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You may think you have come to like soda all on your own. But that desire is the product of decades worth of focused and often troubling efforts on behalf of the soda industry. This is, in so many words, one of the takeaways from a new book about how the industry has paid, lobbied, and hypnotized its way into the hearts of people around the world. The book, called Soda Politics, is written by esteemed New York University professor and long time food industry activist Marion Nestle. And it will leave a sour taste in anyone's mouth. Over the past 60-plus years, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have invested unfathomable amounts of money to ensure that people crave their core products. And that investment has often come in forms far more devious than most would imagine, Nestle argues. Sure, the soda industry has paid for its fair share of television commercials, bulletin board ads, and marketing campaigns. But it has also worked (i.e. paid) to block unfavorable legislation, influence policy, maintain its popularity among poor people, young people, and minorities, undermining public health. In recent years, soda consumption has slowed, leading many to chronicle its demise. A recent New York Times piece argued that the industry might still win battles, but it's losing the war. Such a disastrous time for an industry as ruthless as the soda industry, however, has only brought forth some of its most valiant—and deplorable—efforts. The truth is that whatever happens going forward, as Coca-Cola and Pepsico struggle to ensure the longevity of their carbonated drinks here in the United States and elsewhere, it should come as little surprise given what the industry has done in the past. I spoke with Nestle to pick her brain about how the soda industry has gotten its way and learn more about her new book. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. We are drinking less soda. That’s been well documented. But we still drink a lot of soda. Is that right? On a per capita basis there are a couple countries in Latin America that drink more soda. But what’s interesting about the consumption is that half the population in America doesn’t drink it at all. So whenever you see consumption figures you’ve really got to double them if you want a sense of what people who drink soda drink on average. So, these messages about drinking less soda are only catching on with half of the population? Well, here’s what the breakdown looks like. This is what we know: Educated, wealthier people are the ones who avoid it. These are the healthiest people in society, and the healthiest people in society don’t drink soda. They either don’t touch it, or drink it in extremely small amounts. There’s a table from an industry publication that lays out who drinks soda. Males drink more than females. Younger people drink more than older people. Single people drink more than those who are married. High school graduates drink more than college graduates. Blue collar workers drink more than white collar workers. Hispanics and African Americans drink more than whites and Asians. And people from the South drink more than do people in the Northeast. Then you have the amounts. As I said before, half of the population doesn’t drink any soda. A quarter of the population drinks more than one twelve ounce can each day. Twenty percent of the population has between more than one and four cans. And five percent has more than four cans each day. The thing is, I’m pretty sure those numbers are underestimates, because there are people who drink the stuff all day long. I mean, I think that’s amazing. Let's talk about your new book. Millions of Americans buy soda every day. They choose to drink it. Why are they choosing to drink it? I mean, most of it is marketing. Brilliant marketing. I have just come back from the World of Coca-Cola exhibit in Atlanta, and it's breathtaking. If there's one thing I learned from doing the research for this book is how extraordinarily comprehensive the marketing is around soda. I hadn't appreciated that before. This is a strategy that encompasses every possible way in which you can reach people. And you know, you reach people emotionally. They do, I mean. They show a movie at this place, and let me tell you there's not a dry eye in the house. Everybody is so moved by the kinds of things that are exhibited, which have nothing to do with Coca-Cola, except for the fact that at the end of the videos there are people drinking soda. It's just an amazing document. The advertisements are designed to sell happiness. They're not selling a drink. But on an emotional level you attach to it. And it's so pervasive that you don't even notice it. You're not supposed to notice it. If you start putting your critical thinking cap on and looking at all the places you see subtle or not so subtle marketing for Coca-Cola and Pepsi, you're kind of stunned by how much of it there is. But otherwise it's just kind of there. And you don't notice it, save for on some kind of subliminal level. We don't like to talk about subliminal levels, because we think we're completely rational actors in all of this. But the soda companies know better, and they use that to their advantage. How far back does this hypnosis go? When did it start? Can you talk a bit about how Coca-Cola and Pepsi became symbols of America. It started early on, with very small amounts of soda. It was never a problem when the bottles were only 6.5 ounces. People didn't have much money then. Even if you were buying them for a nickel, it was still a considerable cost. But even in the early years of the 20th century, the companies were producing vast numbers of tchotchkes. There was an extraordinary number of items that were given out. So there were tangible objects attached to the Coca-Cola logo that people started collecting very early on. The check out line at World of Coca-Cola today is still brimming with people. You could furnish a house with Coca-Cola logoed items.
