15 Main Coca-Cola Competitors and Alternatives

With more than 2000 products available in the international market, the Atlanta, Georgia-based company Coca-Cola is the largest multinational beverage corporation, manufacturer, and distributor worldwide.

It started 130 years ago, in 1892 with the initiative of John Stith Pemberton. Presently, the company has billions of turnovers each year. 

As of 2019, Coca-Cola has registered nearly 86,200 employees in more than 200 countries. The company highly focuses on manufacturing, marketing, and retailing non-alcoholic beverages and is known for its refreshing drinks. 

Coca-Cola’s competitor’s list:

  • PepsiCo
  • Dr. Pepper
  • Red Bull
  • Gatorade
  • Fanta
  • Sprite
  • Mountain dew
  • Nestle
  • Monster Beverage
  • Fever-Tree
  • Danone
  • Britvic

PepsiCo

The first strongest competitor of Coca-Cola is PepsiCo. Due to the support of solely strong distribution and marketing policies, both brands fight a lot and nail the market. Both brands hold a maximum percent of the share market in any country. 

However, PepsiCo harbors the leading position in the global food and beverage product portfolio with billions of annual sales (US$70.37 billion in 2020). PepsiCo makes hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages like Tropicana, Quaker, Gatorade, etc., served and loved by consumers worldwide. 

Dr. Pepper

Introduced in 1885 by Charles Alderton, Dr. Pepper holds another vigorous rivalry with Coca-Cola. This American-based company serves carbonated soft drinks to consumers with a line of flavors enjoyed by people across Europe, Asia, and South and North America.

The company approvingly claims to add no prune juice, only natural sweeteners and artificial flavors with a secret recipe. 

Red Bull

Founded in 1987, Red Bull is one of the strongest and fastest-growing sports drink manufacturers, with a sale of 7.9 billion in 2020.

“Red Bull Gives You Wings” is one of the memorable slogans of a drink company in Austria. The company is one of the strongest competitors of Coca-Cola as per valuation. 

The brand has hundreds of products with a series of variants widely adopted by people and pub culture.

Since its inception, Red Bull has sold more than 82 billion cans worldwide. All Red Bull drinks are non-alcoholic and energy drinks favored by a massive audience. 

Gatorade

Gatorade is a direct contender of Coca-Cola, ranking 6th position in the soft drink market worldwide.

This American sports drink brand is one of the most liked soft drink for calorie-conscious people who wants to be lean and fit yet taste soft drinks. 

The brand is best known for its innovation and science in making drinks for sportspeople and athletes.

It was commercially introduced in 1965 and held the market for nearly 56 years. Gatorade reportedly accounts for 75% of the share in the sports beverage category and has business in 80 countries. 

Fanta

Fanta is a sub-brand of Coca-Cola, introduced in 1940 by the brand itself. It manufactures fruit-flavored carbonated drinks and is one of the most liked drinks worldwide.

The brand serves more than 200 flavors under the leadership of German businessman Max Keith with the aid of different marketing strategies in almost every international country. The agenda of Fanta is to provide freshness and refreshment.

However, Fanta gains billions of businesses each year from the global soft drink and beverage market

Sprite

By inventing colorless, lime and lemon-flavored soft drinks, Sprite has become one of the vigor rivals of the Coca-Cola brand.

It was first commercialized in West Germany in 1959 under the name of Fanta Klare Zitrone, and in 1961, the brand took place in the United States consumer market as a competitor of 7Up.

The brand successfully made a series of flavors, including cherry, vanilla, cranberry, orange, tropical, ginger, and grape, widely preferred by drinkers.

With a great legacy and marketing strategy, the brand currently ranks in the leading list of competitors of Coca-Cola

Mountain dew

Founded in 1940, Mountain dew has established its position in the heart of drinkers and became a leading rival of Coca-Cola.

The brand produces clear carbonated drinks from the house of PepsiCo and created a sensation through its products worldwide.

The formula for demanding Mountain dew was revised by Bill Bridgforth (initially invented by Tennessee beverage bottlers Barney and Ally Hartman). Since its launch, the brand has never paused its sales, and the brand generates revenues worth billions each year. 

Nestle

Nestle was started 156 years ago in 1866 with the innovation of Henri Nestlé in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. It’s a Swiss multinational food and drinks processing alliance corporation, the largest publicly held company worldwide.

Nestle is the king of all foods and beverages! The company gains over 1 billion each annual year with the sales of various products, including KitKat, Nespresso, Nescafé, Stouffer’s, etc. However, Nestlé has almost 446 factories and around 339,000 employees in over 189 countries

Monster Beverage

Established in 1935 in Corona, California, U.S., Monster Beverage company manufactures the most demanding and favored energy drinks across the United States and other countries.

Initially, it was founded as Hansen’s in Southern California; later, in 2012, it was named Monster Beverage and became a leading rival of Coca-Cola by making sodas and energy drinks.

As per reports, Monster Beverage held almost 39% of the $5.7 billion energy drink market in the United States in 2020, which is the second-highest share after Red Bull. 

Fever-Tree

Fever-tree Drinks plc is a premium mixed drink manufacturer in Europe, initially founded by Charles Rolls and Tim Warrillow in 2004.

Gradually, it became one of the liked and preferred companies for trusted tonic water. The brand created a superb tonic drink blended with sugar and soda water flavored with quinine.

Presently the company makes various products, including lemonade and ginger beer, and exports its products to almost 50 countries. As of 2019, the brand has accumulated nearly £260.5 million of business. 

Danone

Another company against Coca-Cola is Danone with its two primary categories – plant-based products and bottled water. This Paris-based company was initially founded in Barcelona, Spain, in 1919 by Isaac Carasso and branded itself in the market of the United States.

As of 2019, Danone has generated over €25.3 billion worth of business and has become one of the leading global food & beverage companies. It has expanded its business in over 120 territories, supported by around 105,783 employees

Britvic

Founded in 1845, Britvic has captured its name and fame by offering a comprehensive range of vitamin juices. Later, the company rebranded itself as Britvic 55 and served a non-alcoholic alternative adult soft drink.

With over 4,795 employees till 2019, the company has experienced a turnover of $1,890 million and 1,405.1 million as reported in 2021.

This brand has other acquisitions with soft drink companies like Tango, Ebba, Robinsons, Bela Ischia, Fruité Enterprises, etc. 

Coca Cola Competitors

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