Questions for Coke vs. Pepsi Brand Personality Case

1. Summarize whatthe article A Study on Brand Personality of Coca-Cola and Pepsi: A Comparative Analysis in the Indian Market by Kinjal Gandhi says about the brand personalities of the two soft drinks in India.

2. The Brand Prism Models for Coke and Pepsi are based on their image in the West. Do you think that their images are different here in India? Why or why not, and how are they similar and/ or different?

3. Visit the global websites of Coca Cola (cocacola.com) and Pepsi (pepsi.com) and compare them. Give 3 points of difference, and describe how these differences might lead to different brand personalities.

The first thing I noticed about the Pepsi website was the colour blue- it seemed that blue was synonymous with Pepsi. The entire background is blue with white labels. On the other hand, the Coca Cola website had white plain background with Red labels. I thought the scare but impactful usage of Red was more significant in Coca Cola website than the usage of Blue in Pepsi.

The Global website of Pepsi did not List India as a country option. The Coca Cola website made it necessary for me to choose India before I could navigate futhur. This made the patriotic side of me feel better.

The Pepsi website seemed more cluttered with over 30 posts on the same page. The expressive elements reflected youth, energy and entertainment The Pepsi Pulse.Coca-Cola looked more mature as a brand with the tagline Open Happiness clearly mentioned. While Pepsi looked more trendy and eye catching for the youth, Coca Cola was more subtle and simple to find relevant information, something that appeals to the more mature crowd.

4. Go to the facebook pages of Coke and Pepsi. Describe how each brand engages its followers, giving specific examples.

5. Are you a Coke or a Pepsi drinker (or neither or both)? Why (i.e., what are your main influences and reasons)? What, if any, role does taste play in your preference?

I drink neither Coke nor Pepsi habitually. I prefer chilled Soya Milk and Real juice. This is because I am very health conscious, and I have read several articles about how carbonated drinks are not just bad for the body but skin too. Having worked in an MNC for over 3 years, where people preferred buttermilk and coffee to colas, I believe drinking colas is just a fashion statement here in colleges. It wouldnt translate to permanent preference in beverages once people go to their work life. Also, I find the taste very sweet and the pack size is too big for one time consumption. Once the fizz is gone, it just tastes like sweetened water.