Almost Jealous of that Pepsi Paper!

I got "mentioned" on Twitter today.  (@Defmall)

I was somewhat taken aback because it doesnt happen much, and almost NEVER by strangers.
(I usually have to initiate the conversation)

So I looked to see who was calling me out, and it's @BrockmanRichie
 Never heard of him.

But he mentioned me because he put together one of these free, online newspaper pages.
His is all about Pepsi Cola  (and apparently there is a connection to Nicole Ritchie)

From an SEO-standpoint, this page ROCKS.
It mentions Pepsi, Michael Jackson, Blanket, Nicole Ritchie...
and for Pepsi-specific content, Its putting this blog to shame. LOL!

Half of the page is in another language that clearly is "Spanish" but I dont want to guess the dialect wrong.    (If you read the page and know the answer, please comment the blog and let me know!)

Any, mad props to the Brockman...his family member Nicole...and his Pepsi Page.
It's the page of a New Generation!

Diet Pepsi's Skinny Can

Look! Diet Pepsi makes a can and calls it "skinny". How clever! Unfortunately, there are many in the fashion world that aren't pleased or humoured.

Jill Beraud, chief marketing officer for PepsiCo said in a statement, "Our slim, attractive new can is the perfect complement to today's most stylish looks..."

Jonathan Asher, senior vice president at Perception Research Services International has a different take: It feels like a cheap shot to get publicity and it would be a shame if that’s what it was. I don’t think calling this can the skinny can and associating it with Fashion Week is going to do much to contribute to the very serious problem of eating disorders...”

I ask you to take the can in context. Pepsi isn't saying that the thin can will make you thin. Diet Pepsi has been around for 40 years...we KNOW it wont be a suitable substitute for fruit and vegetables or water. It's a sexy looking can, and EVERY company worth it's salt tries to package their product in a way that is appealing!

Of course, choosing to use 'Fashion Week' as the time and place to make it's debut is clever/not clever. If you are going to make a statement in front of a group that takes eating disorders seriously...you have to brace yourself for the backlash. Sure, it's a media coup...but it looks like some non-fans were made!

Remember - the soda INSIDE tastes the same. So judge the can in stride and remember to drink wisely...especially if you are dieting.

Coke, Pepsi and Cholesterol

I had my Cholesterol checked today.
Yeah, I do that every 10 years or so.
Good to stay on top of it. ;)

It's almost exactly where is was 10 years ago.
Only a few points above 200...and I have MUCH more 'good' Cholesterol than 'bad'.

 I guess all that Taco Bell hasn't killed me yet.
And Being an authority on soda hasn't ruined me either.
At least not yet.

Side note:  I used to always mix up HDL and LDL, but a girl once gave me some great advice about how to remember which is "good" and which is "bad". Ready? HDL = Helpful Dudes Laughing. LDL = Lazy Dudes Laughing.  When it comes to the things going on inside your body, do you want your cholesterol atoms and molecules to be Helpful or Lazy? Riiiiiiiiight...


But while it's fun to snub my nose at the health nuts and say 'look at ME. I'm FINE!' I suppose it's fair to give them a fair say. After all, I'm NOT in the majority. My good health is an anomaly. (Maybe I'm an alien. Not like the yellow sun gives me powers or anything but...)

SO...since it's 'Check your Health' day, I bring you:
1) What Soda Does to your Body - personally, I think the article is a cross between 'Scanners' and mass-scare-tactic...but her intentions are good.

2) 1 Daily Soda may boost Heart Disease - what?!?! Don't let this medical journal scare you off! Everything in moderation, right?!

3) Can Diet Soda increase Cholesterol Levels - ok, well you can blame DIET soda...I don't drink diet soda. But still, stop blaming the can of pop, will ya?!




Drink Soda, Enjoy Life.
It's not like we're Jimmy Dean or something...

You Can't get a Pepsi at McDonald's

Really, you can't.

McDonald's carries Coca Cola products, so the idea of the 'other' brand showing up within the Golden arches is nil.

The Minnesota Twins only serve Pepsi in their Target Stadium.
No Coke to be found there.

But certainly no one chooses their Fast Food restaurant or favorite ball team by the soda they serve, or don't serve.

