•  
  •  
 

Caravel Undergraduate Research Journal

Abstract

Since the invention of cola, the rivalry between Pepsi and Coca-Cola (i.e., Coke) has been in existence. Coke has been the preferred brand over all other colas, despite the preference for Pepsi in blind taste tests. This has been coined as the “Pepsi Paradox.” In the current study, we evaluated the “Pepsi Paradox” in both regular and diet cola. We entertained the possibility that preferences for cola brands would be roughly equivalent in South Carolina since it borders North Carolina and Georgia, the state of origin of Pepsi and Coke, respectively. The data showed that most people stated they preferred Coke products to Pepsi products. However, in the blind taste test, diet Pepsi was preferred over diet Coke. Moreover, people who stated preference for Pepsi were able to distinguish cola brands better than those who stated preference for Coke. The results suggest that the stated preference for Coca-Cola products, including Diet Coke, is based on factors other than taste. We discuss the influence of on-campus marketing, exposure and product availability on our findings,

Download

Share

COinS