Around Armuchee, 87 people from all four grades were interviewed and out of those people Coke was the overall winner! Of course, many people didn’t choose either but Coke won by a large margin. Coke had 38 votes, Pepsi had 23 votes, and neither choice had 26 votes. Riley Millican, freshmen, said, “Pepsi tastes like battery acid. Coke is more flavorful, cheaper, and makes me more refreshed than Pepsi does.” For Coke voters, Coke must have the best overall flavor and quality for them to enjoy the soda. Sarah Perry, junior, said, “I prefer Coke because the flavor is stronger and tastes better.” The flavor and overall quality of the drinks is important to hook buyers and keep them as regulars. Brayden Therber, senior, said, “Coke is what I grew up on. In the south, Coke is much more popular than Pepsi. It’s less sweet and more flavorful than Pepsi.” Brayden has been a lifelong Coke fan, since childhood, and ever since his first Coke he’s been hooked. For Brayden, Coke brings back nostalgia from just the taste so it’s obviously a very important factor for buyers.
The opposing side Pepsi, though they didn’t win, is still loved by many here at Armuchee. Madisyn Hughes, junior, said, “Pepsi has a different sugar base which makes it more sweet. Coke tastes really tart to me, so I would definitely go with Pepsi.” Pepsi tries to cater to everyone. The factors of taste, overall quality, and how refreshing it is all go into making a Pepsi. Though many people choose Coke, Pepsi buyers are very diverse in what they like about Pepsi. Shivani Brahmbhatt, freshman, said, “Coke is too sweet for me so I prefer Pepsi. It’s the right amount for me and the overall taste and quality is better than Coke.”Although people who like Pepsi all like something different about it, there are still people who say relatively the same thing. Houston Ballard, junior, said, “I like the taste and how it has the right amount of sugar in it. Its overall quality of drink is better than Coke.”
In contrast, there were also many people who didn’t like either Coke or Pepsi and chose neither. Abbie Carson, senior, said, “I don’t like the fizz in carbonated drinks. It makes me uncomfortable so I don’t like either. I prefer to drink water over any fizzy drink.” Many people have said carbonation is what brings them away from Coke and Pepsi. Khloe Weekly, freshman, said, “I don’t like the taste of either Coke or Pepsi. I only really drink water. The carbonation burns my throat so I don’t like those drinks.” The carbonation was one factor that brought Khloe away from the sodas but another factor she disliked was the taste of them. They both, also, said they would rather drink water than carbonated drinks showing that the simple drinks are also just as good as the big soda drinks.
Ever since Pepsi was made in 1898, Coke and Pepsi have always been rivals. This rivalry has been one of the biggest controversies for 127 years. According to the website Medium, it says, “The rivalry between Pepsi and Coca-Cola, known as the “Cola Wars,” is one of the most fascinating case studies in the history of marketing. For over a century, these two beverage giants have gone head-to-head, each employing bold strategies to outmaneuver the other.” This war is so large that it even made it to our school. “46% preferred the taste of Coke and 39% preferred the taste of Pepsi. About 15% of the participants showed no preference in the taste test.” it says in the article Extending the “Pepsi paradox” to Diet Cola. The world prefers Coke 7% more than Pepsi. Even though Pepsi has a lower percentage, it’s still very popular. The Coke and Pepsi war is a very long rivalry not just at Armuchee but all around the world. Though this dispute will probably never come to an end, it doesn’t stop us from being a family and being a part of the tribe.