Cola, despite millions of dollars on branding, is unfortunately indistinguishable amongst the masses. Sure, when they are side-by-side you can tell the difference in a taste test, but the difference is NOT so drastic that it would ruin your meal.

A waitress at a diner I frequent recently insisted that she has had customers walk out of the establishment because they wanted a Coke and was served a Pepsi.

Even my favorite China Buffet serves soda in tall red glasses that have the Pepsi logo on them.
(surely you can see the irony...why not Blue glasses?!)

In fact, when I order a 'Coke with no ice, lemon' with my meal, the waitress will ask me if Pepsi is "OK" if that's all they serve. (Surely they are concerned that I'll make a fuss like the before-mentioned senior citizen did...). No need to worry. I can tell the difference, but it wont ruin my meal.

Do folks in Atlanta feel pretty strong about the flavor differences? I understand they do more so there than elsewhere. Atlanta prides itself on being the home to Coca Cola, and has been drinking the product for over a century. Those taste buds are pretty well tuned in.

But when Average Joe makes a stink in a New Jersey restaurant because he wants a Coca Cola and not a Pepsi, I'm confused.

Or maybe I'm just so in love with soda that it's made me more accepting?
Hell, don't we always accept the flaws and short comings of those we love?
I'm a huge fan of contact sports, even though I know it's violent and sometimes bloody.

But alas, I digress...

Coca Cola and Pepsi are smart to form agreements with fast food chains and other establishments, but I don't think it's an issue of 'conversion'. If you can only get Pepsi at Taco Bell, and you eat at Taco Bell once a week, it doesn't mean you'll in short time stop drinking Coca Cola because you are 'conditioned' to.

No, in fact the smartest part of the exclusivity arrangements is that it ensures you 'x' cases of soda will be sold each week...because a LOT of people order a soda with the meal! So why give the customer a chance to NOT buy YOUR soda? Keep the competition the hell outta there!

Soda exclusivity in fast food restaurants.
Score one for good business, score none of cornering the market of one's mouth.


Footnote - my thanks to Seth Godin for the title. His recent blog post inspired me to write the article, even though it wasn't the basis of HIS thesis.

Third Anniversary Coke vs. Pepsi Top 7 Stories

Happy Belated Birthday!

Coke vs. Pepsi turned '3' last week...and like any bad Father I completely missed it's birthday because I was preoccupied with other things.

But like any GOOD Father, I acknowledged it as soon as I noticed it, drank a cold glass of cola and sat down to research the Top 7 Coke Versus Pepsi stories.

The Top 7 Stories is based on the number of times each page has been visited.
I can confirm fro first-hand experience that a few spammers have found 2 specific blog entries that they like to comment more than others...but a win is a win. There must be a reason why they picked THOSE entries (I'd like to think it was the great writing, gripping stories, fascinating content and witty catch-phrases I use. But who knows...?)

So, Happy Birthday Coke vs. Pepsi!
The Top 7 Stories this blog hosts are:


#7) Coke or Pepsi? Smart or Silly? (5/3/08) - this quick entry talked up 2 other websites that debate the Coke versus Pepsi preference we all have...but we found to be somewhat 'girlie'. I was quite pleased to receive a comment from the site's publisher explaining WHY It was girlie.

#6) History of Coca Cola and Pepsi...and Google! (8/21/07) - this article quantifies and explains the differences of 'Coca Cola' information and 'Pepsi' information when making searches on Google.

#5) Coca Cola Prices Going Up. Pepsi Next? (7/18/08) - and the heels of a price increase, we discuss the options and the consequences of a Cola pricing increase.

#4) 7 Most Relevant Coke vs. Pepsi Stories of the Last Year? (8/20/08) - The debut of our 'Top Stories' list. (yeah, I remembered our FIRST Birthday...every Good Father does!).

#3) Andy Warhol Coca Cola (9/12/08) - Would-be SPAMmers love this entry, which makes me happy and sad. I'd happy that whatever content I shared here gets enough public visibility that SPAMmers think it's worth commenting on. But I was hoping for a higher-brow audience.

#2) Pepsi and Coca Cola Sales Drop Drastically (4/08/09) - There seems to be a correlation between Cola blog traffic and articles about Cola Pricing. Which would speak to the higher-brow audience I alluded to in the above comment.

