Twin Persona — Soft Drink Price Sensitivity Sample Study

While brand loyalty withstands modest price hikes, a sharp price increase pushes most soft drink buyers straight to store brands or larger bulk packs.

When faced with a modest price increase of 10% to 15%, 34 of 50 twins said they would still buy their preferred brand in the same pack size, while 15 of 50 would switch to a store brand.
Brand tolerance breaks under steeper pricing. Under a 30% or more increase, only 3 of 50 twins would remain loyal to their brand and pack size, while 34 of 50 would move to store brands and 9 of 50 would skip buying soft drinks entirely on that trip.
Consistent with that threshold, 45 of 50 twins agreed they have a strict maximum price in mind for a 12-pack, and 38 of 50 said they are willing to buy store brands if name brands become too expensive.

Value seeking also dictates pack size and promotional response.
Standard multi-packs are purchased most often by 46 of 50 twins, with 40 of 50 naming lowest price per ounce or best overall value as their primary format driver.
If all brands raised prices equally, 42 of 50 twins said they would switch to larger bulk packs to secure a lower cost per ounce.
Promotions remain the lever: 48 of 50 twins cited digital coupons or loyalty app discounts and 47 of 50 cited multi-pack deals such as buy-two-get-two-free as offers that trigger extra purchases or brand switching.

Price up 10–15%

34 of 50

would still buy their preferred brand in the same pack size

Price up 30% or more

3 of 50

would still buy their preferred brand in the same pack size

Change in stated response between the two scenarios, in twins out of 50

Buy preferred brand, same pack

−31

Switch to store brand

+19

Skip soft drinks on that trip

Switch to another major brand

Same brand, different pack size

−310+31

Difference between the 30%-or-more scenario and the 10–15% scenario, counted in twins out of 50.

“For specialty sodas like Culture Pop or Poppi, paying more than $2.50 to $3.00 for an individual can or over $10 to $12 for a 4-pack feels excessive. If the price goes beyond that, I just pass.”

Twin of panelist 734 · on what price feels too high

All ten questions

Counts are aggregated from the individual twin responses.

Q1. Which pack format do you purchase most often for your household?

Standard multi-packs (6 or 12 cans)

Large multi-packs (24 or 36 case)

Individual cans or bottles

2-litre bottles

Mini can multi-packs

No single format, mix regularly

Twins out of 50, single response.

Q2. What is the primary reason you choose that pack format over other sizes?

Lowest price per ounce, best value

Convenience, easy to take on the go

Portion control

Fridge or pantry storage

Enough volume for sharing

Twins out of 50, single response.

Q3. If your usual soft drink brand increased in price by about 10% to 15%, what would you most likely do?

Still buy my preferred brand, same pack size

Switch to a store brand

Same brand, different pack size

Switch to another major brand

Skip soft drinks entirely on that trip

Twins out of 50, single response.

Q4. If your usual soft drink brand increased in price by about 30% or more, what would you most likely do?

Switch to a store brand

Skip soft drinks entirely on that trip

Still buy my preferred brand, same pack size

Same brand, different pack size

Switch to another major brand

Twins out of 50, single response.

Q5. If all soft drink brands raised prices equally, how would your pack size preference change?

Buy larger bulk packs for lower cost per can

Keep the same pack size regardless

Smaller packages, bought less often

Stop buying packaged drinks entirely

Twins out of 50, single response.

Q6. How do you view store brand soft drinks compared to national brands?

Willing to buy store brands if name brands get too expensive

Will not buy store brand soft drinks at any price

Consider store brands fully interchangeable

Store brands only for mixers or gatherings

Twins out of 50, single response.

Q7. Which promotional offers are most likely to make you buy extra packs or switch brands? Select all that apply.

Digital coupons or loyalty app discounts

Buy X get Y free multi-pack deals

Clearance or end-of-aisle markdowns

Temporary price reduction on single units

None of these, I buy regardless of sales

Bundling with snacks or pizza

Twins out of 50, multiple responses permitted, so counts sum above 50.

Q8. “I have a strict maximum price in mind for a 12-pack of soda, and if it exceeds that price, I will not buy it.”

Agree

Disagree

Strongly agree

Neutral

Strongly disagree

Twins out of 50 on a five-point scale. Mean 3.92, median 4.

Q9. If soft drink prices became unacceptable, which alternative beverage category would you turn to first?

Flavoured or sparkling water

Iced tea or ready-to-drink coffee

Powdered mixes or water enhancers

Juice, sports or energy drinks

Plain tap or filtered water

Would not substitute

Twins out of 50, single response.

Q10. What specific price per pack or bottle makes you feel a soft drink is priced too high to buy?

Open-ended, no answer choices shown. Responses are on the In their own words tab.

The purchases behind the twins

Each twin represents a real panelist. These are that panelist's actual soft drink purchases, newest first, at the prices they paid. Five of the fifty are shown; every twin is built on records like these.

