The Coca-Cola Company has 21 different billion-dollar brands or brands that generate more than $1 billion or more in revenue each year. The company also sells its products in nearly every country in the world, with Cuba and North Korea the only two countries where it is not sold officially. What’s more, the Coca-Cola brand is worth $87.6 billion, making it one of the most valuable among all companies. Though these figures allow Coca-Cola to enjoy market dominance in many countries, the company is nevertheless subject to intense competition.
| Competitor | Description | Key Insights | Competitive Overlap | Differentiation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PepsiCo | A multinational food and beverage company known for its Pepsi cola brand, Frito-Lay snacks, and various other beverages and snacks. PepsiCo competes directly with Coca-Cola in the carbonated soft drink (CSD) and snack markets. | PepsiCo offers a range of beverages, including Pepsi cola, and competes directly with Coca-Cola in the carbonated soft drink (CSD) market. | Both compete in the CSD market, offering cola and soda beverages, as well as in the snack market with various snack brands. | PepsiCo’s diverse portfolio of beverages and snacks. |
| Dr Pepper Snapple Group | A beverage company known for Dr Pepper, Snapple, and other soft drink brands. Dr Pepper Snapple Group competes with Coca-Cola in the CSD and non-alcoholic beverage markets. | Dr Pepper Snapple Group offers soft drinks like Dr Pepper and competes with Coca-Cola in the CSD and non-alcoholic beverage segments. | Both compete in the CSD market, offering a variety of soft drink brands, as well as in the non-alcoholic beverage market. | Dr Pepper Snapple Group’s unique soft drink brands. |
| Keurig Dr Pepper | Keurig Dr Pepper is the result of a merger between Keurig Green Mountain and Dr Pepper Snapple Group. It offers a wide range of beverages, including Keurig coffee products and soft drinks. Keurig Dr Pepper competes with Coca-Cola in the CSD and beverage markets. | Keurig Dr Pepper offers a diverse portfolio of beverages, including soft drinks and Keurig coffee products, competing with Coca-Cola in the CSD and beverage segments. | Both compete in the CSD market, offering soft drinks, as well as in the broader beverage market with coffee and other products. | Keurig Dr Pepper’s combination of soft drinks and coffee products. |
| Nestlé Waters | A division of Nestlé, Nestlé Waters offers bottled water brands like Nestlé Pure Life and Perrier. Nestlé Waters competes with Coca-Cola in the bottled water and non-alcoholic beverage markets. | Nestlé Waters provides bottled water brands and competes with Coca-Cola in the bottled water and non-alcoholic beverage segments. | Both compete in the non-alcoholic beverage market, with Nestlé Waters’ focus on bottled water brands. | Nestlé Waters’ portfolio of bottled water products. |
| The Kraft Heinz Company | A multinational food and beverage company known for its ketchup, condiments, and other food products. Kraft Heinz competes with Coca-Cola in the non-alcoholic beverage and condiment markets. | Kraft Heinz offers a variety of food and beverage products, competing with Coca-Cola in the non-alcoholic beverage and condiment segments. | Both compete in the non-alcoholic beverage market, but Kraft Heinz’s primary focus is on food products, including condiments. | Kraft Heinz’s range of food and condiment offerings. |
| Monster Beverage Corporation | Monster Beverage is known for its energy drinks and other non-alcoholic beverages. Monster competes with Coca-Cola in the energy drink and non-alcoholic beverage markets. | Monster Beverage provides energy drinks and competes with Coca-Cola in the energy drink and non-alcoholic beverage segments. | Both compete in the non-alcoholic beverage market, with Monster Beverage’s emphasis on energy drinks and alternative beverages. | Monster Beverage’s energy drink portfolio. |
| Unilever | Unilever is a consumer goods company known for its wide range of products, including ice cream brands like Ben & Jerry’s and Lipton tea. Unilever competes with Coca-Cola in the non-alcoholic beverage and ice cream markets. | Unilever offers beverages like Lipton tea and ice cream brands, competing with Coca-Cola in the non-alcoholic beverage and ice cream segments. | Both compete in the non-alcoholic beverage market, with Unilever’s emphasis on tea products and a diverse range of ice cream flavors. | Unilever’s tea products and ice cream offerings. |
| Kraft Foods Group | Kraft Foods Group, a subsidiary of Kraft Heinz, offers a variety of food and beverage products, including Kool-Aid. It competes with Coca-Cola in the non-alcoholic beverage and food markets. | Kraft Foods Group provides non-alcoholic beverages like Kool-Aid and competes with Coca-Cola in the non-alcoholic beverage and food segments. | Both compete in the non-alcoholic beverage market, but Kraft Foods Group’s primary focus is on food products, including beverages like Kool-Aid. | Kraft Foods Group’s food and beverage portfolio. |
| Red Bull | Red Bull is an energy drink company known for its signature Red Bull energy drink. Red Bull competes with Coca-Cola in the energy drink market. | Red Bull offers energy drinks and competes with Coca-Cola in the energy drink segment. | Both compete in the energy drink market, with Red Bull’s focus on energy-enhancing beverages. | Red Bull’s signature energy drink. |
| Danone | Danone is a multinational food-products corporation known for its dairy and beverage brands, including Evian bottled water. Danone competes with Coca-Cola in the bottled water and non-alcoholic beverage markets. | Danone provides bottled water like Evian and competes with Coca-Cola in the bottled water and non-alcoholic beverage segments. | Both compete in the non-alcoholic beverage market, with Danone’s emphasis on bottled water and dairy products. | Danone’s bottled water and dairy offerings. |
PepsiCo
No article on Coca-Cola competitors would be complete without mentioning PepsiCo.