And the #1 most Relevant Coke vs. Pepsi blog entry as of this writing is.....

#1) The History of Coca Cola Prices (9/29/08) - High-brow audience wins again!!! Glad to see the most visited blog entry was something that didn't have the word 'MILF' or 'Dude' in the title!

I always enjoy compiling this list each year and looking back on how much traffic this blog gets.
Sure, it would have been nice for some '2010' posts to get on the list, but it's been a busy year and perhaps I just need to put more thought into future posts this year.

Next post should be titled "The History of Coca Cola Pricing Increases and the Google Searches about Pepsi Sales Decreasing that are equally Relevant"

...or something...!

Taco Bell puts 16 sodas in 1 Machine

Occasionally I blog about Coca-Cola's attempt to offer a machine that produces almost 100 flavors of soda in 1 concise place. It's called the Freestyle, and I've last written about it here.

Today I wandered into my local Taco Bell, and what do you know?
The soda machine, featuring Pepsi products, has SIXTEEN soda buttons!

It's true.
There are 4 'spouts' in the machine, and each spout has 4 buttons above it.

Now, in fairness, there were 2 opportunities to select "Pepsi"...but Water, Iced Tea, Mountain Dew, Cherry Pepsi, Diet Pepsi and Mug Root Beer made an appearance, also. (I'm sure there was a Pink Lemonade button, too. I'm doing this from memory because I left my cellphone-with-camera in the car when I went in to buy lunch).

I can tell you that I eat in a LOT of Taco Bells, and this is the first time I've seen said machine.

So one has to ask...is this Pepsi's subtle way of getting a multi-soda machine on the market before Coca Cola does...or just a short-scale coincidence?



Learn more about the Coke versus Pepsi battle of the ages at www.Squidoo.com/CokevsPepsi

Soda stock prices...Invest in Coke, Invest in Pepsi

The Cola War is as deeply rooted as the rivalries between Republicans and Democrats, Wrestling Fans and people who hate pro wrestling, Rock Musicians and the PRMC...ok, maybe I digress...

But the Cola Wars seems to have no end in sight. Perhaps you can profit form the profits!

My understanding what is happening, financially, with both product lines you can make an educated opinion.

(The views expressed in this article do not express my personal views. In fact, I dont own stock in either company, but I drink a LOT of their products!)

Read a great, recent article (4/19/2010) evaluating current stock prices here.

Coca Cola's recent stock price and company information on Morningstar here.

Morningstar's review of Pepsi's Q4 performance here.

Morningstar's evaluation of Jones Soda here.
JONES SODA?!?!? Well...yeah! They are a creative little bunch and deserved some finanical press!

Of course, LAST year Motley Fool was down on Jones Soda.
See here.

Well look...we cant base our lives around Coke and Pepsi, people!

The bottom line is that you have a lot of options, but you have to do oyour homework.
The stock market looks like a fun place to gamble, but you can actually beat the house better than any poker player if you research carefully and invest on things you understand.

Like soda.

Seeking Proof that Soda is Good

Gosh I love this blog! I love writing it, I love reading it.
I love when others read it...

Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper and many more...

Of course, we know that Soda is not good 'for' you...but it's GOOD!
It tastes good; and that's good.
We share laughs over a soda or two, and that's good.
It goes great with whatever you are eating; and THAT's good!

So today I went to Google and looked to see what would happen if I sought out 'Soda is Good'.

(Disclaimer - I had to ignore any post that talked about BAKING Soda is good for you. I don't care if BAKING soda is good for you! It doesn't taste good, it doesn't go great with whatever you are eating and it's not exactly a medium for sharing laughs and good times!)

So the top pieces of Google Evidence to prove that Soda is Good:
1) Soda is Good on Hub Pages
2) DIET Soda is NOT good for you. Bummer :(
3) Jones Soda is the coolest, but NOT a great investment per Motley Fool. Another Bummer. Dang...
4) CHEAP Soda is good for you. YAAAAAAAY!!!!
5) New York Times says Soda: It's Good for You.
6) Soda is Good For You on Flickr!
7) VIDEO: Grape Soda is good s--t

Decided to add #7 for TWO reasons.
1 - always leave on a high note.
2 - because my ORIGINAL idea for this post was my periodic update on the Purple Beverage company. (You may think that I am unfairly hard on Purple, but I try to be objective.) Anyway, I nixed the idea, but when I saw a PURPLE Beverage (Grape Soda) I could not resist. It's like Kharma. Really.



