Pepsi Zero Sugar Sweeps 34 Pepsi Challenge Markets With 60% Preference in 2025

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 4

Pepsi Zero Sugar won 100% of Pepsi’s 2025 Pepsi Challenge tour markets, with consumer preference topping 60% after more than 1 million samples were distributed across 34 markets in 23 states and Washington, D.C.
The blind taste-test result revives Pepsi’s 1975 challenge strategy and supports the company’s claim that assumptions about Coke often shift when consumers judge taste alone.
Pepsi says its formula balances sweetness with citrus, spice and carbonation; unlike Coca-Cola, it contains citric acid and slightly more sugar per 12-ounce serving—41 grams versus 39 grams.
U.S. sales still tell a different story: Classic Coke led 2025 soda volume with an 18.5% share, while Pepsi ranked third at 8.1%, behind Dr Pepper’s 8.8%.
A 2004 Baylor study of 67 people suggested branding and memory can sway cola preference, helping explain why market loyalty does not always match blind-taste outcomes.