Coca-Cola may be the overall sales king in Georgia, but when it comes to 20-ounce sodas in convenience stores, the crown belongs to another: Mountain Dew.
Pepsi says its citrus-flavored Mountain Dew is the state's best-selling soft drink in that category, no small feat in a land dominated by Atlanta-based Coke.
Mountain Dew is emphasizing that message with a "Georgia Loves Dew" campaign, which includes sponsorships of local events, including V-1O3's/WAOK's recent Car & Bike Show and One MusicFest, coming to Atlanta over the Labor Day weekend. There's also a website, www.galovesdew.com, for discounts and help for fans trying to locate their favorite drink.
"Our market share data tells us that Georgians love Dew and they know there's nothing else out there like it," said Pepsi spokeswoman Gina Anderson. "We see the brand as having even more potential to grow in the region."
Coke declined to comment.
It's a significant development as both Coke and Pepsi try to find ways to grow their share of the carbonated sector, which has seen its volume numbers drop from their peak in the 1990s. Dew, which was created in Tennessee, has elbowed its way into the Georgia finish by being a strong regional drink, experts said.
"Mountain Dew is a brand very much like Dr. Pepper that has very regional strengths," said John Sicher, editor and publisher of Beverage Digest, a beverage industry publication. "It's got a very strong following in the parts of the Southeast and the Midwest."
Sicher said 20-ounce Mountain Dew is No. 1 in convenience stores nationally as well, while Coke in the equivalent size is No. 5. In grocery stores, Mountain Dew has a 5.2 percent share of the market nationally and a 3.8 percent share in metro Atlanta.
Mountain Dew fan and Atlanta resident Gray Whitten said the drink is plentiful in Georgia in stores, but harder to find at eateries, with the exception of Taco Bell, which carries Pepsi products. He's tried the various Mountain Dew flavors — including Code Red, Baja Blast and Voltage — but finds them less often than the original product.
"I can say that if Pepsico wants to make me a happy beverage fan, they'll ship some Mountain Dew LiveWire this way again," he said. "I know the stuff still exists in other states, and the lack of orange Dew in Georgia is pretty frustrating. It's super tasty, and I've brought some back from Texas or Tennessee on occasion."
Below is the 2011 overall U.S. market share of carbonated drinks
Source: Beverage Digest
Coke 17.0
Diet Coke 9.6
Pepsi-Cola 9. 2
Mt. Dew 6.7
Dr Pepper 6.4
Sprite 5.7
Diet Pepsi 4.9
Diet Mt. Dew 2.0
Fanta 1.9
Diet Dr Pepper 1.8
