The red stuff v the blue stuff

[davethebirdman]

Hello Chaps

I've been window shopping on Ebay for a while now for a round top or small chest type Pepsi Machine. Window shopping "cos" shipping across seas would probably double any price I'd end up paying for it (Hey Josh)

My question is very simple and I appologise if it has been asked before (we newbies tend to do this. Have searched Archive) Why are there so many more Coca Cola Machines to Pepsi ones?? Have or did Coca Cola sow the market up that much that they out numbered Pepsi something like 10-1??

In the UK there is no doubt that Coke is the market leader, by a long stretch, but not to the extent that I see on Ebay. I don't think either were readily available in the 1950's. Certainly not by vending machine.

On my trips to the States I've always seen Pepsi readily available everywhere. So what's the big love affair with Coca Cola??

Cheers

Dave

Because Coke is so yummy and Pepsi sucks. Plain and simple. '>

[Kilroy]

If I can expand on 'Kito's comments

This is only my interpretation, so feel free to correct me at any time:
Coke began a very aggressive marketing campaign beginning in the late 30's and early 40's that almost bankrupt Pepsi by the mid 1950's. Think of it, both were selling for a nickel a bottle, but although Pepsi was giving you 12 oz's to a 6 oz Coke,  Coke had the influence and cash to cut deals to distributors, take a hit to flood the market with their product, flood the market with Coke coolers, vending machines, trays, heck, even provided crossing signs for schools (Man I so want a Coke Policeman sign..Ok, I digress)
 Pepsi launched a strong comeback in the late 50's but was never able to hit the market share Coke had until the New Coke debacle....

[petey64]

let's see if i can make this fit into today's world Coca-Cola was last century's Microsoft and they treated the market just like Microsoft does these days as in let's put everyone else out of business or in the Borg term "you will be assimilated" but people can be funny and not want everything the same so Pepsi hung in there kinda like a Macintosh computer until it found it's slice of the market still well behind the Borg but still there none the less.        

[jasmine64]

Quote

Because Coke is so yummy and Pepsi sucks. Plain and simple.

As for me only Pepsi decaf (maybe it's the sugar) but when it comes to the need for a jolt of caffeine, only the real thing will do.

As for machines I would rather have a Coke machine the classic red and white paint. That has always been a draw for me. Along with the Coke jingle from the 70's still runs through my head ocassionaly. "Id like to teach the world to sing..."  Forgive me it's the lack of sleep typing. (anyone want a yapping stray dog)? '>  '>

[glassbottlesrule]

I like the Microsoft analogy.  There were tons of awesome independent cola's out there and big red was ruthless quashing competitors.  Now only a few remain.  RC, Double Cola and my personal favorite Red Rock.  To me all the little ones have much better flavor than the big two.  The huge coporate bottlers that have replaced the small indies do not care about quality just market share and the product suffers.  It's very inconsistent from one bottler to the next,  the quality even varies from one line to the next in the same plant depending on who is working.   The smaller brands seem to have more dedication to making their product taste like it should.  Sorry to preach and get so far off topic, but the drive for market share without regard for quality is a real sore point with me.

[dr galaga]

Quote (jasmine64 @ May 03 2005,7:55)

Along with the Coke jingle from the 70's still runs through my head ocassionaly. "Id like to teach the world to sing..."  Forgive me it's the lack of sleep typing.

That's okay, we can all sing along: http://memory.loc.gov/mbrs/ccmp/komt1600_01g.ram

[BryanH]

Quote (Markito @ May 03 2005,2:54)

Because Coke is so yummy and Pepsi sucks. Plain and simple. '>

Birdman - Despite the slanted view of a few of these boards frequent posters ('Kito needs to play nice with the Pepsi people   )...  I believe there is more truth to Kilroy's explanation.  

That said, anybody know who Coke's main competitive target was through the 70's and 80's?  It wasn't Pepsi....  In North America it was coffee.  Per capita consumption grew to an average of almost 50 gals per yr.  Both Pepsi & Coke shared in the increased market size.

[sodaworks]

Did you know that coca-cola almost bought pepsi earlier on. The only reason that they didn't was because they were afraid that the public would think that they bought their biggest competitor becuase they had a better product. Did you know that pepsi was originally called "Brad's Drink". '>

Birdman-this passage might help explain -

"Coca-Cola had a great deal to do with establishing Santa Claus as a ubiquitous Christmas figure in America at a time when the holiday was still making the transition from a religious observance to a largely secular and highly commercial celebration. In an era before color television (or commercial television of any kind), color films, and the widespread use of color in newspapers, it was Coca-Cola's magazine advertisements, billboards, and point-of-sale store displays that exposed nearly everyone in America to the modern Santa Claus image. Coca-Cola certainly helped make Santa Claus one of the most popular men in America"