Entertainment
Pepsi Introducing Fresh Drink as Replacement for Sierra Mist
Say Goodbye to Sierra Mist, Say Hello to Starry.
For ages, Coca-Cola’s Sprite has reigned supreme as the top lemon-lime soda brand. Rivals like Pepsi have long attempted to rival the clear, fizzy titan with beverages such as Sierra Mist, but have never quite managed to seize the market majority. In a renewed bid to challenge Coke and Sprite, Pepsi has opted to phase out its citrus soda in favor of a youthful alternative.
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Pepsi recently declared the retirement of the Sierra Mist soda line and promptly launched its successor: Starry, a fresh caffeine-free lemon-lime soda available in both regular and sugar-free versions. Starry is already being distributed to supermarkets across the United States.
As per a Pepsi representative who spoke with CNN, Starry boasts a flavor profile with “enhanced citrus notes that are authentic and more aromatic” compared to Sprite or Sierra Mist. This specific taste inspired Starry’s tagline catered towards Gen Z: “Starry Hits Different.”
Farewell Sierra Mist. Starry Soda is Pepsi’s latest endeavor to compete with Sprite https://t.co/FuWpX5KQl2
— Bloomberg (@business) January 11, 2023
“The design of Starry is in much closer harmony with the Gen-Z aesthetic, which is vibrant, entertaining, whimsical, and shareable on Instagram, compared to many of Pepsi’s other offerings,” shared Neil Saunders, retail managing director for GlobalData, in an interview with CNN.
“Starry ventures into a market segment predominantly ruled by the Coca-Cola brand, while concurrently representing a fresh brand in an already crowded carbonated soft drink segment,” remarked Billy Roberts, a senior analyst specializing in food and beverages at Mintel. “Nonetheless, this could work to its advantage, introducing something novel into a category where younger consumers exhibit a tendency to deviate from the conventional and explore new flavors and formulations.”
