RC Cola's Forgotten Legacy: A Pioneer Lost to Industry Shifts

RC Cola, once a pioneer in the industry, has seen its market share dwindle due to various factors. The company was founded as Chero-Cola and later became Royal Crown Cola after being sued by Coca-Cola for using the word 'cola.'

In the 1930s, Royal Crown introduced Diet-Rite, the first diet soda, which initially gained a significant market share but eventually lost ground due to the cyclamate debacle. Cyclamate was used as a sweetener in Diet-Rite and other diet sodas, but its use was linked to birth defects and tumors in animals after massive doses.

By 1970, Royal Crown had 10% of the market share, which declined dramatically after the cyclamate controversy. The company struggled with poor business decisions, including refusing to advertise during the height of the cola wars. Exclusive deals between Pepsi and Coca-Cola with supermarkets further limited RC's shelf space.

Today, RC is hard to find outside of independent stores, gas stations, and small pockets of the American South. However, it still maintains a niche in some countries like Tajikistan and the Philippines, where local bottlers offer it at a better price than Pepsi and Coca-Cola.