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The Battle of the Beverages: Consumer Preference for Coca Cola and ASDA Cola.

Nayanaa Varsaale

Department of Psychology, Regent’s University London

PSY701: Research Methods 1

Dr. Antonio Ferragud

March 13, 2023

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Abstract
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In today's highly competitive market, brands often invest a lot of resources in creating a

strong brand image that resonates with their target customers. One of the key components of this

brand image is the name of the product. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the brand

name of a beverage (Coca Cola) had any impact on the liking of the product among participants as

compared to the no-name beverage (ASDA Cola). The study was conducted on a group of 54

participants, consisting of 9 males and 45 females. The participants were asked to rate their liking

for both the beverages on a scale of 0 to 100. The results of this study will provide valuable insights

into the impact of brand names on consumer preferences. If the hypothesis that the brand name

beverage (Coca Cola) is more liked than the no-name beverage (ASDA Cola) is supported, it will

suggest that the brand name has a significant impact on consumer preferences. On the other hand, if

the hypothesis is rejected, it will indicate that other factors such as taste, packaging, and price may

play a more significant role in influencing consumer preferences. The findings of this study will be

of great interest to marketers and brand managers who are looking to build a strong brand image

and create a loyal customer base.

Key points - Consumer preferences, Branding, Beverages.

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Introduction

The taste of a food product plays a vital role in its marketing as it is frequently the primary

criterion that consumers consider when deciding if they like it. If a consumer does not enjoy the

taste of a product, they are unlikely to purchase it again or recommend it to others, even if the

product has other desirable qualities such as health benefits or convenience (Wilhem et al., 2017;

Jung et al., 2020; Kourouniotis et al., 2016; Lategan et al., 2017).

In addition, factors can also influence taste choices such as social norms, cultural

traditions, and personal experiences. Therefore, food companies may also tailor their marketing

strategies to appeal to specific demographic groups or cultural contexts to capitalize on these factors

and enhance the appeal of their products.

Relation of Color to the Taste.

Color can have a psychological impact on our perception of taste, which can influence our

overall enjoyment of food and drink (Current Health, 1993). The color of food and drink can affect

its visual appeal, and a visually appealing presentation can make a product more appealing to

taste (Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, 1998). For example, brightly colored fruits and

vegetables can look more appetizing and can enhance the overall experience of eating them. The

color of food and drink can also set expectations for taste (Spence, C, 2015). For example, we

expect citrus fruits to be sour because they are often rich in color, and we expect chocolate to be

sweet because it is often brown. Color can also create associations with certain flavors (Velasco et
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al., 2015). For example, red is often associated with berries and other fruits, and green is associated

with vegetables. Some food and drink products may contain color additives to enhance or alter their

color, which can affect their taste (Strugnell, 1997). For example, a drink that has been colored with

red dye may have a slightly different taste than the same drink that is clear. Overall, while color

does not directly affect the taste, it can have a psychological impact on our perception of taste and

can influence our overall enjoyment of food and drink.

Brands can make a significant difference in taste compared to no brands.

It all begins with what they introduced you to since childhood. Most of us have always

been so brand conscious with every other utility in our lives, from food to gadgets to drinks, and the

list never ends. We shortlist any product chosen through various expectations we would associate to

our better advantage of use or to something that would taste great. The insight given to most food

products or beverages comes from its consistency. It's often assumed that brands have standardized

recipes and production processes, which allow for a consistent taste across all their products, on the

other hand, no-brand or generic products may vary in taste and quality depending on the

manufacturer or supplier (Grunert et al., 2004). The other thing that we are all very conscious of is

the quality of ingredients, and we expect that the brands would often use high-quality ingredients in

their products, which can enhance the taste and overall experience. In contrast, we feel, no-brand

products may use lower-quality ingredients to cut costs, which can result in a less enjoyable taste. 

Brand perception plays equally an important role, it can influence our perception of

taste. (Janiszewski & Van Osselaer, 2000). For example, if we have a positive association with a

particular brand, we may be more likely to enjoy their products, even if the taste is like a no-brand

product. Branding also makes us feel that they invest more in research and development to create
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new flavors and improve existing ones. This can result in the presumption of unique and delicious

tastes that are not available in no-brand products (Harmeling et al., 2017). 

A study published in the Journal of Consumer Research found that brand names can

influence the perceived taste of food products. Participants in the study were given two identical

products, one labeled with a brand name and the other with a generic label. The participants rated

the branded product as tasting better and having a higher quality than the generic product, even

though the two products were identical.

All-embracing, it's expected that brands can make a difference in taste compared to no

brands by providing consistency, quality ingredients, positive brand perception, and investment in

research and development.

The Present Experiment

This experiment emphasizes the importance of noting that taste preferences are subjective

and can vary widely among individuals. Some people may prefer the taste of a no-name beverage

over Coca Cola, while others may not perceive a significant difference in taste between the two. 

