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"

[davethebirdman]

Chaps

thanks for the explanation. Particularily the bit about Cola trying to buy Pepsi out. I never knew that or the fact that you got twice as much soda with Pepsi as you did with Cola.

I obviously knew about the Santa thing but always thought that it was a Urban Myth. Father Christmas being designed by Coca Cola.

My next newbie question is this... In view of the fact that Coca Cola had the market in the 1940' & 50's are Pepsi Machines from that era more valuable than Cola ones??

Could anyone recommend a good book that charts the history of the Soda World??

Cheers

Dave

[Eric]

Investment wise... I'd take a roundtop Pepsi ANYDAY over a rountop Coke and I'm a Coke guy...
Pepsi went bankrupt twice... more out of bad luck and timing than Coke. But they are a HEAVY hitter now.

Anyway... 'kito when you come across that Pepsi 81 or 33 let me know. I'd give it a good  home '>


Good luck folks finding any roundtop...

Eric

`Kito,
my wife likes pepsi  and I prefer coke - but we are still married '>

[vend_dr]

Quote (sfre46 @ May 04 2005,12:00)

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"

While it may be true that Coca Cola had a lot to do with establishing Santa as a ubiquitous figure. They were NOT the first soda company to use Santa as a figure. The White Rock beverage companies Santa pre dates anything that Coca Cola did so maybe Coca Cola borrowed the idea Hmmm. As soon as I find a copy of the article I will see about posting a link to it. I know Soda Pop Dreams magazine did an article about it with all of the facts but I can't find the issue with it in it.

[vend_dr]

Found it the article can be read at http://www.insulatorstorage.com/fohbc/Munsey_Santa.pdf

Kind of interesting that White Rock started using theirs in 1927 which is 8 years before Coca Cola used theirs.

Birdman-
Saw that your icon is "Dad's" rootbeer - did you see my post about getting 8 oz bottles in Los Angeles?  Don't know if you can get"Dad's" products in the UK, but a supplier of "Dad's" is in Los Angeles, found out that one can get a case for $15
Shawn

[davethebirdman]

Hewllo Shawn

Must confess that I have neither seen or tasted Dad's Root Beer. I was looking through the symbols, with my 2 year old daughter on my lap trying her best to distract me and thought that Dad's Root Beer was the most apt.

Fraid I am also a virgin to things like RC & Dr Peppers. DP does have a small market here but is not very popular. I am making a trip to the US in Sept and looking foward to putting my tast buds to the test.

How about Iron Bru have youever had the pleasure of sipping Iron Bru. Its also very good for paint stripping

Dave

Dave, who needs all those American soda's over there when you all have so many fantastic ales and bitters!?!  Give me a Boddingtons or Newcastle Brown (or many others) any old day!

[davethebirdman]

Kito

Big news here. Boddingtons Brewery is closing down. So the original Manchester taste may be lost forever. Not sure where they are packing off to but all the Northerns are up in arms about it. Never been keen on Newcastle Brown a pint of true Irish Guiness any day. Puts hairs on your chest.

Suppose in your student days you were forced to sample all these delights '>

Dave '>

That is so true my friend. With all ten dorms having their own bar, long campus bar crawls introduced me to the finer things in life. And then we'd head into town for more bars and pubs. Those were the days!

I'm fond of Guiness too. I have a few of your country's fine products in my Cavalier 64 in my gameroom in addition to the Coke products. '>

[glassbottlesrule]

Iron bru is darn good stuff.  I always pick up a case when I am at Jungle Jims.  It's when drinking products like these you are reminded how much more "grown-up" the European tastes are then their American counterparts.  The products are lighter, complex and not so sweet.

[glassbottlesrule]

RC from the right bottler is great.  If possible also try Red Rock, Double Cola, and Ale-8-One when you are here.  Stay away from the long-neck Cheerwine though it's addictive.  You'll have lots of explaining to do as you try to smuggle  a couple cases of it on the plane.

[davethebirdman]

I'm making a long list of all the stuff I have to try and then I negociate luggage space with "Her in Doors" to see what I can bring back.

Kito - You never did explain why you ended up over her in England studying??

Dave