Founded in 1898, the company has 23 brands with over $1 billion in sales – two more than the 21 enjoyed by Coca-Cola.
Based on net revenue, profit, and market capitalization, PepsiCo is the second-largest food and beverage business globally behind Nestlé. Indeed, PepsiCo’s diversified portfolio enables it to earn more revenue in North America than Coca-Cola despite not selling as many beverages.
Coca-Cola and Pepsi compete in several categories, including soda beverages, health and energy drinks, bottled water, and juices. The rivalry between these two companies has been labeled the Cola Wars, characterized by mutually targeted marketing campaigns and several public and protracted legal battles.
Red Bull
Red Bull is an energy drink manufactured by Red Bull GmbH, an Austrian company founded in 1987 by Dietrich Mateschitz and Chaleo Yoovidhya.
Despite a somewhat limited product portfolio, Red Bull has a significant following in North America, Europe, Australia, and parts of Asia.
This following is the result of targeted marketing campaigns aimed at young men where the drink is associated with extreme sports such as mountain biking, parkour, Formula 1 racing, NASCAR racing, freestyle motocross, and air racing.
After sluggish sales, Coca-Cola announced plans to stop selling its energy drinks in the United States and Canada by the end of 2021.
Keurig Dr Pepper
Keurig Dr Pepper is an American conglomerate selling beverages such as coffee, hot cocoa, tea, water, fruit juice, and mixers.
While the company does not enjoy the global reach of Coca-Cola, it does have a diverse product range allowing it to cater to a large audience in the North American market. Some of the most popular products under the Keurig Dr Pepper umbrella include RC Cola, Schweppes, 7 Up, Snapple, and of course Dr Pepper itself.
Nestlé
Nestlé is a Swiss multinational food and drink conglomerate headquartered in Switzerland.
As the largest food company in the world by revenue, the company is a significant competitive threat to Coca-Cola.
Though the company does not compete with Coca-Cola in the soft drink market, Nestlé owns several popular bottled water brands, including Vittel, Perrier, S. Pellegrino, and Acqua Panna. It also owns Nespresso pre-packaged coffee and Nescafé instant coffee and has partnered with Starbucks to offer Starbucks Coffee at Home.
Furthermore, the Swiss giant owns a range of tea and other beverage brands including Nestea, Milo, Sweet Leaf Tea, and Peace Iced Tea.
Key takeaways:
- The Coca-Cola Company is one of the most recognizable and valuable brands in the world, operating in all but two of the world’s countries. PepsiCo is arguably the company’s largest competitor because of its comparable global reach and a more diversified product portfolio.
- In the energy drink market, Red Bull enjoys a large following with its clever and targeted marketing campaigns. Intense competition in North American resulted in Coca-Cola announcing plans to stop selling its energy drinks there.
- Nestle is also a Coca-Cola competitor. While it does not sell soft drinks, Nestlé is a vast and successful company with a sizeable collection of successful beverage brands.
Key Competitors of The Coca-Cola Company:
- PepsiCo:
- Competitor with a diversified portfolio of brands, including soda, snacks, and beverages.
- Has 23 brands with over $1 billion in sales, more than Coca-Cola’s 21 billion-dollar brands.
- Second-largest food and beverage business globally behind Nestlé.
- Engages in the Cola Wars rivalry with Coca-Cola.
- Red Bull:
- Known for its energy drink products, marketed with extreme sports associations.
- Has a significant following in North America, Europe, Australia, and parts of Asia.
- Coca-Cola announced plans to stop selling its energy drinks in the United States and Canada by the end of 2021.
- Keurig Dr Pepper:
- Offers a diverse range of beverages, including coffee, hot cocoa, tea, water, and mixers.
- Focuses on the North American market with popular products like RC Cola, Schweppes, 7 Up, Snapple, and Dr Pepper.
- Nestlé:
Read Next: Coca-Cola’s Business And Distribution, Coca-Cola Mission Statement and Vision, Coca-Cola Competitors, What Does Coca-Cola Own?, Coca-Cola PESTEL Analysis, Coca-Cola SWOT Analysis, Coca-Cola Vs. Pepsi.
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