The Pepsi Challenge is an ongoing United States marketing promotion run by PepsiCo since 1975. It is also the name of a cross country ski race at Giant's Ridge Ski Area in Biwabik, Minnesota, an event sponsored by Pepsi.[1]
Method
The challenge originally took the form of a single blind taste test. At malls, shopping centers, and other public locations, a Pepsi representative would set up a table with two white cups, one containing Pepsi and one containing Coca-Cola.[2] Shoppers were encouraged to taste both colas and select which they preferred. The representative then revealed which soda the taster selected, Coke or Pepsi. The results of the test leaned toward a consensus that Pepsi was preferred by more Americans, which led people to claim that Pepsi was better than Coke.[3] The Pepsi Challenge has been featured in much of Pepsi's TV advertising.[4]
History
The challenge launched in 1975, as part of the ongoing Cola wars between Pepsi and The Coca-Cola Company.[5] In his book Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking (2005), Canadian author Malcolm Gladwell presents evidence that suggests Pepsi's success over Coca-Cola in the "Pepsi Challenge" is a result of the flawed nature of the "sip test" method.[6] His research shows that tasters will generally prefer the sweeter of two beverages based on a single sip, even if they prefer a less sweet beverage over the course of an entire can.[7] Additionally, the challenge more often than not labeled the Pepsi cup with an "M" and the Coca-Cola cup with a "Q," suggesting letter preference may drive some of the results.[8] Donald M. Kendall of Pepsi promoted the Pepsi Challenge.
Contest
In 1981, Pepsi ran a "Pepsi Challenge Payoff" contest that would hand out a large prize to anyone who could gather Pepsi bottle caps that spelled out the word “Challenge".[15]
See also
- Cola Wars
- New Coke
- Pepsi Cool Cans
- Pepsi Stuff
Further reading
- Koenigs, M., Tranel, D. (2008). Prefrontal cortex damage abolishes brand-cued changes in cola preference. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 3, 1–6.
- Pronko, N.H., Herman, D.T. (1950). Identification of cola beverages. IV. Postscript. Journal of Applied Psychology, 34, 68–69.
References
- The Pepsi Challenge Cup Cross Country Ski Race! Pepsichallengeskirace.com, retrieved December 27, 2012^
- Dominic Green, Will Wei. We Recreated The Pepsi Challenge To See What People Really Like Business Insider, retrieved August 29, 2020^
- Mikkelson, Barbara. Was the 'New Coke' Fiasco Just a Clever Marketing Ploy?