Twin of panelist 734regular · mid_market

2026-03-19	Culture Pop Soda Grape Soda, 12 FZ	Culture Pop Soda	$6.67
2026-02-28	Zevia Zero Calorie Soda, Vanilla Cola, 12 oz Cans, 6 pack	Zevia	$13.00
2026-02-03	Poppi Raspberry Rose Prebiotic Soda 4PK, 12 FZ	poppi	$5.99
2026-02-03	Poppi Strawberry Lemon Prebiotic Soda 4 pack	poppi	$5.99
2025-11-21	Poppi Strawberry Lemon Prebiotic Soda 4 pack	poppi	$6.49
2025-11-05	Culture Pop Strawberry & Rhubarb Probiotic Soda, 12 FZ	Culture Pop Soda	$5.00
2025-07-27	Culture Pop Strawberry & Rhubarb Probiotic Soda, 12 FZ	Culture Pop Soda	$3.38
2025-07-27	Culture Pop Wild Berries & Lime Probiotic Soda, 12 FZ	Culture Pop Soda	$1.69
2025-05-17	Health-Ade Soda Sunsip Strawberry Vanilla, 11.5 Fl Oz	Health-Ade	$3.60
2025-05-17	Health-Ade Soda Sunsip Root Beer, 11.5 Fl Oz	Health-Ade	$3.60

Twin of panelist 5579heavy · mid_market

2026-04-01	Diet Coke Fridge Pack Mini Cans, 7.5 fl oz, 10 pack	Diet Coke	$16.99
2026-03-10	Diet Coke Mini Cans, 7.5 fl oz, 6 pack	Diet Coke	$4.82
2026-01-07	Diet Coke Fridge Pack, 7.5 fl oz Cans, 10 pack	Diet Coke	$37.00
2025-04-15	Coke Mini-Can 7.5oz, 10 pack	Coca-Cola	$8.97

Twin of panelist 6408heavy · premium

2026-05-28	Canada Dry Fruit Splash Strawberry Ginger Ale Zero Sugar, 12 pack	Canada Dry	$5.00
2026-05-23	Canada Dry Zero Sugar Cherry Ginger Ale Fruit Splash, 12 pack	Canada Dry	$5.00
2026-05-23	Canada Dry Zero Sugar Cherry Ginger Ale Fruit Splash, 12 pack	Canada Dry	$5.00
2026-05-23	Zevia Zero Calorie Soda, Mountain Zevia, 12 oz Cans, 6 pack	Zevia	$5.79
2026-03-25	poppi Doc Pop Prebiotic Soda, 4pk 12 Fl Oz	poppi	$6.99
2026-03-25	Zevia Grape Zero Calorie Soda, 12 Fl Oz Cans, 6 pack	Zevia	$4.99
2026-03-23	Canada Dry Fruit Splash Strawberry Ginger Ale Zero Sugar, 12 pack	Canada Dry	$5.00

Twin of panelist 7506regular · premium

2025-12-07	Coca-Cola Fridge Pack, 12 fl oz Cans, 12 pack	Coca-Cola	$29.99
2025-11-07	Coca-Cola Fridge Pack, 12 fl oz Cans, 12 pack	Coca-Cola	$23.88

Twin of panelist 7565occasional · premium

2026-04-14	Dr Pepper Soda, 12 fl oz cans, 12 pack	Dr Pepper	$7.08
2026-03-24	Dr Pepper Soda, 12 fl oz cans, 12 pack	Dr Pepper	$8.39
2026-03-08	Starry Lemon Lime Soda Pop, 12 Fl Oz Cans, 12 pack	PepsiCo	$5.14
2026-03-08	Dr Pepper Soda, 12 fl oz cans, 12 pack	Dr Pepper	$3.58
2026-02-09	Dr Pepper Soda, 12 fl oz cans, 12 pack	Dr Pepper	$1.49
2026-01-15	Dr Pepper Soda, 12 fl oz cans, 12 pack	Dr Pepper	$4.96

At most ten purchases are shown per twin; a panelist's full history may be longer.

What price feels too high

The one open-ended question supplied no answer choices. Most twins landed on the same two figures: roughly $8 to $10 for a twelve-pack, and roughly $2.50 to $3 for a two-litre bottle.

“For specialty sodas like Culture Pop or Poppi, paying more than $2.50 to $3.00 for an individual can or over $10 to $12 for a 4-pack feels excessive. If the price goes beyond that, I just pass.”

Twin of panelist 734

“Anything over $8.00 or $9.00 for a 12-pack feels way too high, and I won't pay more than $2.50 for a 2-liter bottle.”

Twin of panelist 2073

“When a standard 12-pack goes over $9 or $10 without a sale, or a 2-liter is more than $3, it feels way too overpriced to justify buying.”

Twin of panelist 5579

“When a 12-pack goes over $8.50 or a 2-liter is more than $3.00, it feels unreasonable. At that point, I'd rather just skip it or look for a bulk deal.”

Twin of panelist 7506

“Once a 12-pack goes over $8 or $9, it just feels way too expensive for what it is. If it reaches that point, I will look for store brand alternatives or wait for a sale.”

Twin of panelist 7746

“Once a standard 12-pack starts getting over $10 or $11 without any sale, it definitely feels unreasonable. Even so, I usually stick with the brands and drinks I like rather than settling for something else.”

Twin of panelist 14043

“I tend to stick to the brands I like without watching the price tag too closely, but paying over $10 or $11 for a standard 12-pack would start to feel excessive.”

Twin of panelist 23332

Seven of fifty open-ended responses, unedited.

How the study was run

Target category	Soft drinks
Qualifying panelists	1,644
Eligible twins	1,595
Twins sat	50
Sampling	Random, n=50, seed 0
Questions	10
Open questions	No answer choices shown to the twin
Purchase data snapshot	27 Aug 2026
Fielded	11 Sep 2026

Each twin is conditioned on a single panelist's verified purchase record. Counts are aggregated from individual responses by code, not estimated.

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