For MORE evidence that Soda is Good, visit our friends at www.Squidoo.com/CokevsPepsi

Pepsi not advertising at SuperBowl this year

Pepsi will end it's 23 year streak of advertising during the SuperBowl and instead conserve it's funds so it can put more strength into it's online efforts.

See the whole article here.

How expensive is it to advertise during the biggest football game of the year?
Last year it cost an average of 3 million dollars for a 30 second spot.

That's a lot of Pepsi to sell to cover that bill!

There is no reason to 'doubt' Pepsi's reasons for pulling out of SuperBowl this year, but one has to wonder if they are just being polite. In other words, are they selling 6 or 8 million Pepsi's per ad? Have they finally decided that they are not getting enough bang for the buck?

It's incredibly hard to gauge. If they were offering an entirely new product/brand, then you could count sales for 10 days following SuperBowl and estimate a majority came from the ad. But to spend 3 million dollars for 30 seconds to show off an already globally-recognized product...how do you know if the marketing is WORKING?!

Last year, FedEx sat out the SuperBowl...and they plan to do so again this year.
Maybe Corporate America is finding that the price tag is just too high, and not worth it.

I once worked for a company that participated in a big trade show each year.
We got very little business from the show itself...but it was a 'status symbol' to be there.

So if you were NOT there, it looked bad. People would talk. Rumours would start.

Maybe Pepsi (and many others) has been hanging in just so no one speculates that they can't afford to be there?

By sticking their neck and their press release out NOW to announce the parting of ways...and to use an excuse that will draw attention and get people looking for new marketing...Pepsi has squashed any rumours. Personally, I say let Coke spend the millions of millions just to say they were there. It's a very costly venture.

(and watch them fight it out on www.Squidoo.com/CokevsPepsi!)

We all know that marketing endeavors are only valuable if you can measure them.
If you don't know how many Pepsis your 30 second spot sells, then 3 million dollars is 2.9 million dollars too many!

Strange Little Sodas Kept Alive

I found a GREAT article in Fortune magazine that I wanted to share/summarize for you.
It talked about 5 'niche' sodas that have not lived up to their owner's expectations, but will not die due to their cult following.

Which 5 sodas?

1) Moxie - in the 1900's this cola outsold Coke and Pepsi! Now, it's a cult favorite in the NorthEast and a virtual unknown elsewhere in the States.

2) Mr. Pibb - forget the 'MILF' articles I've written about Mr. Pibb, the bigger story is that the Coke-owned answer to "Dr. Pepper' sold 57 million cases last year. Of course, Dr. Pepper sold 586 million. And it has it's own museum.

3) Slice - strongly endorsed by Roger Enrico when he ran PepsiCo, it never achieved the 10% of market that he envisioned.

4) TAB - Owned by Coke, this diet beverage never surpassed competitor Diet Coke. But last year 3 million cases were bought..some dieters SOMEWHERE are drinking it!

5) Fanta - In the U.S., Coke sold 175 million cases of this tasty little beverage. That's about 7 times more than it's 2000 sales.

You can read the Fortune article in it's entirety here.


5 more sodas that deserve to be showcased on Coke vs. Pepsi!

Soda Prices Going Up when New Taxes Kick In?

And now for something political...

I'm doin' the Google Search for a clever soda-term today, and in my travels I come across a few (recent) articles that debate and discuss the idea of a surcharge/tax on Soda!

Some claim it will help in the fight against obesity.
Others see it as just another way to fill the political coffers.
Others see it as an infrigement of their rights and freedoms!
(Ok, settle down there Thomas Jefferson...)

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom likens soda to Tobacco, and wants to tax the retailers who sell it! The American Beverage Association seems to share my view on politics and food. They released a statement that read in part, "If our goal is to address obesity, then educating consumers about the importance of balancing calories consumed from all foods and beverages with the calories expended through physical activity is what matters - not demonizing any one particular food."

