Demand for products with artificial sweeteners has waned in recent years.
The reason for the decline is that consumers are wary that unnatural sweeteners could be bad for them, according to a recent report by Citibank. Customers also vastly prefer the full flavor of real sugar and high fructose corn syrup.
The shift has companies like Pepsi and Coca-Cola racing to find natural sweeteners that are also low-calorie. The company that cracks the code is in for a big payout as consumers become more health-conscious.
Citibank's report includes charts showing market share for regular drinks vs. diet.
The verdict? Regular soda is way more popular.
Here's Coca-Cola, which has grown market share of Coke Zero. Demand for Diet Coke is steady, but the regular version still wins for popularity.
Pepsi is in bigger trouble. Demand for all its diet versions is steadily declining.
Dr. Pepper is the only brand that has significantly increased sales of its diet product.
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