Odie 0 Posted October 21, 2004 It would never thought advertising would have that much effect on my selection. Cola Preference: Branding Sways the BrainThink Taste Determines Your Favorite Cola? Your Brain Knows Better By Miranda Hitti Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD on Wednesday, October 13, 2004 WebMD Medical News Oct. 13, 2004 -- Oct. 13, 2004 -- Pining for Pepsi cola or craving Coca-Cola? Your cola choice may be more influenced by branding and advertising than actual taste, according to new research from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. The study was conducted by a team including Samuel McClure, PhD, formerly of Baylor's psychology department and now a member of Princeton University's psychology department. McClure and colleagues studied cola preferences in 67 volunteers to find out whether cultural clues such as brand names could influence preferences. Cola Showdown McClure's team only studied Coke and Pepsi. The two familiar cola drinks have similar ingredients and tend to generate strong preferences. Plus, both beverages have been heavily advertised for years. "There are visual images and marketing messages that have insinuated themselves into the nervous systems of humans that consume the drinks," say the researchers in the Oct. 14 issue of the journal Neuron. First, the researchers asked 67 participants if they had a preference between Coke and Pepsi. Next, they conducted blind taste tests of the two colas. Some participants didn't favor the cola they had said they liked best. In a second experiment, the researchers gave subjects a choice of two cups, one of which was labeled either "Coke" or "Pepsi." The second cup was unlabeled, but the participants were told that it could contain either Coke or Pepsi. The participants who were given a Coke cup and an unlabeled cup clearly preferred the Coke cup. But participants who were given a Pepsi cup and an unlabeled cup did not have a strong preference for one or the other. The results of these two experiments show that labeling can influence personal preference. Branding and the Brain The researchers also conducted brain imaging to see how the brain reacted to brand knowledge. Participants were shown either an empty label or a picture of a Coke or Pepsi. Then they were given one of the soft drinks to sip during a brain scan. The brain scans showed significant activity in several brain areas corresponding to preferences, but only after participants were shown the Coke picture. The Pepsi picture did not trigger any significant effects in the brain. Chalk it up to the power of cultural influences, say the researchers. "We found this to be particularly the case with Coca-Cola, for which brand information significantly influences subjects' expressed preferences," they write. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kyra_Ashleigh 0 Posted October 21, 2004 Intersting article! I've found that for whatever reason that I like the taste of generic diet cola better than name-brand. Wonder if this is saying that my brain says I'm cheap! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fenriz275 0 Posted October 21, 2004 Intersting article! I've found that for whatever reason that I like the taste of generic diet cola better than name-brand. Wonder if this is saying that my brain says I'm cheap! 274421[/snapback] Oh I know I'm cheap. When I buy cola I buy whatever is on sale at the time. I'm just really interested in the caffeinated sugar rush, the label isn't that important. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trekzone 0 Posted October 22, 2004 interesting read, maybe i like Coke better because it is more genericly advertised - that is no big celeb says its great (unlike pepsi)....i dont know..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