CollegeNET Forum further discusses the act here.

A New York Times online article discusses taxing soda in an effort to fight obesity and other health-issues here. It's a very thorough article, and the author does a nice job of showing both sides of the equation.

It opens with an interesting quote. It's attributed to Adam Smith, the economist, and dates back to “The Wealth of Nations,” (1776) where he wrote: “Sugar, rum and tobacco are commodities which are nowhere necessaries of life, which are become objects of almost universal consumption, and which are therefore extremely proper subjects of taxation.”

Thanks, Adam. I like Rum AND Soda. In fact, I think it's called a "Captain and Coke" if I'm not mistaken....

Again, I am opposed hurting people who CAN manage their weight by making them pay (no pun intended) for the follies of those who cannot. But maybe that's just me? I'm not so sure. In fact, I found an interesting on-line article in the Delaware Libertarian where the author does a very nice job of showing the flaw in people's thinking when it comes to accepting such a tax. Very clever article here.


Lastly, when you want information quickly and not with all the New York Times stuffiness, there is always USA Today! Here is there on-line article on the subject of taxing sodas. Sorry, no pie charts in this article!

Remember, when it comes to taxes, you are essentially giving money to the government to do with what they will. It's important that no matter how you vote on such a topic, that you 100% understand the issue from all sides. It's equally important that your Senator/Representative is voting with your best interests in mind...regardless of what you weight, what you earn and what you drink.

Coke vs. Pepsi Second Anniversary Top Stories

It's hard to believe, but Last Thursday (August 20th) marked the second anniversary of this blog. For 2 years I have been chronicling the soda wars, and everything else "soda" to go with it.

Hit rates have risen steadily until earlier this Summer (apparently swimmers and sun soakers have less time to read blogs) but the Top Stories remain the top stories. In fact, of the Top 7 most read blog entries from August 2008 to August 2009, more than half of them were written in 2008.

The #7 most read story this year was "This MILF likes Mr. Pibb" (March 2009)
Sure, it embarrassing to kick off this blog with a MILF reference...it's the only MILF reference in 2 years of blogging. But I put it out there to see what kind of response it got...and it's make it to #7 out of HUNDREDS of entries, so I guess sex DOES sell!

The #6 most read story this year was "Energy Drinks...Kicking Soda's Ass" (June 2008)
Certainly any story about an ass kicking is good reading! A year later, this one is still relevant and action packed! Energy drinks are taking over the beverage market with rapidity, so of course this was an article about the relevance of the industry and not a way to snare the UFC fan base. Really.

The #5 most read story this year was "Cola Please -No More Mello Yello" (September 2008)
This one had it all...irony, tragedy, sacrifice, friendship...and the tasty yellow beverage that you can't get 'just anywhere'! A great story 11 months later!

The #4 most read story this year was "Coca Cola Prices Going Up. Pepsi prices going up Next?"
(July 2008) Finally readers move away from MILFs, ass-kickings and sarcastic humour to read about something relevant and economical. Well, I mean it has to do with Economics. You know what I mean.

The #3 most read story this year was "Andy Warhol Coca Cola" (September 2008).
A great month for Top Stories! It used to really amaze me how popular this entry was, but the more I read it the more I can see it. Pop art, pop icons and Coca Cola are cornerstones of American culture, and this article covers all three. Maybe a pile of Coca Cola does not look like are to some (to ME, especially!), but it seems to ring true with a good portion of the audience.

The #2 most read story this year was "The History of Coca Cola Prices" (September 2008)
Trifecta! My birthday month yields my most creative work! Again, soda and pricing in the same story makes for a heavily read topic. Americans like their soda, and don't want to pay a lot. Any news about soda pricing is relevant.

The #1 most read story this year was "Pepsi and Coca Cola Sales Drop Drastically" (April 2009)
The most relevant story was also a recent one! Not so much a 'pricing' issue, but a story of economics and cultural tastes. (Literately!) Why are soda sales plummeting? Is it due to Energy Drinks (as mentioned above)? The current Health Kick? Pricing? If you drink beverages, this article speaks to you and your pallet.

