Cutting back on sugary fizz? Most Americans are. But carbonation giants Coke and Pepsi want to change that. They’re looking to shed their cheap-o, high-calorie image. Instead, they hope to promote a more hipster appeal—and fetch higher prices too.
Soda has seen better days. The beverage gets blamed for everything from obesity to litter. And Americans just keep reaching for other bottled options like waters, juices, and teas.
Yet soda is still big business. And since they’re selling less soda, Coke and Pepsi want to charge more for it. How, you ask? By giving their bubbles more class.
For Coke, appealing to today’s trend-conscious consumers means designing interesting cans and bottles (remember personalized Cokes?) as well as offering more naturally sweetened beverages.
Coke’s aluminum bottles and mini-cans have helped the company win back some customers, especially those who prefer smaller portions. Mexican Coke—sweetened with sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup—is also increasingly popular.
Jaime Jose, a student from New York, doesn't drink soda. But she admits she’s tempted to buy glass bottles of Coke as a treat.
"It's that retro thing of having a story behind it," Jose explains.
Meanwhile, Pepsi is pushing "craft sodas.” There’s no definition for what makes a soda "craft." Traits include glass bottles and ingredients seen as more wholesome.
For example, PepsiCo introduced Caleb's Kola a couple of years ago. Caleb’s comes in a dark glass bottle with the words "Honor in Craft." Caleb’s has just three ingredients: sparkling water, cane sugar, and kola nut extract.
Drinks like Caleb's are helping bring soda’s “cool factor” back. Or at least that’s what PepsiCo hopes.
However, that cool factor comes with a price. At one grocery store, a 20-ounce Pepsi sells for $1.49, compared with $1.99 for a 10-ounce bottle of Caleb's.
As one of PepsiCo’s chief marketing officers says, "At the end of the day, we just have to stay culturally relevant."
