The soda market is flat, but not for Dr Pepper

Dr Pepper is the fourth most popular soda in the US after Coke, Pepsi and Mountain Dew. It was founded in 1885 in Waco, Texas. Dr Pepper grew its dollar share by 9% from 2003 to 2021, compared to a 26% drop in carbonated soft drinks category overall.   Dr Peppers, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are the three largest soda companies in $37 billion US market.

Dr Pepper was invented by Charles Alderton. Wade Morrison is credited with patenting the drink and naming it. Legend has it that Morrison named the beverage after Charles Pepper, the father of a woman he loved. Dr Pepper didn't push the soda market as hard as Coke and Pepsi. In the 1950s, Drpper branded itself "the friendly Pepper-Upper" and encouraged customers to drink a Dr pepper three times a day.

In the early 20th century, Dr Pepper had little national distribution. In the 1960s, PepsiCo sued Dr Peppers for trademark infringement. A judge ruled for the bottler, opening the door to the product's national expansion. DrPepper marketed itself to a national audience as a unique flavor in the 1970s. It is now the third-largest soft drink maker in America.   The soda market is flat, but not for Drpepper.

Coca-Cola tried to buy Dr Pepper in 1986, but the FTC blocked the deal. Dr Peppers and 7Up merged in the late 1980s. Cadbury Schweppes took stakes in both companies and later took full ownership. In 2008 Cadburys spun off its North American beverage division to create the DrPepper Snapple Group. Keurig Green Mountain merged with that company in 2000 to form Keerig Drpepper.

KDP still trails Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, but is closing the gap. Dr Pepper brand has been gaining momentum. People reach for Dr Peppers when they want a treat.