All that said, we still don’t know the answer: who has the most brand equity? Coke or Pepsi? If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years while working at Zoom Creates, it’s that doing a rebrand is a big deal. If the company we are rebranding has any brand equity at all, it will be important to keep some elements of the original brand in order to maintain familiarity. Taking a brand that is easily recognized and people feel comfortable with and rebranding to the point of no recognition at all would most certainly be a bad move. Look at the similarities among all rebrands over the years for both Coke and Pepsi [see image at right].
By comparing the timeline of each brand, it is clear that Coke has held tighter to it’s original concept that Pepsi has, but whether or not that directly affects the sales is unclear. What is clear, however, is that by looking at the chart, we are seeing two entirely different branding strategies: Pepsi has been changed significantly over the years, possibly to keep up with the times or to keep the look fresh and youthful. Coke, on the other hand, has made itty bitty changes spanning decades and the mark today is strikingly similar to what it was in 1887.