It's not that they can't be successful, ... It's just that the bulk of the market in the U.S. tends to be middle- and low-price brands. You really have to tell a compelling story to convince people to pay more.

This conference tends to build with speed rather than bulk, ... It's very noticeable. If you look at the defensive stats, there are a lot of guys ranked very high.

It is a rapidly changing beverage landscape and it is important for Coke to move quickly to deliver on what the consumer wants. The competition for shelf space is intense.

There are quite a few premium soda brands, but the vast majority are regional or local, (with) fairly limited distribution and availability. And distribution -- getting your product from the plant to the retailer -- is probably the single greatest challenge for beverage companies today.

They may not be drinking more, but they're drinking better.

Consumers have moved up to products that they perceive as being higher quality.