THE BIG IDEA

How Sprite overtook Pepsi as America’s No. 3 soda

Last year, Dr Pepper surpassed Pepsi as the No. 2 soda in the US, falling only behind the behemoth that is Coca-Cola.

Dr Pepper’s strength came from its 20+ flavors, and the fact that it’s owned by Keurig Dr Pepper. Many establishments serve either Coke or Pepsi, but most also serve Dr Pepper regardless.

But now, Pepsi has dropped yet another spot as Sprite — Coke’s lemon-lime soda — has cinched the No. 3 spot, despite PepsiCo’s efforts to compete with Starry, its lemon-lime Sierra Mist replacement.

How’d Sprite come out on top?

Sprite has long leaned on culture to market its brand, specifically basketball and hip-hop. It continues to do so today, updated for a modern audience.

• In 2024, Sprite relaunched its 30-year-old “Obey Your Thirst” campaign with two sports stars: the NBA’s Anthony Edwards, and track-and-field sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, the brand’s first female athlete partner.
• The move plays on nostalgia while targeting a new generation: In Edwards’ commercial, he assumes the same role that NBA star Grant Hill did in the ‘90s — and Hill performs the ad’s voiceover.
• Sprite is on trend, tapping Doechii before the rapper blew up; Richardson’s commercial dropped just months before she won a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
• QR codes on packaging lead to online experiences, like a collab with Black House Radio, a platform for Black DJs.
• Sprite became a founding sponsor of Unrivaled, a women’s basketball league.

Also…

… Sprite scored a pretty significant flavor win.

Sprite Chill, a limited-edition soda featuring a proprietary “cooling sensation,” is now a permanent product after becoming Coke’s top seller in 2024 with $50m in sales in 21 weeks. Again, Sprite hired an NBA player, Trae Young, to star in ads.

Sprite Chill has since sold $100m in the past 12 months. Josh Kroo, VP of sparkling flavors at Coca-Cola, told Adweek, “It’s not just another flavor; it’s an experience.”

Experiences are what younger consumers are looking for, whether that’s a unique vibe, a digital experience, or a new flavor. Speaking of which, the latest TikTok hack is a fountain Sprite with three pumps of vanilla syrup, which apparently tastes like cotton candy.

People are ordering this at McDonald’s… which has primarily served Coca-Cola products since 1955.

🔗

RECOMMENDED READING

• “Attribution is garbage,” says the founder of SubjectLine.com. Here’s what smart marketers should do instead.

NEWSWORTHY NUMBER

The number of public-company CEOs that left their posts in 2024, up 24% from 2023.

At US businesses with 25+ employees, 2.2k+ CEOs said sayonara last year, the most since executive outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas started tracking in 2002.

What’s making the C-suite run for the hills? A looming recession and an uncertain economy, artificial intelligence, and tumultuous tariffs could be to blame, per The Wall Street Journal.

While the perks can be pretty sweet — the median pay for a S&P 500 CEO hit a record $16.4m last year — being at the top can be a stressful gig.

Heck, being in charge at all can be stressful: Managers are 1.7x more likely to report high levels of stress in the workplace than employees who aren’t in leadership roles, according to HR consulting firm McLean & Co.

AROUND THE WEB

📅  On this day: In 1852, Little Women author Louisa May Alcott published her first short story, “The Rival Painters: A Story of Rome” in the Boston Olive Branch.

🦆  That’s interesting: The history of wine brand Decoy’s wooden duck label. 

💡  Opportunity: Apply for Boardroom Members Club, a professional development community from Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s Boardroom launching this June, to access an elite network of industry leaders via monthly events, panels, and more.

♟️  Game: “One Million Chessboards” is absolute chaos.

🐄  Aww: Cowchella.

QUOTE OF NOTE

Everyone hates robots and AI for taking our jobs — until they take a ride in a driverless Uber.

Vanity Fair’s Nick Bilton says that everyone he knows who’s ridden in one swears they’ll “never” hail a human-helmed Uber again, including his very honest (but kinda gross) friend, who simply said what we’re likely all thinking.

Whose input hasn’t he heard? We’re guessing human Uber drivers (and also probably people who love small talk).

SHOWER THOUGHT

Institutions can’t save money using thin toilet paper. Everyone just doubles or triples up the amount used each time.  SOURCE

Today’s email was brought to you by Juliet Bennett Rylah and Sara Friedman, with help from Singdhi Sokpo and Kaylee Jenzen.
Editing by: Ben “Intentionally bought 70k Dum-Dums” Berkley.

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