In this experiment, participants were informed about them having to taste two classic cola

beverages and to rate the taste for both respectively from 0 to 100 in accordance to their liking, the

conductor during the experiment informed that one drink belonged to a brand (Coca Cola) and the

other was generic/ no brand (ASDA Cola), although in reality same brand was provided but in

different colored cups. A palate cleanse activity with water was also conducted during the

experiment to prevent any influence on the taste.

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Hypothesis: Brand name beverage (Coca Cola) will have a higher rating of liking than

No Name beverage (ASDA Cola).

Aim: To identify if the brand-named beverage was far more liked than the no named

beverage. 

Method

Design

It was a true experimental research design with the presence of both dependent and

independent variables. The independent variable was the beverage type (branded / generic) and the

dependent variable was the participant’s ratings on their liking of that corresponding beverage,

measured on a 0-100 scale. A few control variables like age and sex were also a part of the

research. 

Participants

A total of fifty-four participants from the crowd submitted their answer sheets to be a part

of the experiment, as participation was voluntary. The age of the participants had a range of 24, with

21 being the lower limit and the age 45 as the upper limit. Within that range of age, the majority
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encompassed 45 women with a mean age of 25.29 years (SD = 5.07) and 9 men with a mean age of

22.78 years (SD = 2.49). The inclusion criteria were the acceptance of invitation or having an

informed consent to participate in research study.

Materials and Procedure

The experiment started with participants being made to drink water to have a clean palate

before tasting the first beverage. A red cup-filled beverage was assigned to all the participants and

tagged as Coco-Cola, they had to rate the taste drink according to their taste preference, from 0 = ‘ I

absolutely hated’ to 100 = ‘I absolutely love it’. The coordinator repeated the condition of them

having to clean their palate to avoid the taste influence before tasting the next beverage. The next

beverage of a different non-brand namely ASDA Cola was provided in a white paper cup and

participants were made to rate their taste on the same scale. 

The participants were informed to not discuss their choices with their friends, which could

impact their answers. Concluding the experiment, the participants were handed over the brief sheet

that revealed the deception. Both cups had the same drink.  

Ethics

Regent’s University’s Psychology Research Ethics Committee granted ethical approval

(Appendix A). Initial to the experiment, participants were provided with an Information Sheet, and

along with the survey that had 5 bulletins including the demographics, the information sheet

informed participants that the coordinator would ask them to rate the taste of two beverages. Then,

participants were provided with a Consent form along with the previous sheets that asked them to

give in their written informed consent for their participation. During the experiment, all the related
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dietary and sugar concerns with the beverage were notified. Finally, after the experiment,

participants were presented with a Debriefing Sheet that disclosed that the study did not have two

different drinks as stated earlier, but it was the same drink in both the cups. Lastly, the participants

with affirmative consent had to submit their answer sheets.

Results

The dataset under consideration includes 54 participants, 9 were Male and 54 were

Female. They had to scale their ratings of liking the beverage from 0 to 100. The summary statistics

for ASDA Cola are as follows: mean = 32.98, standard deviation = 25.58, minimum = 0, maximum

= 90 (Figure 2). A box plot of ASDA Cola shows no single outlier, median being at 30 (UQL=90

and LQL=0). The distribution of “liking of ASDA Cola” appears to be approximately normal, as

confirmed by a normal probability (Q-Q) plot, which shows that the data points fall close to a

straight line, with skewness of 1.913 and kurtosis of -1.101 (Figure 2) and shows an almost normal

bell-shaped curve on Histogram (Figure 4).

In contrast, the statistics for Coca Cola are as follows: mean = 26.83, standard deviation =

22.44, minimum = 0, maximum = 90 (Figure 2). A box plot of Coca Cola shows a single outlier at

90, median being at 20 (UQL=70 and LQL=0) (Figure 1). Upon investigation of the data, it was

found that the outlier was an original rating and must be kept in the database. The distribution of

“liking of Coca Cola” doesn’t appear to be normal but had a visibly skewed distribution with a long

tail to the right on the bell curve (Figure 3), as confirmed by a histogram with skewness of 2.292

and kurtosis of -0.513 (Figure 2). Although the probability (Q-Q) plot shows that the data points fall

close to a straight line.

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To test whether the mean value of Coca Cola is significantly different from ASDA Cola,

as the hypothesis states that the branded drink (Coca Cola) will have more affinity for liking than a

non-brand beverage, so a paired sample test was conducted. The test showed that the mean value of

ASDA Cola is significantly different from Coca Cola [t(53) = -517, p = .033]. The ASDA Cola

taste preference (26.83) being higher than Coca Cola (32.98) where the standard deviation was

(20.631), the values were contrasting to our assumption.

