Thursday, May 5, 2011

Today on MSN

Top-selling sodas: Then vs. now

Diet Coke moved up to No. 2 behind Coke in 2010, knocking perennial contender Pepsi to No. 3. That's one of several surprising changes from 10 years earlier.

Coke and Classic Coke / Photo courtesy of Minyanville.com
No. 1
2010: Coke
2000: Coca-Cola Classic

Coke famously suffered its own marketing snafu in the 1980s, as Coca-Cola (KO) executives reacted to loss of market share to Pepsi by retiring Coke's century-old recipe in favor of a reformulated and repackaged "New Coke." 
A massive public outcry greeted the new product's arrival, and management responded by quickly bringing back the old formula as "Coca-Cola Classic."
In 2000, that brand was the No. 1 carbonated beverage, with 20.4% of the market. By 2009, Coca-Cola executives felt it was safe to return to its tried and true "Coke" branding.
So, after a 25-year absence, Coke is back on top in the 2010 rankings, claiming 17% of the overall market, to Pepsi's 9.5% share.

I love Top 10 Lists...especially when they involve soda. Check it out on MSN! They also had the most popular baby names of 2010. One word: Twilight.