the original logo, which is classic and nostalgic, capable of evoking sentimental associations. On the other hand, Coca-Cola, while remaining classic, deliberately creates compelling advertising campaigns that exploit the ever-changing aspects of popular culture. The result is a brilliant brand strategy that balances the classic and nostalgic with the new and relevant.

Well, as a consumer, I might have chosen Pepsi if the logo had remained the way I loved it, it is the Pepsi identity of the 70s and 80s that is nostalgic and classic for me. I constantly catch myself wanting to drink a can of that same Pepsi. I was a Pepsi devotee for many years, but then I somehow switched to Coca-Cola. Part of this was because the Pepsi brand had become diluted for me.

Brand name: Pepsi / Pepsi

Year the brand entered the market: 1898

Industry: soft drinks

Products: soft carbonated drinks

Owning company: PepsiCo

Company headquarters: USA

"Pepsi-Cola"(English: Pepsi-Cola) or simply “Pepsi” is a popular non-alcoholic soft drink sold all over the world. The main competitor for Coca-Cola, for many years it has been in 1-2 place in terms of sales. The rights to the Pepsi-Cola trademark belong to the American company PepsiCo.

First manufactured in the 1890s in New Bern, North Carolina by pharmacist Caleb Bradham. On August 28, 1898, "Brad's drink" was renamed "Pepsi-Cola". This year, Bradham's neighbor created the drink's first logo.

The Pepsi-Cola trademark was registered on June 16, 1903. According to one version, the name "Pepsi" Caleb Bradham derived it from the word dyspepsia, or from the substance pepsin contained in Pepsi.

1905 - The brand develops and becomes popular - the logo changes for the first time.

In 1906, the brand was registered in Canada, and a little later in Mexico. The slogan “The Original Pure Food Drink” appears on the logo:

In 1923, due to rising sugar prices as a result of World War I, PepsiCo went bankrupt. Its assets were sold.

Collapse Pepsi in 1923, the Pepsi-Cola formula was deprived of its secrecy. To file for bankruptcy, Caleb Davis Bradham, the creator of the drink and the head of the company, had to not only submit a syrup recipe to a federal court, but also confirm the truth of this information under oath. In exact translation it looks like this:

Main ingredients: Sugar: 7500 lbs, Water: 1200 gals, Caramel (burnt sugar): 12 gals, Lime Juice: 12 gals, Phosphoric Acid: 58 lbs, Ethyl Alcohol: 0.5 gals, Lemon Oil: 6 ozs, Orange Oil: 5 ozs , cinnamon oil: 4 oz., nutmeg oil: 2 oz., coriander oil: 2 oz., petitgrain oil: 1 oz. Stir for 2 hours, pre-boil water and sugar.

Little-known petitgrain oil is obtained by distilling the leaves, young branches and fruit ovaries of various types of citrus fruits. There are no substances hazardous to health in this recipe, with the exception of a huge amount of sugar. US approximate values: 1 pound = 454 g, 1 gallon = 3.8 L, 1 ounce = 28.3 g.

Eight years later the company went bankrupt again.

During the Depression of the 1930s, PepsiCo launched a successful attack on Coca-Cola's market position. Pepsi Cola began selling in 12-ounce bottles for $5. A 6-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola also cost $5. Coca-Cola could not release the drink in another bottle because the vending machines accepted 5? coins, and Coca-Cola had a supply of 1 billion 6-ounce bottles left. In 1939, Pepsi-Cola became extremely popular among children.

During World War II, Pepsi Cola overtook both Royal Crown and Dr. Pepper and became the No. 2 drink after Coca-Cola.

In 1940, Loft Incorporated officially changed its name to Pepsi-Cola Company. The brand is registered in Argentina. Pepsi creates an advertising song that becomes a hit. Leaving a mark on the development of advertising, the song was translated into 55 languages ​​of the world. In the same year, the logo changes slightly:

In 1941, a popular symbol appeared - a red and blue circle divided in half by a white wavy stripe. This symbol paid tribute to American soldiers.

In the early 50s, Coca-Cola was 5 times faster than Pepsi-Cola. The red and blue circle is fixed in the new logo:

In 1959, company president Donald Kendall brought Pepsi-Cola to Russia, to the American National Exhibition in Sokolniki. US President Richard Nixon invited Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev to try a delicious American soft drink and handed him a glass with the logo "Pepsi-Cola". A photograph of Nikita Khrushchev with this glass spread across all newspapers and magazines, advertising Pepsi in a country that has not yet known its unforgettable taste.

In 1960, Coca-Cola was drunk 2.5 times more than Pepsi-Cola, and in 1985 - only 1.15 times. Pepsi announces a pitch among advertising agencies, which is won by the BBDO agency. With him Pepsi continues to collaborate to this day. Pepsi owes much of its vibrancy and originality to BBDO, the most creative advertising network in the world.

In 1962 Pepsi eliminates similarities in the spelling of drink names with its main competitor, Coca-Cola. The capital name and red colors have long been a common feature of the two companies. Pepsi removed the word "Cola" from the name, leaving only "Pepsi". The brand name is written in capital letters:

In 1964 for the first time in advertising Pepsi tries to show the drink through the mood and lifestyle of consumers, without focusing on its characteristics. Slogan "You belong to the generation Pepsi" entered advertising history by introducing Pepsi through style. Diet Pepsi (in Russia Pepsi Light) appears in the company's advertising. Later, Pepsi Free, Pepsi Cherry Wild and Pepsi Twist were released, as well as the blue drink Pepsi Blue, aimed at a teenage audience.

