00:00Diet soda is out, zero sugar is in, and it's changing the soda business.
00:05Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Keurig Dr. Pepper are all seeing strong growth with their zero sugar lines,
00:12even as traditional and diet sodas continue to slump.
00:14On the surface, zero sugar sodas aren't all that different from diet.
00:18Both are calorie-free and made with artificial sweeteners.
00:21But companies say the branding matters.
00:24Zero sugar resonates more with younger consumers who want to cut back on added sugar,
00:27but don't connect with calorie counting or diet culture.
00:31The formulas have changed too.
00:32Many zero sugar sodas use new blends of sweeteners
00:35that are designed to more closely mimic the taste of full sugar soda.
00:39That's something diet versions have long been criticized for missing.
00:42Most major brands have kept their diet sodas, which still have loyal fans.
00:46But Keurig Dr. Pepper scrapped the diet versions of some drinks.
00:49That's why you can find regular A&W and sugar-free but not diet.
00:54As recently as 2020, the company didn't sell any zero sugar sodas.
00:58Now it has more than 40.
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