Big Red

What Big Red does

Big Red is a privately held carbonated soft drink brand, founded in 1937 in Austin, Texas, that develops and markets a distinctive cherry-vanilla (orange-cream style) soda under the tagline 'Deliciously Different Since 1937.' Its product portfolio comprises five ready-to-drink SKUs: the flagship Big Red (cherry-vanilla), Big Blue (blue raspberry), Big Red Zero (zero-sugar), Big Peach (caffeinated), and Big Pineapple. The brand is wholly owned by Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. (NASDAQ: KDP), the publicly traded beverage company formed in 2018 through the merger of Dr Pepper Snapple Group and Keurig Green Mountain.

The underlying technology is conventional CPG formulation: carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup (or non-nutritive sweeteners in the zero variant), natural and artificial flavors, food colorings (Yellow 5/6, Red 40, Blue 1), acidulants (citric, malic, phosphoric), and sodium benzoate as a preservative. Products are packaged in standard ready-to-drink formats (e.g., 20-oz bottles). Big Red itself maintains a lean brand/marketing organization of 11–50 employees; manufacturing, bottling, and physical distribution are absorbed by Keurig Dr Pepper's national DSD and warehouse distribution network across the United States and Canada.

The revenue model is straightforward consumer-product sales through retail storefronts under a B2C, mass-market motion. Pricing is set by retail partners and not publicly disclosed. Marketing is concentrated on the official website and an active YouTube presence featuring the 'Pit Tips with Big Ed' BBQ-content series, a '100 Days of BBQ' promotion, lifestyle/occasion-driven videos (camping, cooking), and experimental content segments. The brand has no standalone mobile app, no APIs, no disclosed B2B contracts, and no independent headcount or revenue disclosures — its economic profile is reported only at the consolidated Keurig Dr Pepper level.

Name

Big Red

Legal name

Big Red

Website

https://bigred.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Big Red is a 1937-founded Austin, Texas-based carbonated soft drink brand owned by Keurig Dr Pepper, selling five flavored sodas (cherry-vanilla, blue raspberry, peach, pineapple, and zero-sugar) to mass-market US and Canadian consumers via KDP's retail distribution network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Carbonated Soft Drinks

NAICS

Soft Drink Manufacturing (312111), Soft Drink and Ice Manufacturing (31211)

SIC

Bottled & Canned Soft Drinks & Carbonated Waters (2086), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Carbonated Beverage Bottling (CSD Filling & Crowning) (AFAFAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Soft Drink & Carbonated Beverage Syrups (AFAFAGAA)

Keywords

• Carbonated soft drinks
• Flavored sodas
• Zero sugar beverages
• Fountain sodas
• Beverage brand

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Beverage Product Sales: Big Red generates revenue through the sale of its carbonated soft drink products across multiple flavor variants, distributed through retail channels.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Big Red is a carbonated soft drink brand established in 1937 that manufactures and sells flavored sodas. Its product portfolio includes the original Big Red (cherry-vanilla flavor), Big Blue (berry), Big Red Zero (zero-sugar variant), Big Peach, and Big Pineapple. Products are sold ready-to-drink in various pack sizes including 20-oz bottles through retail distribution channels across North America.

Product overview

Big Red is a carbonated soft drink brand established in 1937, offering a portfolio of five distinct flavored sodas. The core product lineup consists of Big Red (original cherry-vanilla), Big Blue (berry), Big Red Zero (zero-sugar version of the original), Big Peach (peach with caffeine), and Big Pineapple (tropical). The brand operates as a single-product-category beverage company under the Keurig Dr Pepper parent company, with all products sold as ready-to-drink carbonated beverages in various pack sizes including 20-oz bottles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Big Red (original): Original cherry-flavored carbonated soft drink with carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, natural and artificial flavor, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, citric acid and sodium benzoate.
• Big Blue
• Big Red Zero
• Big Peach
• Big Pineapple

Products and services

• Big Red (Original) The flagship carbonated soft drink featuring a unique cherry-vanilla flavor profile, made with carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, natural and artificial flavor, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, citric acid, and sodium benzoate as a preservative. Sold in 20-oz bottles and other pack sizes at retail.
• Big Blue A blue raspberry-flavored carbonated soft drink made with carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, sodium benzoate, citric acid, artificial flavor, caffeine, and Blue 1.
• Big Red Zero A zero-sugar version of the original Big Red, sweetened with sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, and malic acid, featuring the same cherry-vanilla flavor profile but without caloric content.
• Big Peach A peach-flavored carbonated soft drink made with carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, natural and artificial flavor, gum acacia, Red 40, citric acid, sodium benzoate as a preservative, and caffeine.
• Big Pineapple A tropical pineapple-flavored carbonated soft drink made with carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, natural and artificial flavor, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, citric acid, and sodium benzoate as a preservative.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dr Pepper: Dr Pepper is a flagship carbonated soft drink also owned by Keurig Dr Pepper, sharing the same parent distribution network and overlapping retail shelf with Big Red. Both target consumers seeking distinctive, non-cola CSD flavors in U.S. retail.
• Sun Drop: Sun Drop is a citrus-flavored carbonated soft drink also owned by Keurig Dr Pepper with a strong regional (Plains/Midwest) following analogous to Big Red's Texas roots, making it a directly comparable regional CSD sister brand.
• Cheerwine: Cheerwine is an independent family-owned cherry-flavored CSD founded in 1917 in North Carolina, with a fiercely loyal regional following similar to Big Red. Both compete as heritage, non-cola regional carbonated soft drinks.
• A&W Root Beer: A&W Root Beer is a heritage carbonated soft drink brand now owned by Keurig Dr Pepper, with nationwide U.S. retail distribution. It shares the same parent, bottling network, and CPG carbonated soft drink category as Big Red.
• Canada Dry: Canada Dry is a legacy ginger ale and CSD brand owned by Keurig Dr Pepper, distributed through the same retail channels as Big Red. Both compete within the non-cola CSD segment and rely on the same parent distribution engine.
• Crush: Crush is an orange-flavored carbonated soft drink also owned by Keurig Dr Pepper. Like Big Red, Crush is a non-cola fruit-flavored CSD distributed via the same KDP retail network across the U.S. and Canada.
• Vernor's: Vernor's is a heritage ginger ale owned by Keurig Dr Pepper with strong regional (Midwest) loyalty, making it directly comparable to Big Red as another long-standing, regional-flavor CSD under the KDP umbrella.
• Jones Soda: Jones Soda is a craft/premium carbonated soft drink company offering unusual flavors and a lifestyle-brand positioning. It overlaps with Big Red's strategy of distinctive non-cola flavors and brand-led, culturally-positioned marketing.
• Ale-8-One: Ale-8-One is a heritage citrus-ginger carbonated soft drink from Kentucky with a cult regional following. It mirrors Big Red's regional brand strength, distinctive flavor profile, and lifestyle-driven consumer loyalty.

Broad incumbents

• Coca-Cola: The Coca-Cola Company is the dominant global carbonated soft drink manufacturer with multiple flavor brands (Fanta, Sprite, regional flavors). It competes with Big Red on shelf space and consumer occasions but operates at vastly larger scale with broader capabilities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=2QbOfzKOHc4&t=4s
• Xx.com/drinkbigred
• Facebookfacebook.com/bigred
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big-red-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Big Red