On Kennesaw State University campus’ the vending machines are branded for Coca-Cola or energy drinks such as Monster, Prime and Reign. The issue concerning the lack of Dr. Pepper has been discussed among students since the only place to get the delicious drink is in The Commons, McAllister’s or Chick-fil-A.
Many enjoy Dr. Pepper for its unique flavor. As W.W. Clements, former Dr. Pepper/Seven Up CEO, states, “I’ve always maintained you cannot tell anyone what Dr. Pepper tastes like because it’s so different.” As the former CEO pointed out, Dr. Pepper does have a unique flavor that is not everyone’s favorite, however, those who love the drink usually have become addicted. In 2018, a survey was drawn from 4,180 people aged 18-64 on how often they drank Dr. Pepper over four weeks. The study showed that participants ages 18-29 made up 51% of the population that drank Dr. Pepper over the time period.
On KSU campus, the 2021 census stated that the median age is 19.5 years, which falls in line perfectly with the age group that consumes the most Dr. Pepper. So what is the problem with Dr. Pepper being in vending machines?
One potential issue can be Dr. Pepper’s complicated history. Dr. Pepper remains a largely independent company along with 7Up as DPSU under the current ownership of Keurig. This is mainly due to a ruling by the Federal Trade Commission where Coca-Cola was not allowed to buy out Dr. Pepper due to the FTC wanting to resist a monopoly over “pepper” flavored sodas. However, that doesn’t mean that Dr. Pepper isn’t sold alongside Coca-Cola or Pepsi: just that it is classified as separate. For example, in 2010 Coca-Cola and Dr. Pepper franchises agreed with the Georgia-based soda giant to pay $715 million to Dr. Pepper to be available on the Freestyle Fountain dispensers.
Such Freestyle Fountain dispensers in The Commons were upgraded over Thanksgiving break in 2023 and still include Dr. Pepper; however, The Commons only allows swipes or a range of eight to twelve dollars. These prices can be overwhelming to college students as the cost of living increases. The average price of a vending machine soda is two dollars, which is reasonable for a bottle of Dr. Pepper considering the ease of access it would provide to Dr. Pepper lovers.
Although there is ongoing litigation and discussion between Coca-Cola and DSPU, there should be an exception for college campuses. The addition of Dr. Pepper to the vending machines outside The Commons would add 23 different flavors including Strawberries and Cream, Cherry, Dark Berry and Cherry Chocolate.
For more information about Dr. Pepper visit https://www.drpepper.com/s/