So there are your Top 7, and as always I appreciate your readership!
Be sure to check out the Cola Wars on Squidoo: www.Squidoo.com/Cokevspepsi

The Death of Soda, or the Death of Readership

I know I don't post every day, but I try to post once a week.
And luckily enough, there are enough "soda related" things happening in the world that there is always something to share.

Something serious, like Pepsi Prices Going Up or Protests Against Coca Cola

Something silly, like a video called The Death of Pepsi. Or two.

Even Business news, like the profitability of Making Your Own Soda or this new Purple Soda company.

So here is the concern, if you will...
Readership is down. WAAAAY down.

Content issue? I don't think so. I've been posting the same soda-related drivel for almost 2 years now. It's not like my content has 'gotten worse'.

Frequency issue? Again, I posts once a week, try to keep it fresh, and keep it to relevant topics.

In fact, I'd say the 'tools' I use to promote the blog...from Facebook to choosing the right keywords...is BETTER than it was a year ago.

So why the drop?
Maybe it's not ' this blog' related?

Are people drinking less Coca Cola and Pepsi than a year ago?

Are people looking up soda-related terms less frequently than they were a year ago?

Are people reading blogs (in general) less frequently than a year ago?

Believe me, I'm not going to stare to death if readership drops below 10 a day...but I'm INCREDIBLY curious why it would change.

In the meantime, remember...there's always the Dusty Rhodes Mello Yello video!!!

antique Dr. Pepper recipe book revealed!

Dr. Pepper's origin and history may lie in the tattered ledger some lucky dude stumbled over while antique shopping in Texas.

AND, it may come at a profit.
This savvy shopper bought the book for $200, thinking it would sell for 5 times more.
Turns out it could be worth TWENTY FIVE times more!

But don't' let ME take credit for sharing the news!
Read the whole article by clicking here.

Like Dr. Pepper?
Read about the Dr. Pepper Museum here.

Mix Pepsi with Dr. Pepper?! Not bad. Look Here.

And...if you missed the "Axl Rose sues Dr. Pepper" fiasco...look here.


Plenty of Pepper for all!!!!!!

Pepsi, Beyonce, Pink, Britney Spears - which goes down best?

What goes down the fastest...Pepsi, Beyonce Pink or Britney Spears?

Sure, I'm not proud of the title...but it's clever and I'm sure everyone has their own opinion as to what the right answer is!

Ok, the truth is I chose this topic today NOT because of my desire to portray 3 pop singers and a can of soda as porn stars, but rather to share the You Tube Video of Beyonce, Pink and Britney Spears in a rather cool Pepsi commercial.

If you like hot girls, cold soda and a good Gladiator-style setting, click here!


For other Gladiator-style battles between sodas, remember to visit our favorite Coke vs. Pepsi site!

Pepsi vs. Mountain Dew...Midieval Stupidity

And here you thought Coke vs. Pepsi was THE consummate soda war. And you also enjoyed when I showed you the video clip of Coke and Pepsi slugging it out in a fist fight.

But who'da thought Pepsi and Mountain Dew would slug it out Old School?! And by Old, I mean Medieval Times kind of old. Dungeons and Dragons kind of old. Swords and Sorcery kind of old.

You get the point.

Pepsi and Mountain Dew...along with Coca Cola and Dr. Pepper...slug it out at Coke vs. Pepsi.

Easter, Soda and Ham...a recipe for perfection!

I absolutely love a baked, glazed ham. I only really get to cook one twice a year: Christmas and Easter. (and I'm JEWISH! Who'da thunk?!?!?)

This is the time of year to combine my love for soda and my love for ham into tasty recipes to make the left overs as delicious as possible! Recipes like:

Coca Cola Braised Ham

Ham with Orange Soda Sauce

Soda Shop Ham Glaze

and the disgustingly popular Ham Soda from Jones Soda


So this Easter, glaze your ham (15 minutes per pound at 350 degrees) in something yummy and carbonated...but stay away from any ham flavored beverage!

Pepsi and Coca Cola sales Drop Drastically

Pepsi and Coca Cola are in for the fight of their lives!

Soda may be Good, but cola sales are dropping at an alarming rate!

