Pepsi - Brand Positioning

When thinking about Pepsi's brand positioning we must consider the competition as well.

In the right corner wearing blue we have Pepsi, and in the left wearing red it's Coke.

LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!!!!!

Category: Soft drink, more specifically Cola

Target Market:

- male and female, skewed male

- 16-45

- think of themselves as hip or youthful

- forward thinking

- middle class, middle income

- high school plus educated

- rural and urban dwellers

Of course Pepsi's main competitor is Coke who is in the same category and has a very similar target audience.

So how does Pepsi position and differentiate itself?

Pepsi positions itself on points of difference as well as points of parity. Pepsi's POD is their forward thinking attitude. I don't believe any of the other cola brands (including Coke) are very strong in that area. This falls into image differentiation. Pepsi has the image of being action oriented and I think that a large part of their target audience associate themselves with the brand because of that image.

Pepsi's POP is their wide selection to fit every lifestyle of consumer. They have regular pepsi, pepsi max with more caffeine, pepsi cherry vanilla, caffeine free pepsi, diet pepsi and pepsi zero to name a few.

Pepsi also considers themselves the bold, refreshing, robust cola which Coke and other colas could also claim. These points of parity are product differentiations.

I know tons of people who only drink Pepsi, I know a lot of people who only drink Coke and I also know a bunch of people who don't really care which it is as long as they're getting cola. Maybe a bunch of people grew up with either Coke or Pepsi in their houses because that's what their parents drank and so the brand preference has been passed through generations. Others I'm sure, as I mentioned before, can associate with Pepsi's POD and that's how they bought in.