Cola Wars: Coke vs. Pepsi, and What Your Preference Says About You

Coca-Cola and Pepsi Co. are up there with McDonald’s and Starbucks on the short list of some of the world’s most internationally recognizable brands; as Hunch’s data illustrates, there are devoted Coke and Pepsi drinkers in all corners of the globe.

To date, around 38,000 Hunch users on six continents have answered the THAY question: “Coke or Pepsi?” Which led us to wonder what other correlations can be assigned to the Coke and Pepsi camps, respectively?

PREFERENCE BY AGE

While Coke is preferred to Pepsi in all age groups (among Hunch users), Coke’s relative preference ratio varies. It’s strongest in the 18-49 age groups, at about a 2.4:1 preference to Pepsi. Among those under 18, that falls somewhat to about 2.1:1.  It falls further, to 2.0 among Hunch users 50-64, and falls to a low of 1.5:1 among those 65+.

PREFERENCE BY LOCATION

Geographically speaking, Coke has the strongest relative preference advantage to Pepsi in South America. Preference is still strong (but falls slightly) in Europe, Oceania and Africa. It falls further (but still enjoys a 2:1 preference advantage) among North American and Asian Hunch users.

SNAPSHOT OF FINDINGS

• Coke drinkers are habitual e-mail checkers (in part because they have multiple e-mail accounts) who either live in the ‘burbs or an urban environment. They’re devoted foodies who love their sushi, order their burgers with some pink in the middle, prefer their fries bistro style and birthday cakes to be either made from scratch or purchased from a bakery (no cake mixes here). Furnished with the likes of Crate & Barrel and Ikea, their homes are stylish and contemporary — a comfortable place to return to after their travels, which are frequent. Coke drinkers definitely have a valid passport and are more likely to speak several languages.
• Pepsi drinkers, on the other hand, might not have had a vacation in the past six months and it’s going to be a while before they get out of the country (if ever). They’re more likely to be homebodies who enjoy spending time with their children and catching up with their favorite TV programs. Periodicals such as Better Homes & Gardens and the Food Network Magazine inspire DIY projects in the kitchen and around the home. And while they love their Facebook — Pepsi drinkers are more likely to be avid Facebook users — the iPhone? They could take it or leave it.

Here’s how an illustrator summarized all that:

Here is a chart with the complete list of correlations:

Correlations	Coke	Pepsi
Education	College graduate, at minimum	High school diploma or GED equivalent
Reside	If they’re not in the ‘burbs, they’re in a city	More likely to have come from a small town
On the internet …	More likely to be habitual e-mail checkers	More likely to be avid Facebook-ers
Online engagement	Probably have multiple e-mail addresses	The iPhone? Can take it or leave it
More likely to be in these professions	Art dealer, Urban planner	More likely to have considered joining the military at some point
Burger doneness	Prefer their burger done in the medium-rare to medium range	More likely to like a well done burger
Fries	Prefer bistro style fries	Prefer McDonald’s fries
Politics	More likely to be liberal	More likely to be middle of the road
Political engagement	Have been to their nation’s capital	Have never attended a political protest
Leisure activities	Almost certainly have been to an art gallery	Watch more television
Decorating the home …	Shop at IKEA and Crate & Barrel for home furnishings	Shop at IKEA and fire sale furniture outlets for home furnishings
Home style magazines	Metropolitan Home	Better Homes & Gardens
Other magazines	Wallpaper and New York Magazine	Southern Living and Food Network Magazine
Timeliness	More likely to arrive early	More likely to arrive on time … or late
Stages in life	Think the best years of life are young adulthood	More likely to be a parent
At a hotel, would prefer their complimentary newspaper to be …	Prefer the New York Times	More likely to ask for USA Today
Passport status	More likely to have a passport	It’s going to be a while before they’re going to take a trip outside the country. (if ever)
Last trip	… so it’s only natural that they consider themselves well traveled	Good chance they haven’t taken a vacation in the last six months
Languages	More likely to speak several languages	More likely to speak just one language
TV Shows	CSI	Everybody Loves Raymond
Printed photographs	More likely than Pepsi fans to choose matte	More likely than Coke fans to choose glossy
Food allegiance	Love sushi!	Wax nostalgic for cheese in a can
Surfing the web	More likely to have downloaded music without paying for it	More likely to be computer gamers
In their closet	Are willing to spend more money on clothing purchases	Rarely or never get their clothes dry-cleaned
Grocery bags	More likely to bring their own bag when they shop for groceries	Use the plastic bags provided by the market
Budget consciousness	Enjoy splurging on gourmet dining	More likely to shop with coupons
Exotic foodie forays	Have probably tried caviar	Have probably tried Spam
On the occasion of someone special’s birthday …	… they’ll bake a cake from scratch or buy it from an expensive bakery	… they’ll bake a cake from a mix or buy it from the grocery store
Bath towels	Change out their bath towels with less frequency	Habitual towel changers
Sleep habits	Stay up later than Pepsi drinkers	Get less sleep than Coke drinkers
Movie directors	Believe Hitchcock movies are art	Love Steven Spielberg’s films
A person’s true nature is revealed …	… in how he/she treats wait staff	… in how he/she treats animals or children
Religion	More likely to say they’re not religious	More likely to be religious (or at least “spiritual”)
Sundays are for …	… sleeping in and reading	… sleeping in and going to church
Funny people	More likely to buy a book by David Sedaris	More likely to enjoy the humor of Ellen DeGeneres