Rotondo 1 Michelle Rotondo Dr. Erin Dietel-McLaughlin WR 13300 5 October 2011 Coca-Cola or Pepsi?

Which website attracts you more? It is crucial for big companies to promote their products to consumers. They do so by using television commercials, advertisements, and websites on the Internet. It is essential in terms of todays advances in technology that big companies brand their business. With so many competitors, companies need to use every tool possible to their advantage. Two big competitors commonly known are Coca-Cola and Pepsi. With such similar products these two companies use their websites online to gain consumers in unique ways. Both companies have the same goal which is to ultimately sell their product. They do this in very different ways though, by providing different information about their company, appealing to different audiences, and by having completely different layouts. These are ways in which these companies are trying to convey the importance of purchasing their products. The main strategy used by both is to provide certain information that makes them stand out to their competitor. By doing so, both companies show themselves in a different light and in turn, intentionally attract a specific audience. Being so similar they both use everything they can to separate themselves as big companies. One important factor for big companies to set themselves apart from each other is through their digital identity. Creating an identity online is a way to get the attention of the consumer, along with providing information about the company itself. In John Sulers Identity Management in Cyberspace, he mentions that through the use of websites people do not need to include all aspects of their identity, they can simply highlight specific information. Suler states

Rotondo 2 that, in different environments, we can divvy up and present our characteristics in packets of various sizes and content. Coca-Cola and Pepsi demonstrate this idea very well through their websites. They do not include information about the business aspect of their company; they focus on their products and use information that will appeal to their specific audiences. However, the website doesnt only supply the readers with piles and piles of useless information; its purpose is to enhance the appeal of the product to the consumer. This essay will analyze the websites of Coca-Cola and Pepsi to illustrate how their digital identities are constructed rhetorically, all with the purpose to appeal to a certain audience. The differences and similarities between the two are important factors when it comes to their brand messaging and it shows how similar companies want to be viewed by the consumer. In Introduction: Your (E)dentity by Stephanie Vie, social networking sites and social media are viewed as a place where people alter their identities and also alter peoples views of identity. People represent themselves differently online then they would in person and this is seen as a negative aspect of the social media world. However, Vie also states that social media have offered many benefits as well; they have helped connect individuals with similar interests and offered a more rapid, grassroots-level way to circulate news. The internet is a helpful resource used to bring people together and learn new things quickly (3). Coca-Cola and Pepsi present themselves online in a way that appeals to their readers by providing information specifically used to gain more consumers. These websites also show that peoples interests bring them to certain sites and with these two websites they also learn information quickly about the products and the company. Coca-Cola and Pepsi demonstrate contrasting techniques on how they appeal to their consumers. This essay will argue that, while both companies provide differing ways of conveying their message, Coca-Cola uses its additional links, color scheme and layout to

Rotondo 3 appeal mainly to families and an older audience. Pepsi, on the other hand, uses its companys history as a way to relate to the older audience, while the use of their sponsors and advanced color scheme and layout appeal to a younger crowd. In An Overview of Rhetoric, James Herrick discusses the act of persuasion in rhetoric. He goes into depth about how people are persuaded everyday through all aspects of life. Persuasion is a tool that is very manipulative but not in a bad way, sometimes it just brings out peoples true opinions and appeals. Through the Coca-Cola and Pepsi websites we see how persuasion is used in different ways because each website uses different color schemes and layouts to seem more attractive to viewers, both also provide certain information with a hidden motive behind it. They want viewers and consumers to see them in a way that will make them want to buy their product (3-4). Digital identity is shown to be very important to these big companies because they need to win over the consumer and they use their digital identity as a very useful and powerful resource. A key strategy used by the Coca-Cola website to display its digital identity was to appeal to a certain type of audience. As you look through the website you can see that it is trying to appeal to people of all ages and types. However if you further analyze the little things on the website you can see how they are trying to attract certain consumers. On the main page of the website you see a polar bear holding a Coca-Cola bottle. The image of the friendly polar bear appeals to small children and while the old fashioned Coca-Cola bottle may appeal to senior citizens. The retro look of the bottle gives the feeling of the companys history. A sense of nostalgia is created by this retro look and it helps an older audience relate to the company. The use of the old fashioned bottle will appeal to an older audience because when they were younger they would drink out of those old fashioned bottles like the polar bear is in the image. The

