史上50大商业对手：可口可乐vs.百事可乐

    可口可乐与百事可乐，这两种糖水说到底很相似。为什么把它们之间战斗列为资本主义历史上最重要的争斗？简而言之，原因是它们的角逐超越了时间、距离与文化。

    这场角逐割裂了不同的餐厅、总统、国家。而超市、体育馆、法庭无一例外地成为了战场。圣诞老人、辛迪•克劳馥、迈克尔•杰克逊、麦克斯•海杜姆（电视节目中的虚拟明星——译注）、比尔•盖茨、比尔•考斯比（美国电影演员——译注）都在战斗中摇旗呐喊。

    1866年，一名亚特兰大的化学家推出了可口可乐，一种可口的“精神和身体紊乱饮剂”。七年后，百事可乐诞生了。但在几十年（以及两次破产）之后，可口可乐才以诉讼——这种对待其他竞争威胁的方式正视它的存在。

    百事可乐在大萧条中大赚了一笔。像可口可乐一样，百事可乐的售价也是五美分，但它的12盎司（340毫升）瓶子几乎是可口可乐娇小细腰瓶的两倍。然而，到20世纪50年代，百事可乐仍然是远远落后的第二名。公司招来了可口可乐的前广告人阿尔弗雷德•斯蒂尔。他对前雇主充满怨气，而且雄心勃勃。他的座右铭是“打败可口可乐”。可口可乐则拒绝直呼百事可乐这一名称——而将这种饮料称作“模仿者”、“敌人”、或者泛泛而论的“竞争者”——但它也开始修补自己的业务（甚至还不惜模仿百事可乐），以保持领先。

    1979年，在这场角逐中，百事可乐在超市的销量首次超过了可口可乐。但这一反超并未持续，到了1996年，《财富》宣布可乐之战已经结束。自此，百事越来越重视健康和小食品市场，实际上也就是缴械投降了。美国人最喜欢的两种软饮料？可口可乐和健怡可口可乐。

    获胜者：可口可乐（财富中文网）

    Why is the battle between Coke and Pepsi -- two ultimately similar types of sugar water -- the most important struggle in the history of capitalism? Simply put, their rivalry transcends time, distance, and culture.

    It has divided restaurants, presidents, and nations. It has been waged in supermarkets, stadiums, and courtrooms. Its many foot soldiers include Santa Claus, Cindy Crawford, Michael Jackson, Max Headroom, Bill Gates, and Bill Cosby.

    In 1886 an Atlanta chemist introduced Coca-Cola, a tasty "potion for mental and physical disorders." Pepsi-Cola followed seven years later, though it would be decades (and two bankruptcies) before Coke acknowledged the company in the way it had other competitive threats: lawsuits.

    Pepsi-Cola had made hay during the Depression. Like Coke, the drink cost a nickel, but it came in a 12-ounce bottle nearly twice the size of Coke's dainty, wasp-waisted one. But by the 1950s, Pepsi was still a distant No. 2. It nabbed Alfred Steele, a former Coke adman, who arrived embittered and ambitious. His motto: "Beat Coke." Coca-Cola refused to call Pepsi by name -- the drink was "the Imitator," "the Enemy," or, generously, "the Competition" -- but it began tinkering with its business (and imitating Pepsi) to stay ahead.

    In 1979, for the first time in the rivalry's history, Pepsi overtook Coke's sales in supermarkets. It didn't last, and by 1996, Fortune declared that the cola wars had ended. Since then Pepsi, with its increasing focus on health and snacks, has as good as surrendered. America's favorite two soft drinks? Coke and Diet Coke.

    Winner:Coke