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| The Dr Pepper logo hints at the drink's rich history. |
Plano-based Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (DPS) and Dr Pepper Bottling Co. of Dublin finally
resolved their legal battle over trademark infringement and territorial selling rights. The lawsuits were dismissed after both companies reached an agreement. DPS bought all the sales and distribution operations, along with the right to distribute in the six counties.
Texas Original
The small-town produced Dublin Dr Pepper is dead, but Dr Pepper made with cane sugar is still available. So, what's the big deal? Dr Pepper was born in a Waco drug store in 1885.
In 1891, Sam Houston Prim tasted the new concoction and decided to sell it in his Dublin bottling plant.
One-time owner of the plant, Bill Kloster, collected and preserved Dr Pepper memorabilia to create the W.P. Kloster Museum. Under his leadership, the Dublin plant continued to sweeten its soda with Imperial Pure Cane Sugar long before it was trendy and long after its competitors switched to corn syrup to pad their bottom line.
Dublin residents embraced the company and celebrated its status as the world's oldest Dr Pepper bottling plant with an annual festival, drawing tourists and boosting the local economy. The city temporarily changed its name to Dr Pepper during the celebration.
$Business$ vs. $$Business$$
The lawsuit and countersuit both had financial motives. All things considered, the outcome was not so bad for Dr Pepper Bottling Co. of Dublin, now called Dublin Bottling Works. According to a press release, "It will continue to produce other soft drinks at its bottling facility and operate its museum and Old Doc’s Soda Shop, offering tours and selling soft drinks, food and officially licensed Dr Pepper merchandise. DPS will continue to support the popular 'Dr Pepper, Texas' celebration as well as the related '10-2-4k' run held each June in Dublin."
During an era of Occupy Wall Street and massive financial uncertainty, it is easy to empathize with the little guy and small community that lost jobs along with its rich legacy. Maybe that is why the call to boycott Dr Pepper is so strong.
It seems like both companies could have found a more comfortable solution. Why didn't Dublin backtrack and abide by the restrictive selling agreement? Located 2 hours outside of Dallas, Dublin is not so distant that fans would stop buying their beloved drink. In the meantime, supporters could have appealed to DPS to extend Dublin's selling territory.
Why did DPS disrupt Dublin's 100+ year tradition when it is something that makes Dr Pepper so unique? By embracing the tradition, and letting Dublin keep its name on the bottle, DPS could have appealed to a broad group of consumers by bridging the gap between big business and small town traditions while offering a highly coveted product.
Where's Wendy?
More importantly, what did DPS do with Wendy the Snapple Lady? Wendy Kaufman was on VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club" a couple of times, but didn't mention Snapple. It turns out, she says she got the boot from Snapple.
In 2009, she said she still loved Snapple, but didn't feel the same about the management, “The people who run it now…. they are morons and they do not care about this brand and its history,” she said. “I love Snapple… Just not the people… and the memory of Snapple…. It’s weird, I know.”
Boycott Dr Pepper?
Even for fervent supporters, boycotting Dr Pepper isn't as easy as it sounds because the company produces so many beverages. Will a boycott make a difference at this stage?