Rotondo 4 association between the bottle and their youth may prompt them to want to purchase the CocaCola product. Another method used is through the use of Family Night. This makes Coca-Cola appeal to families. Being associated with the idea of family nights and spending more time together as a family makes the product more likeable to consumers. Not only does Coca-Cola try to appeal to their older viewers but they also try to convey a sense of family. With these two ideas we as viewers can see that Coca-Cola wants us to see their brand in a homey and warm environment. Through its website Pepsi uses different strategies to appeal to a different audience. Through the use of the show The X Factor on the main page they show that they are trying to appeal to a large range of people but mostly those in their youth. The X Factor, a new show that is presented by Pepsi, mainly attracts a younger audience which shows that Pepsi is also trying to attract a young audience to their product. Many links are provided on the main website which offers more information about the company and their product. One of these additional links is the Pepsi Store where you can purchase clothing, accessories, and collectibles. This use of shopping also seems to appeal to a younger crowd. The clothing and accessories shown seem to be generated for the youth interested in this product. While looking throughout the site it seems like Pepsi is appealing to a younger audience then Coca-Cola was aiming for. Pepsi is trying to appeal more to young shoppers and young TV watchers then an older audience. However, the collectibles show that Pepsi wants to vary its consumer type and appeal to an older audience as well. Collectibles available to purchase would be liked by an older consumer because they are products from the past that would be appropriate seem appropriate for them to buy. With the additional link to the history of Pepsi older consumers may appreciate their past and the growth which the company has done since 1898. Because they only incorporate this as

Rotondo 5 an additional link, it may take away from the viewers look on it. It seem as though they put it there as a background of their history only because they felt it was necessary. I dont get a real sense of nostalgia while looking at the Pepsi website as compared to the Coca-Cola website. Pepsi as a company is trying to vary their target audience by expanding their website with both things that appeal to a young crowd and things that appeal to an older crowd. One way Coca-Colas website shows its identity is through its use of layout and color scheme. The colors chosen for the website were red, white, and black. These are the colors that are on the product itself and this shows that they are trying to promote their product through the colors. The brand does not have a specific logo but they are widely known for the font of the company name Coca-Cola; this is shown throughout the website. Another way consumers associate to Coca-Cola is through the use of the bottle, which is also shown many times on the website. Staying true to the companys nostalgic and history-based approach they use their famous logo in their layout. The use of layout is also an important feature in displaying an identity. On the main page we see a few points of interest but there is nothing that really captures the readers attention. There are few animations on the website and since there are only a few it doesnt appeal to the reader and makes the website seem boring to explore. The Coca-Cola website took more of a simple approach to reaching out to audience. This may come off as a bad thing, but going the simpler route and providing good information and decent attraction is better than going overboard with the animations and completely distracting your readers from the products true identity. By contrast, Pepsis identity is shown through its creative and interesting layout and color scheme. The prominent colors on the website include shades of blue, red, white, and black. Pepsis logo is recognizable and it includes the main colors on the website, blue, red and white.

Rotondo 6 By displaying the website with the colors associated with the product it allows the reader to focus less on the background and more on the product itself on the website. The layout of the website shows animations that appeal to readers because they make the website more interesting and fun to explore. The use of animations appeals to Pepsis audience because the amount of animation is not overbearing; just the right about of animations are used to make the website more flashy and likeable. This shows that Pepsi as a company is not all business; they are trying to show a more fun side and appeal to consumers. Being more fun and flashy allows Pepsi to appeal to a younger audience because that is the crowd that can associate with these principles. Although the layouts and color schemes are different on both the Coca-Cola and Pepsi websites, some viewers may say that they actually have similar feature that dont make them unique. Provided on both websites are links to popular social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. This shows viewers that both companies were thinking the same thing by expanding their outreach to consumers in the social networking world and possibly providing the same links as a way to compete with each other. This may also be due to the fact that they are both trying to appeal to a younger audience by providing social networking site links. Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are all very popular sites that teens travel to every day and this may actually contradict what was previously stated about their target audiences. Both websites also have places where you can see where in the world that product is also used. They are not only trying to appeal to American audiences, but also international ones as well. The countries and languages provided are the same on both websites, this is may be yet another way the two are showing how they are competing for consumers. Having similar components on their websites also may be due to that fact that they are similar products. Although they are trying to set themselves apart from each other, both soda companies are very popular and very competitive