The null hypothesis of Levene's test is that the dependent liking variances are equal across

both groups, namely ASDA Cola and Coca cola. Based on the significance values, it appears that

for both groups, the error variances are not equal according to each method of calculating the test

statistic, as (p< 0.05). As according to Levene’s test, the values for ASDA Cola was F(8,40)= 3.31,

(p=0.005) and for Coca Cola was F(8,40)= 3.49, (p=0.004).The T-test is significant, so the effect

size, as measured by Cohen's d, was small (d = 0.25).

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Figure 1 - Box plot of Coca Cola with one Outlier.

Figure 2 - Descriptive Table for

Coca Cola and ASDA Cola.
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Figure 3 - Histogram of Coca Cola.

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Figure 4 - Histogram of ASDA Cola.

Discussion

The study investigated the liking of two beverages, ASDA Cola and Coca Cola, among 54

participants. The results indicate that the mean value of ASDA Cola is significantly different from

Coca Cola, which is contrary to the hypothesis that Coca Cola, being a branded drink, would have

more affinity for liking than a non-branded beverage like ASDA Cola. However, the effect size, as

measured by Cohen's d, was small (d = 0.25), indicating a weak relationship between the two

variables.

The descriptive statistics of the two beverages suggest that the distribution of “liking of

ASDA Cola” appears to be approximately normal, whereas the distribution of “liking of Coca Cola”

appears to be skewed to the right with a long tail, as confirmed by the skewness and kurtosis values.

Although the probability plot shows that the data points for Coca Cola fall close to a straight line,

indicating normality. Additionally, a single outlier was found for Coca Cola, which was retained in

the analysis.

The Levene's test was conducted to assess the equality of error variances across both

groups, and the results indicated that the error variances are not equal for both groups, as the
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significance values were less than 0.05 for both ASDA Cola and Coca Cola. The small effect size

and unequal variances suggest that the results of the study should be interpreted with caution.

Limitations and Future Directions

The study only involved 54 participants, which may not be representative of the wider

population, a larger sample size may have provided more accurate and reliable results. It only

investigated the liking of two beverages, ASDA Cola and Coca Cola, and did not consider other

factors that may influence liking such as packaging, advertising, or price. The results of this study

relied on self-reported liking ratings, which may be influenced by personal biases, cultural

background, or previous experiences with the beverages. There was no control over extraneous

variables such as hunger, thirst, or mood, which may have influenced the participant’s liking

ratings. As the study was conducted with a specific group of participants in a specific location it

may not be generalizable to other populations or locations.

Nevertheless, based on the limitations identified in this study, there are several future

directions that could be pursued to further explore the research question of liking the taste of two

beverages.

With only 54 participants, the study may not have had enough statistical power to detect

more meaningful differences in liking between the two beverages. Future research could involve a

larger sample size to increase the reliability and validity of the findings. This study only looked at

brand status as a factor that may impact liking, but there are many other factors that could also be

explored, such as packaging, price, and advertising. Future research could investigate the relative

importance of these different factors on liking.

The current case study only looked at two specific beverages (ASDA Cola and Coca

Cola), but there are many other brands and types of beverages that could be compared. Future

research could examine how liking varies across a wider range of options.
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Participants' liking at a single point in time was recorded. Future research could

investigate how participants' liking of the two beverages changes over time, or whether exposure to

one brand or the other impacts future liking, also while including of cultural differences that may

impact liking of specific brands or types of beverages.

Conclusion

Are Branded Products always better?

Branded products may or may not always be better than non-branded ones. The quality

and value of a product are determined by a variety of factors, such as the ingredients, production

processes, and brand reputation. While branded products may have certain advantages, such as

consistency, quality ingredients, and research and development, there are also situations where non-

branded products can be just as good or even better (Apelbaum et al., 2003).

Here are some examples where non-branded products may be preferred, it starts with

something as basic as Price. It’s known that Non-branded products are often less expensive than

branded ones, making them a more attractive option for budget-conscious consumers (Gardner &

Levy, 1999). There always some sort of Specialty in non-branded products as they can offer unique,

artisanal, or locally sourced products that may not be available through larger brands (Kupiec &

Revell, 1998).

The major factor that contributes to liking of a product is the personal preferences for

taste, texture, and ingredients can vary widely, and there may be non-branded options that better

align with individual preferences may be something that was reflected in this study. Ethics and

values that a few of us grow with also sometimes makes a difference in the product we choose,

some consumers prioritize ethical and sustainable practices in their purchasing decisions, and non-

branded products may offer more transparent and responsible sourcing and production practices.

Therefore, while branded products can be of high quality, there are instances where non-branded
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products can be just as good or even better for specific reasons. Ultimately, it is important for

consumers to consider a range of factors, including their personal preferences, budget, and ethical

considerations, when deciding between branded and non-branded products. Therefore, while brand

recognition and reputation can play a role in consumers' liking ratings, taste perception is ultimately

a complex and individualized experience.

Overall, the study highlights the importance of considering multiple factors, such as

personal preferences and ethical considerations, when making purchasing decisions between

branded and non-branded products.

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