The Pepsi Paradox: Investigating the rivalry between Coca-Cola and Pepsi during the 1950s-80s through comparative analysis while incorporating semiotics and emotional branding theory
Author
Jensen, Steffen Berg
Term
4. term
Publication year
2014
Submitted on
2014-06-02
Pages
77
Abstract
Denne kandidatafhandling undersøger, hvorfor Coca-Colas markedsføring under "The Golden Age of Advertising" (1950’erne–1980’erne) var mere effektiv end Pepsis, og hvordan Coca-Cola fastholdt sin markedsposition, selv om Pepsi vandt smagetests i 1970’erne ("Pepsi Challenge"). Med en fortolkende, empirisk-induktiv tilgang placeres de to mærkers kampagner i datidens amerikanske kultur, og otte udvalgte Coca-Cola- og Pepsi-reklamer analyseres komparativt med semiotik og emotional branding som teoretisk ramme, suppleret af sekundære kilder om centrale kampagner og kulturel kontekst. Den semiotiske analyse viser, at Coca-Colas reklamer oftere bruger værdibaserede tegn og betydninger, mens Pepsis er mere overfladiske og retter sig mod et yngre publikum. Analysen af emotional branding viser, at Coca-Colas evne til at skabe følelsesmæssige bånd og loyalitet—bl.a. via julemandsmotiver, en tv-reklame fra 1971 og andre kampagner—var afgørende for succesen. Afhandlingen konkluderer, at værdibaseret, følelsesdrevet branding hjalp Coca-Cola med at opbygge varig loyalitet og fastholde sin position, hvilket giver en plausibel forklaring på "Pepsi-paradokset".
This master’s thesis investigates why Coca-Cola’s marketing during the "Golden Age of Advertising" (1950s–1980s) was more effective than Pepsi’s and how Coca-Cola maintained its market position despite Pepsi winning 1970s taste tests (the "Pepsi Challenge"). Using an interpretive, empirical-inductive approach, the study situates the brands’ campaigns within contemporary U.S. culture and conducts a comparative analysis of eight selected Coca-Cola and Pepsi advertisements through the lenses of semiotics and emotional branding, supplemented by secondary sources on key campaigns and cultural context. The semiotic analysis finds that Coca-Cola’s ads more consistently deploy value-laden signs and meanings, while Pepsi’s are comparatively more superficial and skew toward younger audiences. The emotional branding analysis shows that Coca-Cola’s ability to forge affective bonds and loyalty—illustrated by Santa Claus imagery, a 1971 television commercial, and other campaigns—was central to its success. The thesis concludes that value-based, emotion-driven branding helped Coca-Cola build lasting loyalty and sustain its lead, offering a plausible explanation for the "Pepsi paradox."
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Keywords
Branding ; Advertising ; Semiotics ; Emotional Branding ; Coca-Cola ; Pepsi
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