The proper way of evaluating this rivalry, in order to pick a true winner, is to "match-up" the two colas against each other, and also throw in a couple runners up to create the ultimate free-for-all of colas. The competitors include: Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Royal Crown Cola, and the local-generic Sam's Cola. These four colas are incredibly similar, yet all have their own distinctions starting from the very beginning.
Pepsi was first created in the summer of 1893, by Caleb Bradham, a Pharmacist in North Carolina. Pepsi was first labeled "Brad's Drink", but was later changed to Pepsi Cola in 1898, after the pepsin and cola nuts used in the recipe. After seventeen years of success, Caleb Bradham lost his beloved Pepsi Cola after gambling on the value of sugar during the first Great War. Due to an incredible amount of overstock of this overvalued sugar, Pepsi Cola went bankrupt in 1923. In 1931, Pepsi Cola was bought out by the Loft Candy Company, who then reformulated the popular soft drink. But the Loft Candy Company struggled to market the cola and suffered financially because of it. Records show that the Loft Candy Company offered to sell Pepsi Cola to its competitor, the Coca-Cola Company, but Coca-Cola never offered a bid. But in 1940, after the hit jingle, "Nickel, Nickel" came out to advertise Pepsi Cola, business began to boom. The jingle was translated into fifty-five different languages, and was heard all over the world. Pepsi Cola shot up to the top alongside Coca-Cola, and has been there ever since.
Coca-Cola, on the other hand, does not have as an extensive history as does Pepsi, but still delivers a great story. It was also created by a Pharmacist in Georgia, who owned his own property and created the cola in 1886. After a year of disappointment and financial loss, creator John Pemberton sold the Coca-Cola formula to another Pharmacist, Asa Candler. By the 1940's, Coca-Cola was a household name, not only because of its taste, but also because of how it changed the world in the syrup industry, as well as the fast-food industry due to its invention of the bottled soda. Thanks to the aggressive marketing strategies of Asa Candler, Coca-Cola became a world-wide cola for all.
Our third contender, Royal Crown Cola or RC Cola, is often thought of as the "ugly step-sister" when it comes to the cola family. The saying, "No one remembers who won the bronze medal" is often said when speaking of Royal Crown Cola. Not necessarily because of the way it tastes or its overall qualities, but because of the odds and competitors that it is lined up against. Never-the-less, Royal Crown Cola should not be forgotten. Established in 1905, Royal Crown came out with its first product, Chero-Cola. After many changes and debates, Royal Crown Cola was re-released with its new name, RC Cola, for short. Royal Crown cola was the first cola to be produced and sold in a can and also the first to be produced and sold in an aluminum can.
Finally, our fourth competitor is thought to be more of a local hero rather than an international superstar. Sam's Cola, sold at any Walmart or Sam's club, is the generic brand of cola sold at a much cheaper price than most cola. Sam’s Cola was established at the same time as Sam's club and Walmart, a corporation which was opened in 1969 by its founder, Sam Walton. Sam's cola is a direct "knock-off" of your everyday Pepsi or Coca-Cola, but is necessary when evaluating all colas, famous or not so famous.
Four of the most imperative, and creative, characteristics of cola have been evaluated thoroughly for a true winner of the "World's Best Cola". The colas are put to the test to see who excels in taste, flow, nutritional values, and marketing qualities. Many will fight, but only one will come out victorious.
In the first round bout, Pepsi took home the gold when its smoother and lighter taste proved to be the most sought after. Its light and sweetened taste is exactly what all cola drinkers look for in their everyday canned-cola. Coke came in at a close second, but fell behind because of its thicker feel. It seems as though the cola really sticks when it is taken in, and it also appears to be less sweetened than Pepsi. Coca-Cola also had a much heavier texture that went hand-in-hand with its overall thickness. The third contestant, RC Cola, had a very surprising and light taste that was much more refreshing that what was expected. The cola was obviously very sweet and had a strong aftertaste of cola that could not be ignored. It made taking another sip almost unavoidable. Lastly, Sam's Cola, which came to no surprise, was almost identical to the taste of Coca-Cola, with its thick and heavy taste and lack of sweetened characteristics.
In round two, which was a test to establish which cola performed the best in the "flow" category, which helped to determine which cola was the easiest to drink. Because of the first round's results, the judges had a pretty good idea already as to which cola would exemplify the best flow. Due to its thickness and overall heavy attributes, both Coca-Cola and Sam's Cola were not up to par. But the real surprise of this test was Royal Crown Cola, who flowed like the rivers of Egypt, but without the sand. RC Cola goes down smooth every time, giving an after taste that beckons for more. Definitely a greatly desired attribute when it comes to all sodas in general, not just cola.
Round three really put the rivaling colas to the test. Nutritional value of cola has really taken prominence as of late because of the newly trending health craze throughout the world. The nutritional facts of all food are constantly studied and scrutinized and can no longer be ignored. Overall, cola is not a satisfactory item when it comes to overall nutritional value, but amongst each other, there are some significant differences. In a surprising and yet somewhat expected discovery, due to its score in taste and flow, RC Cola took home the gold. Royal Crown Cola only contains 110 calories per serving along with just 27.9g of sugar per serving, a minimal amount when it comes to cola. Its light taste and rapid flow obviously reflects its content. But some find that this high nutritional value only results in a disappointment when it comes to taste. This seems to be where RC Cola has gone wrong. Coca-Cola made its presence, coming in second in overall nutritional value with a respectable yet still significant 140 calories to go along with 39g of sugar. Coca-Cola seems to flirt with less nutritional value in order to instill great taste, but Coke still manages to do a good job of using the minimum amount of sugar and calories without any unnecessary additions. Lastly, Pepsi and Sam's Cola finish dead last when it comes to nutritional value, scoring an identical amount of both calories and sugar content. With 150 calories and 41g of sugar, Pepsi and Sam's Cola do not do a very good job when it comes to appealing to the "health craves" that are trending currently.
