[August 01, 2011] Residents rally in Central Texas for Dublin Dr Pepper Tweet Jul 31, 2011 (Fort Worth Star-Telegram - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- More than 120 people who like their Dr Pepper sweetened with cane sugar and made in the Central Texas town of Dublin rallied Saturday in support of the tiny, family-owned bottler, which is being sued by brand owner Dr Pepper Snapple Corp. for selling outside its territory. They lined up four deep outside the Dublin Dr Pepper Museum and plant to be included in a music video by producer Mike Simpson, whose song "A Big Fan of Small," extols small-town values and was written in support of the bottler. Bruce Vincent, a Dallas-based spokesman for Dublin Dr Pepper, said an almost equal number of people stood on the sidelines, minding small children or watching the event. A Mini Cooper car club paraded its diminutive sedans, and the head of the local economic development corporation was cheered when he handed over an oversized check for $25,000, payable to Dublin Dr Pepper's defense fund, Vincent said. More money was raised from "I (heart) Dublin Dr Pepper" T-shirts and yellow wristbands. After a pastor recited a Bible passage about a small force confronting a huge army, a member of the family that owns the bottling company addressed the crowd. "It strikes me that today is about the American way," Jeff Kloster said in remarks, which he later faxed to the Star-Telegram. "It's about small business. It's about small towns." There's little doubt about local support in the Erath County town of fewer than 4,000, said Pat Leatherwood, vice president of the First National Bank of Dublin, which traditionally hands out a free 8-ounce bottle of Dublin Dr Pepper to anyone who walks through its doors. Leatherwood, 54, who participated in the rally-video shoot, said he's confused by the dispute that's landed the bottler in a federal court in Sherman. "They're part of the same team," the fourth-generation banker said. "It's like telling a winning pitcher, 'Your contract is over with and we want you out.' Dublin Dr Pepper is doing more for the Dr Pepper brand than they realize." Leatherwood likened Dublin Dr Pepper selling in other markets to people buying the ordinary corn-sweetened version at a Fort Worth discount store, then carrying it back to Erath County. Both sides win because more cans and bottles of the brand are sold, he argued. Plano-based Dr Pepper Snapple, which markets its own sugar cane version in the Metroplex, said the Dublin bottler violated a licensing agreement by selling into other franchise territories and by using an authorized logo, which says, "Dublin Dr Pepper." On filing suit against June 28, the publicly traded corporation said Dublin Dr Pepper refused to stop shipping beyond its territory or give up its logo unless it was "compensated." Dr Pepper Snapple spokesman Chris Barnes said Friday he didn't know how much money Dublin Dr Pepper demanded for the logo, but he made it clear that the brand owner wouldn't pay. He said other independent bottlers were upset by Dublin dipping into other regions. "We have more than 170 bottlers," Barnes continued. "If every one of those bottlers took the liberties that Dublin has tried -- to market their product as different from the national brand -- our brand wouldn't be as strong as it is and consumers would be confused." The issue is "not what's in the bottle, it's what's on the bottle," he added. Barry Shlachter, 817-390-7718 To see more of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dfw.com. Copyright (c) 2011, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]