Coke vs. PepsiBy: Alyssa Davis

IntroductionBlind taste test included 67 participants

Functional Magnetic Resonance imaging technology was used to monitor brain activity during consumption

Tests were first blind taste tests

Images of brands were shown in the second part of the test during consumption

Blind Taste TestsEach participant was asked their preference:

Coke or Pepsi

The participants then consumed the beverages and their brains were monitored while doing so

The ventrolateral prefrontal cortex lights up naturally with either beverage, responding to the “reward” of sugar

Blind taste tests typically don’t favor either brand and end up right around 50/50

Branded Taste TestsThe participants were again asked to consume

their beverages while being told what exactly they are drinking

The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and hippocampus both lit up when participants knew they were consuming Coke

In most cases, images of Pepsi did not produce this type of brain activity

This led to a 75-25 preference of Coke

Why Coke is preferred In these branded tests, the participants

responded heavily to brand imagery

When a person thinks of Coke, they automatically correspond it to things like polar bears, Santa Claus, Mean Joe Green, and other iconic imagery

Coke triggers memory-related brain regions that are related to cultural influences

It’s not just the taste that matters, but the strength of the Coca Cola brand keeps buyers coming back for more

Coke vs. PepsiOut of 635 people surveyed, 346 preferred

Coke and 289 preferred Pepsi

Coke vs. Pepsi

HYPOTHESIS TESTS sample proportion 46.00% population proportion 51% std error 0.0198 sample size 635

Do more people prefer Pepsi?        

NULL: π<= 50% More than half do not prefer Pepsi.      

ALTERNATIVE: π > 50% More than half do prefer Pepsi.      

one-tailed or two-tailed? 1

test statistic (obs) -2.77 critical measure 1.64 obs > critical? yes

p-value 0.00283 a-level 0.05

p-value < a-level? yes

Null is accepted. More than half do not prefer Pepsi.

RecommendationsSince Coca Cola is getting a lot of their

business from their cultural ties, it is important for them to stay true to what they have been doing for years

Pepsi needs to find ways to make their brand more recognizable.

Pepsi should work harder to relate to all people culturally, rather than just the youth culture

Conclusion In a blind taste test, most customers prefer the

two soda brands equally

Coca Cola has a very strong brand image which leads customers to feel excited when consuming their products

Coke was preferred 75 percent to 25 percent according to the brain scans in branded tests

Taste doesn’t always matter, but cultural ties will hold strong in consumer behavior