Probably one of the most interesting (and definitely successful) inventions of the previous century is the nutritionally insignificant, yet deeply engraved in the worldwide modern life is the soft drinks. No one knows how to make them except a very few key people in the world, and yet they have become a very defining element of civilization for more than a century and running. Arguably, this is thanks to the competition between the two giant soft drink products which race to domination swept through the whole world, shaping history in all aspects of humanity while quenching its thirst.
A blog based on both companies’ websites outlined the companies’ history side by side (SeanLind , 2011). According to the blog Coca-cola and Pepsi were both invented right before the end of the 19th century, with Coca-cola a decade and a half ahead of the competition. Coca-cola was selling overseas while Pepsi struggled through the World War I and the 1930s Depression, getting bankrupt twice.
Pepsi endured a lot of internal reshuffling during the following years while Coca-cola enjoys stability and plenty under one president who is to serve for 60 years. Pepsi was able to stay on the race by being twice cheaper than competition and went into the World War II with Coca-cola on the lead. By this time, Coca-cola was very much attached to the American image and has become an iconic symbol during the war. "It reminds me what I'm fighting for," a soldier says.
After the war, the race for domination heats up and the soft drink brands began to use advertising as their platform of competition (Cumler, 2012). They competed from slogans to jingles and were advancing one country in the world at a time. Their competition in advertising must have trail-blazed for other companies as well which campaigns were effective or not. This advertising trail-blazing must be still going on, the end of the race nowhere in sight. Today Pepsi has caught up with Coke, and there are people all over the world who cannot tell the two apart in taste.
Despite the many health controversies in soft drinks, people all over the world have acquired the taste for Coke or Pepsi or both that it is hard to imagine a world without it anymore. Both companies can thank the competition that motivated them conquer the world. In that respect, people all over whole enjoy soft drinks can thank their competition as well for it is what brought the soft drinks to their homeland. The Coke and Pepsi competition, without doubt, have broken barriers and paved way into how the world conducts business today.
References
SeanLind. (2011 October 27). “Coke vs. Pepsi.” CnnTees.com. Accessed from: http://www.cnntees.com/infographics/coke-vs-pepsi/
Cumler, Z. (2012 April 29). 20 Years of Pepsi. Slideshare.net. Accessed from: http://www.slideshare.net/Zoe_Cumler/20-years-of-pepsi-12738763