In 1965, the Pepsi-Cola Company merged with Frito lay, a manufacturer of salty snacks. This is how modern PepsiCo was born. The newborn company had 19 thousand employees and a turnover of $510 million. Donald Kendall (President of Pepsi-Cola Company) and Herman Lay (Frito Lay) officially announced the creation of PepsiCo.

In the mid-70s, PepsiCo ran a promotion called " Pepsi challenges." Blind tests were conducted to evaluate the two drinks. The participants of the action preferred Pepsi cola Coca-Cola by a 3:2 margin, and this fact was announced in television advertising.

Traditionally, PepsiCo sponsors the Democratic Party (US Democratic Party), while its main competitor Coca-Cola sponsors the Republicans (US Republican Party).

Production pepsi cola in the USSR began during détente, the beginning was laid by a meeting in 1971 between PepsiCo President Donald Kendall and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR Alexei Kosygin, at the meeting negotiations were held on possible economic cooperation. In 1972, within the framework of a bilateral trade agreement between the USSR and the USA, cooperation agreements were reached; as a result pepsi cola first began to be sold in the USSR (the first batch - in April 1973), and the construction of factories for the production of pepsi cola in the USSR (the first - in 1974 in Novorossiysk).

In 1973 the logo changes again:

In 1976, the "Have a Happy Happy Day" campaign was launched. Pepsi". She reflected the changing mood of a generation Pepsi for the better. The “Puppies” video, where a boy plays with a small dog, has become an advertising classic.

In 1979, the slogan “Catch the Spirit” appeared Pepsi", reflecting the mood of Americans optimistic about the future.

In 1984, Wayne Calloway took over as president of the Pepsi-Cola Company. Music advertising campaign starts. Faces Pepsi-Cola year after year, stars of show business and sports become idols of youth. The first person was Michael Jackson. The video with his participation “The Chase” was shown at the Grammy Awards and was called “the most spectacular video in the history of advertising.”

Advertising policy throughout its existence Pepsi was aimed at the young and energetic. Pepsi-Cola Company sponsored sports and musical events, invited youth idols to advertise, and presented Pepsi as a permanent attribute of youth parties.

In 1985, Pepsi-Cola becomes the largest manufacturer of carbonated drinks in the world.

In 1986 Pepsi acquires 7Up International.

In 1989, Fortune Magazine named the company one of the 10 most admired corporations in the world.

In 1991 Pepsi uses slanted italics and adds a red stripe following the logo, which symbolizes the brand's desire to reach new heights. In the same year, the company refused the services of Michael Jackson, who had long been the face of the company. Part of the reason was the accusation of indecent behavior against the King of Pop. This fact did not contribute to the creation of an ideal image for advertising. They needed someone who was more "clean" in this regard, and Cindy Crawford took Jackson's place. The model starred in a commercial, presenting a new modernized logo:

In 1993, a new advertising campaign began with the participation of basketball superstar Shaquille O'Neill, later recognized as the best in the USA. Commercials "Nothing but Pepsi"were awarded the main prizes at the prestigious Cannes Advertising Festival.

In 1996, the “blue” advertising campaign began. Bottles and jars with Pepsi turn blue. As part of the advertising campaign, BBDO launched 5 commercials. Probably one of the most striking and expensive advertising decisions was to repaint the huge Concorde liner in the famous “pepsin” color, which then went on a tour of 10 European cities to present the company’s new image. According to newspaper reports, it took 2,000 man-hours and 300 liters of special paint to repaint the fuselage and apply the logo. However, on this Pepsi didn’t stop - the video was shot in outer space. A spectacular photo of two cosmonauts on board the Mir station against the backdrop of a Pepsi flag with the inscription “Even in space” Pepsi changes style", spread all over the world. In the same year Pepsi signs a cooperation agreement with MTV. Russia hosts the most successful bottle cap game, Million Mania.

In 1997, the company held the "Spice Girls - Super Show" raffle. 20 fans Pepsi got the opportunity to attend the only “live” concert of the group in Istanbul. Pepsi becomes the title sponsor of the Russian Football Championship.

In 1998, PepsiCo acquired Tropicana, the largest natural juice producer in the United States. Celebrating 100th anniversary Pepsi. The logo changes again - the circle becomes a three-dimensional model of a ball placed on a dark blue background:

At the beginning of 2000 market capitalization Pepsi amounted to 44 billion dollars, capitalization of Coca-Cola - 128 billion.

In 2001 Pepsi acquires Quaker Oats, a cereal company, along with its Gatorade sports drink division.

In 2003-2004 logo updated:

In 2006, turnover amounted to 35 billion dollars.

In 2008, PepsiCo's revenue exceeded $43 billion, with expected sales of the company's products at retail prices amounting to about $109 billion. Each of PepsiCo's 18 brands exceeds $1 billion in annual sales. The most radical rebranding has been carried out in all the years of its existence. Pepsi. Some products are being renamed: Mountain Dew to Mtn Dew, Diet Pepsi Max to Pepsi Max. The red and blue circle turns into a smiley face whose smile depth varies across different products. A discreet smile is the logo of the entire brand, a grin is Diet Pepsi, laughter is Pepsi Max. The changes did not affect only corporate colors. The cost of the rebranding campaign is estimated at $1.2 billion.

In 2010, PepsiCo merged with the largest bottler companies - The Pepsi Bottling Group (PBG) and PepsiAmericas. As a result, the second food group in the world (after Nestle) in terms of production volume was formed.

In 2011, "faces" Pepsi football player David Beckham, who had previously collaborated with Pepsi-Cola more than once, and Colombian actress, model and TV presenter Sofia Vergara.