In the fourth and final round of evaluations, a value is reviewed that is often taken for granted or overlooked by the average consumer. Yet it may be the most important value when it comes to selling their beloved cola. The marketing and advertising that goes into each brand of cola amounts to millions upon millions of dollars, an amount that is spent annually by each company in order to bring in the maximum amount of business. Yet this aspect of the cola industry is the most ignored by far.
It seems that Pepsi puts forth the most amount of effort when it comes to advertising and marketing their cola. They spend an enormous amount annually on their logo and advertising. Because of this, their logo has become one of the most well-recognized logos of all. The Pepsi logo is legendary. It changes with the times to show that the company modernizes, just like the world. Its modern logo is simple, yet elegant. The modernized logo symbolizes the globe with a swirl in the middle, which separates the hemispheres. The colors are bold and bright and bring in a sense of wonder because of how different red and blue truly are. Yet the two colors, who are complete opposites on the spectrum, work hand in hand with grace. The logo has progressed from a traditional cola look, to a completely industrialized, but original look that is incredibly distinguished. The logo has definitely progressed with the times. But the font is what honestly brings the logo together. It has a simplistic flow that shows its modern characteristics, but also shows its historic journey because of how it has embraced all changes throughout its long and noble history. Pepsi is also no slacker when it comes to advertising. It seems as though with every Pepsi commercial there is a new representative. This is a brilliant way of showing how Pepsi can appeal to every type of consumer, whether they be famous, or an every day person. Pepsi has been represented by stars like Drew Brees, Britney Spears, the new sensation One Direction, singers Nicki Minaj, Michael Jackson and Beyonce, as well as NASCAR superstar Jeff Gordon. By having so many representatives, Pepsi is showing their modernization because Pepsi breaks away from the old-fashioned way of advertising. It shows the numerous amounts of people from all over who enjoy that great Pepsi cola taste.
Coca-Cola, on the other hand, takes a very different approach when it comes to progression. Their logo and advertising history differs greatly from Pepsi. Starting with the logo, Coca-Cola really tries to keep traditions present for as long as possible, which is probably why the famous logo has had barely any changes since the cola was first created. But the logo does not need to be changed, for it represents and strong history full of success and greatness. The logo represents trust. Its a logo that is recognized internationally because of its originality. The traditional style with its elegant cursive letters bring elegance to the logo, along with an incredible amount of grace. The red and white used in the Coca-Cola logo are vibrant yet simple. Its an eye-popping pair of colors that attracts the attention of many. Yet the advertising strategies of Coca-Cola are somewhat surprising because of how subtle and sparing they are. Coca-Cola has two main representatives, Santa Clause and a Polar Bear. This is almost the exact opposite of Pepsi. But this strategy is brilliant because it shows the traditional route that Coca-Cola swears by. Its traditional values keep their old consumers loyal, but also bring on new consumers. Coca-Cola puts up a good fight when it comes to their image.
The third competitor, Royal Crown Cola, was somewhat of a disappointment in the final round. Its classic logo with elegant font is a classic logo that is recognized by many, but simply not enough. It is simple in the way that it flows throughout itself and the color choices make the logo noble and traditional. Being very similar to Coca-Cola's logo, the RC Cola logo puts on a display of trust and originality, but still lacks that distinguishing characteristic. Nevertheless, the logo is a cola classic. But RC Cola's real struggle starts at the advertising and marketing department. When is the last time there has been a commercial for Royal Crown Cola? The strategy for bringing in new consumers has definitely lacked motivation. RC Cola took a very hard hit in this round, and it is doubtful that RC can survive because of it.
Finally, Sam's Cola, which has struggled throughout the entire bout, steps into the ring. But unfortunately, Sam's Cola stands no chance, for its efforts will never compare to Pepsi, Coca-Cola, or even Royal Crown Cola. Sam's Cola gave it its best shot, putting forth a retro yet modern logo. The rugged text appeals to the newer crowd, putting forth a strong image. It is original in the fact that no other cola goes with such a rugged look, but takes a set back with lack of color or creativity. But when the time came to evaluate the advertising and marketing of Sam's Cola, it sadly threw in the towel. Being a generic and local brand of cola, Sam's Cola does not wish to go the extra mile in selling their product, other than the walk-ins looking to save a quick dollar. Sam's Cola goes down with no contest in the final round.
So after a great amount of carbonation, as well as a small stomach ache, the winner has been determined. With an impressive show of value and determination, it appears as though Pepsi has edged the competition. Its great taste and excellent flow is exactly what every cola drinker dreams and craves for. Along with its classic and refreshing taste, its performance in the final round proved Pepsi superior. The widely recognized logo is found throughout the world and is unmistakable to anyone's eye. So despite its mediocre performance in the nutritional value round, Pepsi is indeed the supreme cola. So by a unanimous decision, Pepsi has been declared ruler of all colas. Its taste, flow and marketing values proudly deems it as the most sought after cola in the world.
