Pepsi versus Coke: Labels, Not Tastes, Prevail
60 subjects tasted cola from two cups, one marked L, the other marked S. The same product (either Pepsi or Coke) was placed in both cups. Whether both cups contained Pepsi or Coke, subjects overwhelmingly reported cup S contained the better-tasting product. In Experiment 2, 30 subjects were asked their preference for either Pepsi or Coke. Then they drank from a Pepsi bottle (which contained Coke) and from a Coke bottle (which contained Pepsi). Subjects were significantly influenced by the label of the product they preferred and not by taste differences between these products. It was concluded that a taste comparison of colas should avoid using any labels, even presumably neutral ones like letters of the alphabet, since such labels may have more powerful influences on product comparisons than taste differences.