In fact, Beverage Digest looked at the top 10 carbonated soft drink brands and saw that only Diet Mountain Dew and Diet Dr Pepper showed any volume growth in 2008. (Diet Dew volume rose 4 percent, while Diet Dr Pepper volume rose 2.3 percent.)

Gad, I HATE diet sodas! I know they're SUPPOSED to taste just like the originals...but they just don't!

You can read all about the rapid decline of soda sales on the CNBC blog, here.

And while it's your job to read the article, there was 1 line that I thought was un-intentionally humorous - "Consumers are continuing to snub carbonated soft drinks, leading to an acceleration in volume declines seen in recent years."

Heh heh heh...he used 'acceleration' and 'volume' and 'decline' all in the same sentence! If this sentence was a roller coaster, it's would have been one helluva ride!

How much would you pay for a Pepsi or Coke T-Shirt?

The question isn't really so much 'what would you pay to OWN such a shirt'...but rather 'what would you pay to ADVERTISE them?

I went to Google and types 'Pepsi T-Shirt'.
Amongst the 1,470,000 finds were 2 'paid for' links at the very top.

One, called "Pepsi T Shirt on Sale" was a link to AllPosters. It DID have a nice collection of 9 Pepsi T-Shirts. Some were feminine, some were uni-sex. At least the link was honest.

The OTHER paid ad was called "Coca Cola T-Shirt" and it linked to Coca-ColaStore.com
THAT's smart marketing.
You looked up PEPSI T-Shirts, and Coke made sure that THEIR shirts got seen before 1,476,999 other links had a chance to show off!

And Coke didn't stop at 'T-Shirts'! You hit the above link and you see ALL Coca Cola apparel.

OK, so let's try the opposite:
Let's go to Google and see the paid ads tied to 'Coca Cola T-Shirt'

3 paid ads:
the above Coca ColaStore link was #2.

#1 was "Coca Cola T-Shirt" at MyCokeRewards.com
This My Coke Rewards link SUCKS because it takes you to a page that you have to register to see!
This means you are paying top dollar to ensure that when someone is interested in SEEING your Coca Cola T-Shirt, they are going to instead see a sign that pretty much says 'enter your personal information first!'.
I would think it wiser, if you were going to PAY for the spot, to intentionally come in 2nd or 3rd. Let the customer see what they want for free on another site...and then register to use their Coca Cola points after they've gotten a taste (pun intended) of what they can have.

#3 out of 3 was a link called "T-Shirt" from VistaPrint.com.
Not a damn drop of soda anywhere on this page!
Now, on one hand it may be SMART marketing. You said you were looking for a Pepsi or Coca Cola T-shirt...We've got T-Shirts!
But on the other hand...you just paid for a top spot while offering nothing of this specific customer's interest!

Did Pepsi have a paid link on this page?
No.
Maybe they know that if you took the time to type "Coca Cola T-Shirt" then you probably are not looking for a Pepsi shirt?

So...who's the smart marketer here?
How much does it cost to pay for these spots, and does it yield a reasonable ROI?
I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't remember where to find the tool that let's you test Keywords and see what kind of 'budget' you are in for. But I DO recall that "Coca Cola" and "Pepsi" were not "cheap".

So, when you go on line to buy a T-shirt named after your favorite cola, do you look at the paid links first...or do you look for something 'cool' and 'different'?

Pepsi can now distribute Rockstars

PepsiCo has signed a deal with Rockstar Inc., so it can distribute Rockstar Energy Drink.

Remember what happened the LAST time a Rock Star got involved with soda? I'm talking about Axl Rose's war-of-words with Dr. Pepper.

Rockstar has about 14% of the Energy Drink Market Share. Monster Energy Drink leads the pack with about 29% and Red Bull has about 25%. (Some former Pepsi and Red Bull employees have gone to work for the little "Purple" beverage company. They have never been heard from since...)

Back in the Fall, Coca Cola appeared to be speaking with Hansen Natural, looking to distribute the monster-sized Monster...but it does not look like that evolved.

But what does this say about Pepsi's EXISTING energy beverage efforts?
Pepsi owns and distributes Amp Energy Drink...but Amp does not appear in the Top 5. Is Pepsi admitting that they are better served buying into a winner rather than cultivating their own?