Rotondo 7 with each other because they have a similar taste. Providing similar additional links and views may also add to the point that both companies are targeting the same audience. Being so alike, the uses of their websites are very important to set them apart from each other but that may have not been achieved throughout both websites. Perhaps the most significant strategy used by Coca-Cola to display its identity through its different uses of the website was by providing extra links which have data on global warming and recycling and their product rewards. Additional links offer more information about what the companys goals are involving the world as a whole and their company as well. These links are also ways for their consumers to receive rewards and special promotions. One link that is important to the site is called Live Positively which shows how the company is concerned with pollution and global warming. Although they use the images of polar bears to appeal to a younger audience, they also use it to show how global warming is happening and we need to stop it. They show how they are personally involved in this effort as a company by providing specific data which shows their dedication to protecting the global climate, recycling and conserving water. Another link additional to the main page is called Freestyle which introduces new products and flavors in the company. This link provides the reader with the idea of variability and range in the products within the company itself. A main link on the main Coca-Cola website is the My Coke Rewards link where you can enter a code and win prizes. This is an incentive for people to buy more of their product because people want to win these big rewards. Within this separate link there is a place for Family Night which tries to enhance family life through the use of Coca-Cola products. The website portrays a happy family play a game together while drinking Coca-Cola. This allows consumers to believe that this company is family oriented and has good intentions for the use of their product. The Coca-Cola website as a whole seems to

Rotondo 8 focus on the world and the future of the world. They are concerned with global warming and the climate changes and think that the answer is recycling. They are also concerned with family lifestyles and want to help better family life with their product. Pepsi also utilizes additional links on its main website to display its identity, but in a different way. Pepsis website provides a link to a separate webpage entitled The Pepsi-Cola Story. This history link provides information about how the company evolved over time and how they got involved with the world of technology. It also provides information about how they used celebrities as a way to promote their product. Through the changing times they would change their celebrities to attract people who liked those up-to-date stars. Being an old company, having its start in 1898, and showing that it is proud to still be around today and still hold a good reputation to its name shows consumers that their company has character. An additional link provided on the Pepsi website is called The Pepsi Refresh Project. This project allows people to enter to win an opportunity for their community or their education. Another link shows job opportunities available within the PepsiCo Company. This shows that the company is down to earth and they understand the struggles going on in the United States today. As a company they believe they can help provide better ways of living for people by giving them the opportunity for jobs. The Pepsi website as a whole shows a lot of community aspects because of these additional links. Through the use of the history of the company and the opportunities given to people by the company readers can see how dedicated the company is to its consumers. With two big companies competing for consumers, additional efforts need to be made to ensure that the company succeeds. Both Coca-Cola and Pepsi use their resources to benefit their companies. Although they have similar products, their websites show that they are trying to appeal to different audiences by revealing themselves in a certain way. The way that their

Rotondo 9 websites are colored and laid out attracts different attitudes and views about their product. A key factor is that in different ways they each present information about their products and information about their company in general through the use of additional links on their main websites. While the means in which these big companies are trying to attract consumers may seem irrelevant to the product itself, it is actual very significant for the business. Having an appealing website full of useful information attracts consumers and makes them want to buy products, so this it is a necessary strategy for big companies to use.

Rotondo 10 Works Cited Herrick, James. An Overview of Rhetoric. The History and Theory of Rhetoric, 2nd ed. New York: Allyn & Bacon, 2001. Print (3-4). Suler, John. The Psychology of Cyberspace: Identity Management in Cyberspace. May 1996. Web. 6 Oct 2011. Vie, Stephanie. Introduction: Your (E)dentity. (E)dentity. Stephanie Vie. Southlake, TX: Fountainhead Press, 2011. Print (3).