Total US 1997 carbonated soft drink volume grows +3.2% to 9.6 bil 192-oz cases in latest Beverage Digest/Maxwell all-channel data. Overall growth in 1997 slows vs +3.6% in 1996 (BD 2/7/97). Industry adds 300 mil cases of volume last year. Coke's corporate volume up +5.1%; market share up +0.8 to 43.9. Coke captured 68% of all industry growth, as its case sales climbed by 203 mil. Among top-10 companies, Coke, Cott and National Beverage post corporate share gains. Brands. Pepsi's Mt Dew was fastest-growing top-10 brand with volume up +13%, over four times industry's overall growth rate. Mt Dew's market share climbs +0.5 to 6.3. It moves up to #4 ranking from #6 in 1996. Sprite also shows strong growth. Segments. Among top-10 brands, only non-colas gain share. Mt Dew and Sprite post double-digit volume gains. Dr Pepper out-performs industry with +5.4% increase. 7UP's market share flat. Market share of every cola product in top-10 was flat or down.

Data. Table shows top-10 CSD companies and brands. Data includes market share and case sales for 1997 and 1996; also 1997 vs 1996 changes in market share and volume. Data published with BD contributing editor John C. Maxwell, 35-year beverage expert. Covers CSD sales in all channels: take-home, fountain, vending, military, etc. 1997 figures estimated; 1996 data published in BD 2/7/97.

Companies. Coke. Coke's +0.8 points of market share increase are twice the combined share increase of Cott and National Beverage. Of Coke's 203 mil cases of volume growth: 1) 69 mil cases come from Surge, launched in early 1997. 2) 33 mil cases attributable to Barq's growth; since 1995 acquisition, Coke expands Barq's fountain presence from 8000 to 100,000 outlets. Pepsi. Pepsi's 1997 volume increase totals 85.1 mil cases. Mt Dew alone was up 69.6 mil cases. Company's corporate market share was down -0.1; volume growth of +3% just shy of industry's. DPSU. Dr Pepper/Seven Up (DPSU) adds 25.5 mil cases of volume in 1997. But with overall volume growth of just +1.9%, DPSU loses corporate market share; down -0.2 points to 14.5. Plus. 1) Cott posts biggest rate of volume growth, up +15.1%; company acquires 2 regional private label producers last year. 2) National Beverage now 0.3 share points ahead of Triarc's Royal Crown; first passed RC last year. 3) RC volume slips -9.1%. 4) Big Red moves ahead of Double Cola Co into #8 slot, posts +7.4% volume growth.

Brands. 1) Mt Dew jumps ahead of Sprite and Dr Pepper to become leading non-cola in US. 2) Coke's Sprite also posts dramatically strong performance, but drops to #5 spot; Sprite's volume up +10.4%; brand's market share grows +0.4 points. 3) Dr Pepper, at one time #4 brand, drops to #6 spot; volume growth of +5.4% out-paces industry; share up +0.1. 4) Coke Classic retains #1 brand position; its market share drops -0.2 to 20.6. 5) brand Pepsi's market share down -0.4 to 14.5. 6) all diet cola market shares flat or down; only Diet Coke gains volume. 7) 7UP share flat at 2.3; volume drops -0.5%.

Up and coming. Coke's Barq's Root Beer narrowly misses top-10; sells 92 mil cases in 1997 following expansion in Coke bottling system and fountain accounts. Barq's Root Beer volume was just behind Caffeine-Free Diet Pepsi's 94 mil cases. Barq's overall -- including diet root beer and regular/diet cream soda -- sells 100.1 mil cases. Long-time #11 brand Diet Dr Pepper sells 88 mil cases.

Dollars. For 1997, BD estimates retail value of CSD industry in US was $54.7 bil up +1.5% from 1996; compares to volume increase of +3.2%. Slim rate of dollar increase vs volume increase reflects tough industry pricing during year. In contrast, 1996 case volume was up +3.6%, dollar value up +3.7%.

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