Fortune 500 showcase: Pepsico

(Fortune Magazine) -- NO. 63

Coke may still have the upper hand in the cola wars, but PepsiCo (Charts) is the master of the snack attack. Today 36 percent of its revenue comes through Frito-Lay North America and Quaker Foods, which it bought in 2001. And as sales of sodas stall, Pepsi's noncarbonated-beverage portfolio - which includes Aquafina, Gatorade and recent natural-drinks acquisition Naked Juice - is on the move. It commanded 48.9 percent market share, vs. Coke's 25.4 percent, in 2005 - proof that it pays to diversify.

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1. Old-School Pop Pepsi first hit the market in 1898, 12 years after Coke. Since 1964 it has introduced 26 cola varieties - Crystal Pepsi, anyone? - of which 14 remain in stores today.

2. Frito-versary The corn chips, now sold in four flavors and three shapes in the U.S., turn 75 this year. Frito-Lay pulled ads featuring the Frito Bandito off the air 37 years ago.

3. Serious Jack Frito-Lay bought the 111-year-old brand in 1997. Cracker Jack's most valuable prize? A 1914 baseball card set, listed at $45,000 in Beckett price guides.

4. Thirst Quencher Created in the 1960s by University of Florida scientists, Gatorade is sold in 80 countries and in over 50 flavors, including Red Orange in Italy.

5. Bullwinkle's Bro Cap'n Crunch cereal's erstwhile mascot, Cap'n Horatio Crunch, was created by Jay Ward, who also drew Rocky and Bullwinkle and Dudley Do-Right.

6. Bran Extension Quaker Oats became the first breakfast cereal to receive a registered trademark in 1877. After oatmeal, oats are used most often in cookies, then meatloaf.