Dr Pepper is the very definition of a slow-burning soda.
Founded in 1885, before Coca-Cola Or Pepsi were on the market, it has always played a supporting role among American soft drinks. Today, however, the soda that claims to blend 23 flavors is ready for the spotlight, and consumers are ready to meet it there.
New data from Beverage Digest shows that Dr Pepper has overtaken Pepsi as the nation’s second-favorite soda brand, capturing 8.3% of the market, narrowly edging out its biggest competitor. (Coca-Cola holds a solid lead with a 19.2% market share.)
Beyond beating Pepsi, this also puts Dr Pepper ahead of Sprite, Diet Coke, and other well-known (and more frequently publicized) brands. To put the rankings into perspective, 20 years ago, Dr Pepper was tied with Sprite for sixth place among cola sales in the United States.
The brand has always had a cult core, but the recent surge in popularity has come as the company has embraced experimentation, rolling out new flavorslike creamy coconut and strawberries and cream.
These combinations of sweet and spicy (the Pepper in Dr Pepper) are becoming a national trend. Coke has embraced this too, with a new permanent addition to its lineup earlier this year: Coca-Cola Spiced.
Dr Pepper has also increased its marketing budget in recent years and focused heavily on TikTok, courting younger consumers.
We are far from the origins of the company. Dr Pepper debuted in 1885, a year before John Stith Pemberton developed Coca-Cola. Charles Alderton, the pharmacist who created it, wanted to create a drink that mimicked the smell of the pharmacy where he worked. Using cherry, vanilla and other spices, he concocted this unique drink, which held up even in the midst of the cola wars between Coke and Pepsi.
