The one exception to these generalizations is Marlboro, but its dominant market share is publicized by a tobacco watch group. Marlboro itself perhaps does not want to emphasize the fact it is the most popular brand in the United States because this might draw greater regulatory attention regarding its advertising and distribution. That is the reason that is market share is being publicized by anti-tobacco activists. Q3. Taste test

For my taste test, I selected three cola brands that would not be immediately recognizable, based upon their appearance (This eliminated the possibility of comparing 7-Up and Coca-Cola, for example). I did a blind taste test of Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, and Dr. Pepper, labeled as a, B, and C. Almost every person in the taste test was able to pick out the distinctly sweet taste of Dr. Pepper. Coca-Cola and Pepsi were less obvious: while individuals were able to recognize that the sodas were traditional colas, some people thought that Pepsi was Diet Coke rather than regular Pepsi. Preference for 'liking' the different brands varied depending on how the respondent identified the soda. Individuals who liked Dr. Pepper or disliked Dr. Pepper registered a clear preference or lack thereof for the drink. People who thought that the 'cleaner' and lighter-tasting Pepsi was diet cola also referred to their regular drinking habits: 'I prefer diet to regular soda, and a is too sweet,' one person wrote. Conversely, another person preferred a (Coca-Cola), stating that he always chose regular soda.

Brand preference created some inherent bias on the part of the tasters, as might be expected in a non-blind taste test. In the second test with the identified brands, individuals drank significantly more of their preferred brand rather than the other two brands. In the unidentified brand 'A, B, C' test, individuals drank...

(Although identifying the brand was not specified as an objective of the exercise, people seemed to devote a great deal of energy in doing so, and many wanted to know if they had guessed right). Brand knowledge clearly affected behavior, particularly in terms of the taster's attitude regarding the Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi distinction, as people who identified themselves as usually selecting one over the other stated that they were 'Coke' or 'Pepsi' drinkers and could always pick out their favorite beverage.
From a marketer's standpoint, doing blind tests can be advantageous, given that individuals do not 'know' what they should think beforehand. However, soda may be problematic, given that individuals will always compare -- accurately or not -- the test cola to their usual choice, which can get in the way of savoring the taste of the samples. Cola preference is often a part of an individual's constructed food identity, which may be one reason that Coca-Cola's market position is so unassailable. Doing a taste test of orange sodas, for example, might have enabled people to be more objective and less anxious about identifying if the unspecified brand was 'it' (Coke).